Pateresa Patty LU Hawkins

Pateresa “Patty” Lu Hawkins was a retired teacher and a beloved figure in her community of War, West Virginia. The 77-year-old White woman was known as a wonderful mother to her three children and a great teacher with a huge personality. Born on January 1, 1943, she was the widow of Douglas Hawkins and a cherished member of her family.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 27, 2020, Patty’s life was tragically cut short. At around 4:30 p.m., officers from the War Police Department and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a shooting at her residence. They found Patty unresponsive inside the home. She was rushed to Welch Community Hospital, where she was pronounced dead from what authorities determined was gun violence.

The investigation quickly centered on Patty’s son, 46-year-old Pete Douglas Hawkins, who lived with her. Authorities arrested him and charged him with murder in connection with his mother’s shooting death. Following his arrest, Pete Hawkins was arraigned in McDowell County Magistrate Court and held without bail at the Southwestern Regional Jail.

Later in the legal process, the murder charge against Pete Douglas Hawkins was dismissed without prejudice. No other arrests have been announced in the case. As of that dismissal, the death of Pateresa Hawkins remains unsolved. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.