TX - Patrick Zacha, 'The Scorpion Murder', Aledo, 8 May 1996

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simon 360

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Hi, new member here. I am interested to know if the 'scorpion murder' in tarrant county, Texas was ever solved? The badly decomposed body of a young man was found buried in a shallow grave in woods adjacent to the Lost Creek golf course in Aledo. The tattoo of a scorpion on the man's shoulder was miraculously still visible. Did they ever find out the victims identity? And was anyone ever arrested and charged with the murder?
 
Thank you E girl. The case just struck me as pretty sad as no one even seemed to miss the guy and he was only a teenager, of course all murders are tragic. Something similar happened to an ex school mate of mine. Fell in with the wrong crowd, hasn't been seen or heard of for 8 years now. These sort of cases really hit home. Did you know anything about the victim? At least the culprits are where they should be, rotting in jail.
 
simon 360 said:
Thank you E girl. The case just struck me as pretty sad as no one even seemed to miss the guy and he was only a teenager, of course all murders are tragic. Something similar happened to an ex school mate of mine. Fell in with the wrong crowd, hasn't been seen or heard of for 8 years now. These sort of cases really hit home. Did you know anything about the victim? At least the culprits are where they should be, rotting in jail.
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Hi Simon... no, didn't know anything about the victim, but am glad hey finally got justice.

Do you have info on your school mate? Maybe the people here at WS can help track him down?
 
Hi again, the lad was called Daniel Benson. He lived very much off the grid, had left home, wasn't on facebook, no mobile. I live in the UK but keep an eye on American crime. You seem to have better documentaries on it over there. It's just really sad when no one misses the victim. Like you said, glad Patrick Zacha got justice. He was a teenager with his whole life ahead of him and just to be dumped in the ground like a piece of rubbish just shows how low some 'people' can go. My old school acquiantance was homeless as well I think, the police seem to have no leads on it. Very sad.
 
I just wanted to add that certain people have been heard bragging, but with no concrete evidence, well, it's hopeless.
 
The case of the scorpion murder
Professor's forensic expertise helps Tarrant County investigators solve 1996 homicide
UTA Magazine Spring/Summer 2002

It was her work on a third set of skeletal remains that recently put the UTA forensic anthropologist and adjunct assistant professor of anthropology in the spotlight. For an episode of its New Detectives series, the Discovery Channel featured the murder of a Tarrant County teen-ager and Dr. Austin's role in solving the crime. The episode, titled "Buried Secrets," aired in February.

On May 8, 1996, a teen-ager scouring a wooded area for golf balls discovered the skeletal remains of a human hand adjacent to the Lost Creek Golf Course near Aledo. A team from the medical examiner's office subsequently unearthed an entire body and determined that the male victim had died from massive trauma to the skull and multiple stab wounds to the torso.

Miraculously, the decomposed body still had one identifying mark: a red scorpion tattoo.

Then on Dec. 3, 1999, a woman told police that she'd overheard two men bragging about killing a former acquaintance named Patrick Zacha, with whom they had once formed a loose-knit gang that dealt drugs and committed burglaries. Detective Hargis and partner Mike Utley visited Zacha's father, who acknowledged that his missing son had a tattoo like the victim's.

Armed with a positive identification, detectives took the two men into custody on suspicion of murder.
Click to expand...
 
simon 360 said:
Thank you E girl. The case just struck me as pretty sad as no one even seemed to miss the guy and he was only a teenager, of course all murders are tragic. Something similar happened to an ex school mate of mine. Fell in with the wrong crowd, hasn't been seen or heard of for 8 years now. These sort of cases really hit home. Did you know anything about the victim? At least the culprits are where they should be, rotting in jail.
Click to expand...

bessie said:
The case of the scorpion murder
Murder tied to drug deal
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Hello, I actually dated Patrick the in the Summer of 1992.I worked at a hotel in Pittsburgh and he was with his Father who was in the Air Force. His dad was stationed there for the summer. Patrick was called "Zack" by everyone. He never met a stranger. And I believe that was a flaw for him. He was so nice to everyone and was obviously a "follower". I thought because he never stayed in one place long. He was kind, handsome and beautiful. We had a great summer and he cried the last time we said goodbye. I had gotten a call from him while at work months later and he talked about how he wanted to marry me and make a family one day. He would have been around 17-18 by then. That was the last time I heard from him.
I am now a police officer, I was home watching TV when I saw the story on "the New Detectives. It was titled, "The Scorpion Murder". Because Zack had a tattoo of a scorpion.
Imagine my sadness and shock watching and learning about what had happened to him. It still bothers me today and I am in my 40's now.
I wanted you guys to know that somebody did care for him and loved him.
 
Fiveogrrl said:
Hello, I actually dated Patrick the in the Summer of 1992.I worked at a hotel in Pittsburgh and he was with his Father who was in the Air Force. His dad was stationed there for the summer. Patrick was called "Zack" by everyone. He never met a stranger. And I believe that was a flaw for him. He was so nice to everyone and was obviously a "follower". I thought because he never stayed in one place long. He was kind, handsome and beautiful. We had a great summer and he cried the last time we said goodbye. I had gotten a call from him while at work months later and he talked about how he wanted to marry me and make a family one day. He would have been around 17-18 by then. That was the last time I heard from him.
I am now a police officer, I was home watching TV when I saw the story on "the New Detectives. It was titled, "The Scorpion Murder". Because Zack had a tattoo of a scorpion.
Imagine my sadness and shock watching and learning about what had happened to him. It still bothers me today and I am in my 40's now.
I wanted you guys to know that somebody did care for him and loved him.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry for your loss fiveogrrl - it was lovely to read of your memories of Zack.
I have not followed this case before, but your words painted a picture of a special person.
Thankyou.
 
Fiveogrrl said:
Hello, I actually dated Patrick the in the Summer of 1992.I worked at a hotel in Pittsburgh and he was with his Father who was in the Air Force. His dad was stationed there for the summer. Patrick was called "Zack" by everyone. He never met a stranger. And I believe that was a flaw for him. He was so nice to everyone and was obviously a "follower". I thought because he never stayed in one place long. He was kind, handsome and beautiful. We had a great summer and he cried the last time we said goodbye. I had gotten a call from him while at work months later and he talked about how he wanted to marry me and make a family one day. He would have been around 17-18 by then. That was the last time I heard from him.
I am now a police officer, I was home watching TV when I saw the story on "the New Detectives. It was titled, "The Scorpion Murder". Because Zack had a tattoo of a scorpion.
Imagine my sadness and shock watching and learning about what had happened to him. It still bothers me today and I am in my 40's now.
I wanted you guys to know that somebody did care for him and loved him.
Click to expand...

Hi, firstly I would just like to say so sorry for your loss. I never knew Patrick or 'Zack'. The case really struck me when I saw it on the new detectives. A young guy betrayed by people who he saw as friends. As I have said, a similar thing happened to a friend of mine. They never showed a picture of Patrick or anything and he obviously had his whole life ahead of him. You obviously did care about him and it must be terrible thinking about it when you were that close to him. Even I think about this case all the time, just thinking what those bastards did to him makes me so angry, and I never even knew him. I'm probably of a similar age to what Patrick was. Would love to hear anymore you have to tell us about him. He sounded a genuinely nice guy from what you've told us.

Yours sincerely, Simon.
 
Fiveogrrl,

I would also say that it's important to keep the memories of the like of Zack alive. My friend Daniel is no longer with us but we won't let his memory die so feel free to talk anytime.
 
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