Newspaper Page Text
February 9, 2022
Page 6C
^Reporter
Teen gets life in prison for
killing mom, step brother
Forsyth couple
badly hurt in
Collier Rd. wreck
A Forsyth couple was badly hurt when their 2014 Chevro
let Camaro ran off the road on Collier Road around 7:50
p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5. According to the report by dep
uty Timothy Kendrick, Samuel Christopher Patterson, 52,
was traveling with Trista Patterson, 49, when he failed to
maintain lane, overcorrected, and went from the right side
of the road to the left shoulder, up an embankment and
overturned several times before finally coming to a stop in
the road, partially blocking the westbound lane. Both were
taken to Navicent Health by Monroe County EMS.
Man locked out of car
then locked up in jail
By Steve Reece
stevereece@gmail.com
A Forsyth teenager who
killed her mother and
special needs brother
by setting their family
home ablaze in 2020 was
sentenced to life in prison
and wont be eligile for
parole for 30 years.
Candace Walton pled
guilty to seven charges
at the Monroe County
Justice Center on Wednes
day morning, Feb. 2. The
18-year-old was convicted
of malice murder, felony
murder, theft by taking,
and first-degree arson. She
burned down her family’s
home in the early-morn
ing hours of Feb. 27,2020.
Walton sobbed as
she stood before judge
Tommy Wilson in a red
and white jumpsuit. Wil
son sentenced her to two
life sentences to be served
concurrently, with the
possibility of parole, felony
murder, and first-degree
arson charges for which
she received a 10-year sen
tence. She will be eligible
for release after 30 years.
Towaliga Judicial District
Attorney Jonathan Adams
said the state recommend
ed the sentences be served
consecutively, which
would ensure Walton will
not be eligible for parole
for another 60 years.
Investigators believe
Walton wanted to leave
Georgia and live with her
boyfriend Kaleo Pange-
linan who had moved
to Oregon. Walton and
Pangelinan, whose Insta-
gram bio claimed he was
“Satan’s left-hand man”,
met as students at Mary
Persons. Pangelinan, who
was 17 at the time, was
also charged with two
counts of murder on May
14,2020, but has yet to be
tried. When Pangelinan
was charged, her surviving
brother Eric Walton said
at the time, “As far as I’m
concerned, he put her up
to the whole thing. She
would never have wanted
to do this to her mother
and brother. I guess she
loved her boyfriend more
than them.”
Pangelinan claims he
had nothing to do with
the murders but thou
sands of texts between
the pair planning the
crime is strong evidence
against him. Adams said
they talked about using a
gun or a knife or suffo
cation and he would go
through with her what he
felt was the best plan to
move forward. Before the
night of the fire, she was
“Putting medicine, mixing
medicines in their food
and drinks. It was making
them sick, but it wasn’t
killing them, so that’s why
they decided to move on
to arson.” Adams said.
Candace started the fire
with a pile of papers on
the couch in the living
room. The only way out.
After setting the fire, she
stole $2,300 and a 2007
Chevrolet Malibu from
her mother and drove
away heading to Oregon
to be with her boyfriend.
A neighbor called 911 to
report a house fire at 2340
Old Zebulon Road around
3:30 a.m.
The house was fully
engulfed when Monroe
County firefighters arrived
and Walton was later
arrested by authorities in
McCracken County, Ky.
12 hours after the home
burned to the ground.
She was brought back by
Monroe County investiga
tors.
Her brother, Gerald
Walton, who was 21 at
the time of his death, was
found reaching for the
door trying to escape the
flames in his bedroom and
her mother, Tasha Louise
Vandiver Walton, 46, was
found in Candace’s bed
room. She died trying to
save the very person who
set her on fire.
Walton’s public defender
who has been involved
with the case from the
beginning said she under
stands what she’s done and
accepts responsibility. He
said there was no excuse
for what she did and no
way to justify it. He told
Wilson that she is a lot
different now than when
she was 16. She was evalu
ated and found as compe
tent but the doctor who
examined her said she
suffered from hypomania
which gives her periods
of over-active and excited
behavior. The lawyer said
Walton has been remorse
ful from day one and
that she was there to take
responsibility. He said she
has never shied away from
her responsibilities. The
attorney said, “She made
a bad decision, judge, but
she was just barely 16. A
child. It was a horrible
decision made by a kid.”
Walton then read a
prepared statement, held
in her handcuffed hands,
sobbing as she expressed
remorse for her actions
and said she thinks about
her mom every day. After
Wilson handed down the
sentence, she was led away
by deputies to begin her
life in prison for at least
the next 30 years.
A guest in room 133 at
the Days Inn on North Lee
Street changed his room to
one at the Monroe County
Jail after he called Forsyth
Police for assistance when
he locked himself out of his
Dodge Journey on Jan. 26.
Sgt. David Asbell answered
the call and informed
Edward Reade that officers
don’t carry lockout kits
and he would have to call
a locksmith. Asbell then
returned to service.
Reade again called police
later to report his keys
stolen and Asbell returned
to the hotel. The sergeant
asked Reade if he had
gotten into his vehicle to
search for his keys and he
responded that it costs too
much. Asbell checked the
hotel’s security cameras
and saw only Reade at his
car.
As Asbell was writing
the report, he discovered
Reade had an active war
rant out of Bartow County
who said they would come
get him. He then returned
to Reade’s room and ex
ecuted the warrant.
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