Editor’s note: This is the story of the Lovefraud author Joyce Alexander, who comments as “Ox Drover.”
By Donna Andersen
William “Patrick” Alexander didn’t want to go back to prison. He was 19 years old, almost 20, and had already done two years for aggravated burglary. Patrick suspected that 17-year-old Jessica Witt, of Dallas, Texas, was going to rat him out. Or perhaps she already did.
Patrick had used a credit card stolen from Jessica’s grandfather to pay for a trip to California, in violation of his parole. He racked up $8,000 in charges.
On January 17, 1992, Patrick and one of his unsavory friends were at Jessica’s apartment. Patrick told the friend that he was going to kill Jessica—anything to avoid going back to prison. As he talked, Patrick played with a small silver handgun, jacking rounds into the chamber and taking the clip in and out. The friend was scared.
The next day, the friend heard Patrick ask another guy if he knew anyplace to kill someone and hide the body.
Murder in the countryside
Patrick and Jessica became friendly while working together at a telemarketing company. Jessica was a pretty girl with long, dark, wavy hair. Even though she was still in high school, she’d left her parents’ home and moved into an apartment with friends.
At 10:30 p.m. on January 20, 1992, Patrick and Jessica left her apartment. According to Jessica’s female roommate, Patrick told Jessica that a guy in Fort Worth, Texas, about 35 miles away, was going to give him money so he could pay off her grandfather’s credit card.
Four hours later, Patrick returned to the apartment alone.
“Where’s Jessica?” the roommate asked.
“I killed her,” Patrick replied.
He gave the roommate Jessica’s purse and jewelry. He said he did not bring back Jessica’s leather coat because it had too much blood on it.
Patrick told the roommate that he and Jessica had driven to an area out in the country where people ride four-wheelers. Patrick and Jessica left his pickup truck on the road and walked towards an old house.
Jessica was walking in front of Patrick. He called her name, and when Jessica turned around, Patrick shot her twice in the head.
Patrick dragged the girl’s body to a mud hole and covered it with dirt, grass and branches.
Back at the apartment, Patrick sat in the kitchen as he talked and wouldn’t let the roommate leave the room. He showed the girl his .25 caliber pistol, with two bullets missing. She was terrified, believing she was next to die.
At 6 a.m., Patrick left. He said he had to take someone to work, as if nothing had happened.
Search for the body
Jessica’s roommate went directly to the police. Patrick Alexander was arrested the next day. He was charged with credit card fraud, but not murder, at least not yet. There was no body.
Police and volunteers searched the countryside, finding nothing.
A week later, from the Tarrant County jail, Patrick called a prison buddy. Patrick told the man where he’d left Jessica’s body, and because the searchers were getting too close, asked him to move it. Instead, the man gave a tape recording of the conversation to the police.
On January 31, 1992, 11 days after Jessica Witt had gone missing, police searched a wooded area around Marine Creek Lake in northwest Fort Worth. An officer noticed a pair of black boots protruding from a grassy pile.
Moving grass and sticks, the police discovered a body.
Jessica’s uncle was assisting in the search. He identified his niece’s body. Jessica had been shot in front of her left ear, and in the back of her head.
Mother learns of the crime
Joyce Alexander, Patrick’s mother, lived in Arkansas. A Dallas police sergeant called and told her that Patrick had been arrested and charged with the murder of young Jessica Witt.
“He talked to me like I was the killer,” Joyce says.
Joyce was horrified by the actions of her son, and heartbroken for the young girl’s family.
“I went into such a depression that I should have been hospitalized,” Joyce says. “I didn’t sleep for seven days. I lost 35 pounds in 14 days. I cried continuously like a gut shot dog.”
In the meantime, Patrick was calling Joyce on the phone from jail, saying none of it was true.
“I knew it was true,” Joyce says. “But I wanted to believe him.”
Ox Drover
Thanks, guys, yep ME TOO!!!!! I’m glad for the sake of EVERYONE, the Public, Jessica’s family and my own family. I am so grateful to God that this whole miserable protest went well and that He gave wisdom to the board members…plus it doesn’t hurt that I have the most well connected parole lawyer in Texas who is known to the board and has an 80% success rate in getting folks OUT so I imagine when they see that HE has presented a protest and was hired by the perp’s family that maybeeeee, just maybeeee, they might want to give what his protest packet says a close look.
Wounded1
Ox Drover, just today I listened to your podcast from March 2012 on the Aftermath Radio site telling the story about your son and your tragic life dealing with him, and it has left me shaken. Your story has to be the worst thing a mother could ever have to endure. I really worry that I could be in similar danger you feel you are in because my sister is a sociopath. Since my father’s death several years ago she has had total control over our elderly mother, and I am concerned that she may do whatever it takes to exclude me from inheriting any money from my mom when she dies. I live in a different state from the rest of my family and I worry she may send a hit man to do the job, since I don’t think she would want to risk getting caught. Then I googled your name thinking I would like to email you to discuss my situation further, and saw an obituary for a Joyce Alexander from Arkansas that passed away January 27, 2014. There was no writeup nor any condolences or memory book entries, so I thought that was strange. I also noticed that this thread’s last comment was by you on January 11, 2014. But I am really hoping that is not you, and that you are still living and staying safe from your son. Please respond to this thread to let us know you’re okay. My concern for myself is that I don’t know how my mom’s will is written, whether or not my sister would profit if I were to precede my mom in death. So that has me worried and I can’t get any straight answers out of them, so was thinking about contacting her lawyer to ask how the will is stated just for my own peace of mind. My sister and my mom have kept the estate documents in their own little world, and not let me or the other siblings in on it, so we are in the dark. I don’t know what to do or who to turn to. My husband thinks I’m worrying about something that will never happen, but how do I know what she is capable of? She lies, manipulates, steals and is a parasite, so she has all the hallmarks and tools to get what she wants. Plus she has a lot of friends in low places. It just occurred to me that maybe you had the obituary written to fake your own death so your son won’t continue to haunt you. Such a tragic life you have lived through…I really hope you’re okay. If you don’t want to appear on this site for privacy reasons, maybe you can let Donna Anderson know. Thank you and keeping my fingers crossed that you’re alive and well.
Donna Andersen
Wounded1 – I last heard from Joyce about 2 weeks ago. So rumors of her demise are highly exaggerated.
Wounded1
That’s good to hear, Donna. Thanks for letting me know. I hadn’t heard any rumors but just ran across an obit online that seemed like it could have been her, but that’s a relief to know it wasn’t. Thanks again.
slimone
Joyce,
Hurray, yipee, hurrah….BIG brass band playing LOUD!!!!!!!!!!
Me doing a happy dance.
Slim
OpalRose
Greetings Joyce and all – I was waiting to hear as well and expecting it by Dec 31…..
And now the news is wonderful – all that tireless work has paid off. Best regards and wishes to you and all those who literally and virtually support you. Thanks so much for sharing your story, your path to knowledge, and this good news.
Vicki Kuper
Congratulations, and best wishes for your continued safety from your son, for many years to come.
IAfraud