WLKM Radio 95.9 FM
St. Joseph County Circuit Court Judge Paul Stutesman on Friday ordered a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for Zachary Patten in the 2017 murder of Shane Richardson.
A Portage resident, Patten was found guilty last month of the killing at Richardson’s home in Florence Township. Patten also was sentenced to two years for a felony-firearm charge and five to 20 years for home invasion.
After sentencing, Patten was taken to probate court, where Richardson was petitioning the court to remove Patten’s parental rights.
Patten also is serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of Graciela Portillo-Esparza. That occurred earlier the same night in 2017 in Kalamazoo.
