Hillsborough woman accused of killing sister, burying her in backyard stands trial in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. - The trial for a Hillsborough County woman who's accused of killing her sister and burying her in the backyard began this week.

Debra Patton, 72, was charged with second-degree murder after she was accused of killing her sister, Karen Pais and burying her in her backyard in May 2021.

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The backstory:

During opening statements in Patton's trial on Tuesday, the state prosecutor said Patton shot and killed her sister, Karen Pais, in May 2021, then buried her in the backyard of her Carollwood home.

"She put a bullet in her chest and then wrapped her up in towels and in plastic bags, bungee cords, duct tape, you'll see how she was wrapped up, and then took her to her own backyard and buried her in the ground," the prosecutor said.

Patton was arrested and charged in Pais' death. 

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The case took more than four and a half years to go to trial, after multiple delays in court proceedings. Patton also spent two years in a mental health hospital, after at one point being deemed incompetent to stand trial.

Opening statements in Debra Patton trial

The state said Patton was living at Pais' home, but that the sisters' relationship had become rocky in the years leading up to Pais' death. Several of Pais' friends testified on Tuesday, telling the court that there was visible tension between Patton and Pais.

What they're saying:

"Debra was not interested in joining us anymore," Pais' friend said. "She would walk by to take the dog out and not speak to us. Just got rather cold, distant."

Prosecutors said Pais' friends stopped hearing from her around the time of her death. When they did receive messages from her, they said something seemed off.

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Friends went over to Pais' home multiple times to check on her and saw some of her belongings like her car, but couldn't find her. Prosecutors said when Pais' friends asked Patton where her sister was, she allegedly dismissed them.

"She asks her, 'Is Karen in that hole? Is Karen in that hole?'" the prosecutor said. "And, you will hear that Debra Patton basically ignores her. Says, 'No, I don't know what you're talking about.'"

After a missing persons search began, the state said deputies discovered that a fellow Hillsborough County deputy lived across the street and had security cameras that had a view of the front of Pais' home. The deputy testified on Tuesday that he saw Pais going into her home one day on security camera footage.

"Is that in fact the last time you ever looked through this video that you saw Karen enter into or exit or enter into that residence?" the prosecutor asked the deputy. 

"Yes," the deputy responded.

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The deputy said Patton was believed to be seen on video later that night taking a garbage bag out to the trashcan.

The other side:

The defense argues that there's no evidence that directly ties Patton to Pais' murder.

"The state is going to ask you to do their job for you," Maria Dunker, Patton's public defender, said. "They're going to come up here at the end of this case and ask you to fill in the blanks. To guess about what happened."

Patton's attorney referenced the large dirt area in Pais' backyard where she was later found buried. She questioned Pais' friends, who confirmed she was regularly doing yard work and gardening.

"Once Karen Pais is found in the backyard, the investigation is over and Debra Patton is arrested, charged and sits here before you, not because they find any proof that she kills Karen Pais, not because they find any evidence," Dunker said.

Patton's attorney also argued that if there were concerns about the suspicious messages Pais' friends were receiving, investigators could've searched her phone.

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"They never try and locate the phone," Dunker said. "They don't pull any phone records to try and see, had the phone been at the house the whole time where Ms. Patton was?"

What's next:

The trial continued Tuesday afternoon with more witness testimony and photo evidence from the scene. The trial is expected to continue Wednesday.