Accident, Suicide, or Murder is examining the murder of Patricia “Patty” Wlasiuk by her husband Peter “Pete” Wlasiuk at their home in Oxford, Chenango County, New York.
In the early hours of April 3, 2002, Chenango sheriff deputies received a call about a traffic accident at Guildford Lake. When the deputies arrived, they found Pete Wlasiuk standing on the embankment, and they saw the taillights of a submerged pickup truck in the lake.
Wlasiuk told the cops that his wife, Patty, had driven the vehicle into the lake after swerving to avoid a deer.
The first responders managed to recover Patty from the water and attempted to resuscitate her. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigators were not convinced by Wlasiuk’s version of events. They noted that Patty’s body appeared battered and bruised, but Wlasiuk was unscathed.
The cops were also troubled by how the truck had coincidently squeezed through the only gap in the guardrail on the lake. They concluded this was no freak accident but murder.
Chenango County investigators said Pete Wlasiuk killed his wife Patty Wlasiuk
The discovery of Patty’s hair in the bed of the truck, along with other evidence, helped to solidify the investigator’s views that Wlasiuk asphyxiated his wife at their home and then tried to cover up his crime by pushing Patty and the truck into the lake.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelIn 2002, Wlasiuk was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life. However, four years later, Wlasiuk submitted a successful appeal, and the verdict was overturned.
He was re-trialed in 2008 and again found guilty with the same sentence of 25 years. On that occasion, Broome County Judge Martin Smith told Wlasiuk, “I’ve sat through an awful lot of trials, and I have to say the evidence in this case that you murdered your wife and attempted to cover it up is overwhelming.”
Judge Smith added, “I’m going to let the parole board know now: You should never be released. You, sir, are a person society needs to be protected from.”
Pete Wlasiuk continues to claim he is innocent of Patty Wlasiuk murder
Wlasiuk has continued to protest his innocence, and another appeal in 2011 was again successful. He faced a third trial in 2012 and, yet again, received a guilty verdict and a 25-year sentence. A third appeal was denied in 2016.
In 2021, Wlasiuk’s case was taken up by the Center For Factual Innocence, an organization that advocates for prisoners they believe have been wrongfully convicted.
Wlasiuk is now married to Heather Wlasiuk, who had been advocating for his release before they formed a relationship. His new wife has said that if her husband had shown remorse for the killing he would have likely been released on parole, however, he will never admit he is guilty.
Accident, Suicide, or Murder airs Saturdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.