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Woman charged with manslaughter claims victim fell on knife

Marion County Deputies said Lillian Patterson changed her statement multiple times

Lillian Patterson

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A woman has been charged with negligent manslaughter after a man was found dead in a home in the Micanopy area, officials said.

Marion County Fire Rescue responded to a cardiac arrest call Saturday and found Lillian Patterson, 19, and several small children inside.

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During their investigation, officials found Xavier Collins, 19, deceased inside the home.

Patterson initially claimed that Collins had become unresponsive after stumbling out of the bedroom.

Investigators later found that Collins sustained a traumatic injury to the upper left chest.

Patterson told investigators that Collins had fallen onto a knife held by one of the children in the home. Officials said her story was once again changed to claim both she and a child were holding knives that Collins fell onto.

During an interview at the Marion County Sheriffs Office, Patterson stated that a 2-year-old child had approached her with a steak knife that she then took in her right, dominant hand while scrolling through her phone with her left.

According to Patterson, at some point in the evening, Collins had entered the room and began “wrestling” with her while the knife was still in her hand. Patterson told investigators she pushed Collins with her left hand, causing him to fall onto the knife in her right hand.

Marion County Deputies tell News 6 that Lillian Patterson changed her statement multiple times regarding where she was holding the knife. Patterson also acknowledged to investigators that she had multiple opportunities to let go of the knife before and during her exchange with the Collins.

Records show Patterson is being held at the Marion County Jail and is awaiting her first appearance in court.


About the Author
Hayley Bennett headshot

Hayley moved back to Orlando in 2019 and became a part of the News 6 team in July. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new places and cheering on the Orlando City soccer team. Hayley loves to write about trending topics, travel and animal conservation.

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