Uploaded September 2018 | Updated September 2026, 6 hours ago
A mother, a grandmother, and an employee at Wal-mart who was loved by all who knew her...51-year old Patricia “Patty” Sofia was an unlikely target of life-threatening violence. But on January 11, 2005, someone filled with evil entered her home and took her life. There was no rhyme or reason for why Patty became a victim of the most heinous of crimes. Questions about her death have gone unanswered for 13 years…questions detectives continue to mull over in their minds.
“She was brutally murdered in her home, she was alone," said Sgt. Donald Buie of the MCSO Major Crimes Unit. "She didn’t bother anybody. There was no reason for us to believe that she had any ill will against her, that she had any enemies.”
Patty was a creature of habit. She never missed work, kept the same schedule every day and never went for long without talking to her family. So when her son couldn’t reach her by phone, he went to check on her. To his horror, he found his mother… dead…from a fatal gunshot wound.
“We continuously work on these cold cases because we owe it to the family, we owe it to the community and we owe it to the victim," said Sgt. Buie. "Someone holds the key. Someone holds that final missing piece to the puzzle so that we can help the victim, help the family and hold that person accountable for what happened.”
We need your help to catch this killer. If you have any information about Patricia Sofia’s homicide, please contact Sergeant Donald Buie at 352-368-3538. You can also call the Marion County Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP.
A mother, a grandmother, and an employee at Wal-mart who was loved by all who knew her...51-year old Patricia “Patty” Sofia was an unlikely target of life-threatening violence. But on January 11, 2005, someone filled with evil entered her home and took her life. There was no rhyme or reason for why Patty became a victim of the most heinous of crimes. Questions about her death have gone unanswered for 13 years…questions detectives continue to mull over in their minds.
“She was brutally murdered in her home, she was alone," said Sgt. Donald Buie of the MCSO Major Crimes Unit. "She didn’t bother anybody. There was no reason for us to believe that she had any ill will against her, that she had any enemies.”
Patty was a creature of habit. She never missed work, kept the same schedule every day and never went for long without talking to her family. So when her son couldn’t reach her by phone, he went to check on her. To his horror, he found his mother… dead…from a fatal gunshot wound.
“We continuously work on these cold cases because we owe it to the family, we owe it to the community and we owe it to the victim," said Sgt. Buie. "Someone holds the key. Someone holds that final missing piece to the puzzle so that we can help the victim, help the family and hold that person accountable for what happened.”
We need your help to catch this killer. If you have any information about Patricia Sofia’s homicide, please contact Sergeant Donald Buie at 352-368-3538. You can also call the Marion County Crime Stoppers at 352-368-STOP.
