Six Years of Truth: Blog Series 1: What We Discovered About Patrick's Killer and a System That Failed Us
- jughead73
- Sep 14
- 3 min read
March 28, 2019, changed our lives forever. But what we've learned in the six years since Patrick's murder has been equally devastating—not just about his killer, but about a justice system that silenced our voices when we needed to be heard most. May 2025 many victims were denied something very fundamental to the healing process: the right to tell the court how Philip Reynolds impacted our lives and what he took from us. This is the first post in our "Six Years of Truth" series. Over the past six years since Patrick's murder, we've learned disturbing facts about his killer that the community deserves to know.
Who Is Philip Reynolds?
When Patrick was killed, most of us knew little about the man who took his life. Philip Lee Reynolds was 51 years old at the time, living in the Lazy Bend community near Patrick on family land that connected to property once owned by his grandfather, Jack Reynolds—whose name appears on the front of the Grant County Courthouse. This family connection to the area's power structure would later take on greater significance as we navigated the justice system.
But as we dug deeper over the years, a troubling picture emerged about the man behind this family legacy—one that reveals decades of warning signs that were either ignored or inadequately addressed. Much of this timeline was documented in fitness to proceed evaluations and other evidence in Reynolds' case file—information that raises serious questions about how someone with this history was allowed to live unsupervised in our community.
A Life of Promise That Went Wrong
Philip Reynolds appeared to have every advantage in life:
1985: Graduated from El Dorado High School
1989: Earned a B.S.E.E. from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
1992: Graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Juris Doctor degree and passed the Texas Bar
He met his future wife while at SMU. They had three children from 1995 until 2000. From the outside, it looked like a successful life—but beneath the surface, serious problems were brewing.
The Unraveling Begins
Mental Health Crisis and Violence (2001-2008)
By 2001, Reynolds was receiving mental health treatment for depression and anxiety related to his divorce and separation from his children. This marked the beginning of a documented psychiatric history that would span nearly two decades.
2002 brought the first major professional consequence—his law license was placed on disability suspension. Between 2005-2012, his license faced several full suspensions.
2007 marked a turning point toward violence:
Treated by Dr. Ed Wolski for multiple injuries from an assault
Domestic violence incidents with his wife began
This pattern of violence would continue through 2007-2008
Escalation to Threats Against Children (2008)
In 2008, Reynolds crossed a critical line—he brought a gun to a middle school. Court records show he was charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Even then, he established a pattern of blaming others for his troubles, specifically targeting his ex-wife's new husband.
Psychiatric Hospitalizations and Delusions (2011-2013)
Reynolds' mental state deteriorated dramatically:
April 2011: First psychiatric hospitalization at Methodist Richardson Medical Center (4/20/2011 to 4/26/2011)
Admitted for being "manic with psychotic features"
Expressed delusions about being poisoned by his ex-wife with Thorazine
Believed his wife and "accomplices" were trying to poison him
Diagnosed with amphetamine abuse and psychotic disorder due to periodic meth use
2013: Mental health deterioration continues
Second hospitalization (9/11/2013-9/20/2013) with significant delusions about his father
Diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder, manic, with psychotic features
His parents inquired about SSI benefits because they believed he would never be able to work again
The Move to Arkansas and Escalating Death Threats (2015)
2015 brought a geographic change but no improvement—in fact, the threats became deadly serious:
Reynolds' mother contacted Dr. Lisa Clayton indicating that Reynolds had made threats to kill her
Medical records noted paranoid ideation and continued delusions
His father purchased property at 74 Grant 193 Grapevine, AR—the land where Reynolds would be living when he killed Patrick
The Questions This Timeline Raises
What we discovered about Philip Reynolds between 1985 and 2015 is not just troubling, it's terrifying. Here was a man with:
18 years of documented mental health issues including multiple psychiatric hospitalizations
A history of violence from domestic abuse to bringing weapons to schools
Psychotic episodes with delusions about being poisoned by family members
Death threats against his own mother serious enough for her to contact his doctor
Multiple professional sanctions including law license suspensions
Diagnosed Bipolar I Disorder with psychotic features and substance abuse
Yet somehow, this individual ended up living in our community in Arkansas with no apparent oversight, monitoring, or community notification. The law that was supposed to protect us instead allowed a dangerous individual to slip through the cracks. Our community deserved better. The truth about Philip Reynolds shows us exactly why we must continue fighting for justice and reform.
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