Abducted woman’s ex-lover nabbed wearing bloody clothes

A man suspected of assaulting and kidnapping his ex-girlfriend from her Bucks County apartment early Sunday appeared to have bloodstains on his clothing when police arrested him Sunday night at a New Jersey motel, court records say.

Kenneth Lamon Patterson, 48, would not tell authorities the whereabouts of Diane Corado, 57, who remains missing.

Police also saw what appeared to be large amount of blood inside Corado's vehicle when it was found, unoccupied, shortly before 7 p.m. in Camden, according to an affidavit seeking a warrant to search the car.

Patterson was arrested at 9:13 p.m. Sunday after police spotted him leaving Room 314 of the Clover Motel on Route 73 in Maple Shade. "Corado was not in the motel and her whereabouts remain unknown," the affidavit says.

Patterson's arrest came about 15 hours after police say he had forced his way into Corado's apartment in Falls Township. He dragged Corado across the floor by her hair, beat her with a pipe and threatened to kill her as he held a kitchen knife over her, the affidavit says.

Patterson then abducted Corado and a second woman, Margaret Ricketts-Boyd, who had been sleeping on a couch inside the apartment. Ricketts-Boyd was released unharmed shortly after Patterson had forced her and Corado into Corado's black 2004 Pontiac Aztek.

"Diane, do you smell that? Do you smell that? That's gunpowder. I am going to kill you and me tonight," Patterson allegedly told Corado inside the car, according to the affidavit.

Corado had ended a relationship with Patterson sometime prior to the kidnapping, Bucks County District Attorney David W. Heckler said.

When Patterson forced open the door to Corado's apartment along Mill Creek Road, he was carrying a pipe, Ricketts-Boyd told police. When Ricketts-Boyd stood up from the couch, "Patterson told her not to move or he would kill her," the affidavit said.

Patterson then forced open the door of Corado's bedroom and dragged her by the hair into the living room, the affidavit says. He began striking her with the pipe while yelling, "I told you this wasn't over," according to the affidavit. The attack injured Corado's left elbow, causing it to bleed and rendering her unable to use her left arm, Ricketts-Boyd told police.

Fetching a large butcher knife from Corado's kitchen, Patterson then ordered Corado to get into her car. Wearing only a white T-shirt, she asked him to let her put on more clothing. Because of her injury, she was unable to dress herself, so Patterson helped her put on a pair of flannel sleep pants, but Corado left the apartment shoeless and without a coat, the affidavit says.

As the three rode away in Corado's car, Corado asked Patterson to let Ricketts-Boyd go. He did so along Bristol Pike near Mill Creek Road, the affidavit says. Another motorist gave Ricketts-Boyd a ride to a nearby Wawa store, where she called 911.

Surveillance video from the Clover Motel shows Patterson walking up to the front door and checking in shortly before 5 p.m., said James Bean, a hotel clerk who worked the overnight shift and saw the video.

Patterson paid about $50 in cash for a room. Around 5:30 p.m. or so, he returned to the front desk and asked if he could switch his room. He paid about $7 more for an upgrade and got room 314, Bean said.

Shortly after 6 p.m. television news reports told of the incident, Heckler said, the wife of a police officer found a set of keys and a piece of Corado's identification in her yard in Camden. Recognizing Corado from news reports, she contacted police, who searched the area, Heckler said.

Corado's Pontiac was found unoccupied at 6:54 p.m., parked in the 1600 block of Norris Street in Camden. "A large amount of red fluid consistent in appearance with blood was observed on the interior surface of the vehicle" by a Falls Township detective, the affidavit says.

Slightly more than two hours later, Patterson was arrested at the Clover Motel.

State police, FBI and other agencies descended on the motel, said Antonio Lowther, a Clover guest and witness.

Authorities called out Patterson's name. Minutes later, he came out of room 314, Lowther said.

"He had his hands up," Lowther said. ""He opened the door after they called his name. He didn't fight or nothing."

Patterson was dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans. His belt and jeans were hanging off his waist, Lowther said.

"It looked like he was trying to get changed."

Lowther said he saw "dabs" of blood on Patterson's T-shirt.

As he was taken into custody, "red stains consisted in appearance with blood were observed on his clothing," but he refused to speak to investigators, the affidavit says.

Late Sunday night, District Judge Jan Vislosky approved a warrant authorizing police to search the Pontiac for clues that might help locate Corado. By midday Monday, however, she had not been found.

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