Friday, March 25, 2011

Fairhope, AL: Murder-suicide has domestic history

Updated: Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 5:42 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 24 Mar 2011, 12:44 PM CDT

FAIRHOPE, Alabama (WALA) - FOX10 News has learned John Uptagraft and Patricia Evans, the two people involved in a murder-suicide Thursday morning in Mobile, have a past with domestic issues.

Uptagraft was supposed to face a grand jury on charges from 2010.

Last summer at the Spring Run Apartments in Fairhope, a domestic situation turned violent.

"The suspect had gone there armed with a pistol, broke the window to his girlfriend's apartment, entered the apartment and took her by force," said Sgt. Craig Sawyer with Fairhope Police in June 2010.

Police said Uptagraft broke into Evans' apartment while she was sleeping. They said Uptagraft, armed with a pistol, forced Evans into his car and took off. Police caught up with the car in Point Clear, pulled Uptagraft over and rescued Evans unharmed.

"Obviously emotionally distraught, shaken up by the entire thing. Physically she was fine," said Sawyer.

Police hit Uptagraft with a slew of charges including kidnapping, stalking, and rape. Uptagraft had a preliminary hearing in August 2010 where his cases were sent to a grand jury.

Uptagraft, however, was never indicted. His cases were set for this grand jury term in Baldwin County which would have started Monday, March 28.

Uptagraft bonded after the incident, and had been living at his home in Eight Mile, the same home where this story came to a deadly end.

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