Unsolved Mysteries’ Patrick Mullins case: Have there been any updates?

In January 2013, Patrick Lee Mullins took his boat on the Braden River in Florida. Patrick never returned home. A little over a week after finding his unmanned boat, a passing fishing captain discovered Patrick’s body floating in the Manatee River near Emerson Point. Unsolved Mysteries volume 3, episode 7 explores Patrick’s death and the possibility that it was the result of a homicide.

Patrick was a beloved librarian at Palmetto High School in Bradenton. He was only 52 at the time of his death. On the day in question, January 27, 2013, Patrick told his wife that he would be back later to help her move some furniture. He regularly took his boat along the Braden River, as the Mullins’ house was located on one of the river’s tributaries.

When Jill returned home that evening and realized Patrick was still gone, she became concerned. Patrick’s boat was found with the motor still running, but his body wasn’t recovered until eight days later.

What happened to Patrick Mullins?

We still don’t know exactly what happened to Patrick except that a shotgun wound to the head killed him. At the time, police believed it was self-inflicted, but in the episode of Unsolved Mysteries outlining Patrick’s case, there are still questions about whether Patrick’s death was suicide or homicide. His wife, Jill Mullins, does not believe Patrick killed himself and has spent the past decade trying to prove otherwise.

Since Patrick was found in the water, a lot of the evidence was washed away, but no gun was ever found. That said, it’s possible the current could have swept the gun away if it fell into the water. The “Body in the Bay” episode also suggests that Patrick’s friend Damon Crestwood might have had something to do with Patrick’s death or at least knowledge of what happened to him. Unfortunately, Damon died in April 2017 from what was believed to be a meth overdose.

Are there any Patrick Mullins case updates?

There have not been any recent breaks or discoveries in the Patrick Mullins case, but hopefully, someone will come forward with more information once people have had a chance to watch the episode.