The Death of Patricia Wing

The bloodhound’s nose sniffed at the ground with furious concentration, tracing a path from the Wing’s kitchen and out the back door of their home on Church Street in Oakland, Maine. His handler shuffled hastily behind to keep up with the canine’s fervent pace. But just as quickly as he caught scent of the trail, the dog stopped. At the edge of the pavement on Water Street, the trail disappeared. 

Patricia Wing hadn’t been seen in over 24 hours, not since the afternoon of Tuesday, June 3, 1958. As a 29-year old mother of five, it was highly unusual. Her husband Wendell and her youngest son Harvey were both home and sleeping that afternoon, and a sink full of dirty dishes remained from the lunch she’d just made her four older children. But Patricia left no clues, no indication that when she left the house that day it would be for the last time.

The case that unraveled from that 1958 June afternoon would reveal secrets, kept from spouses, an imperfect investigation in a small, rural county dealing with a spike in violent homicides, and a compelling case by the defense that is still questioned to this day — Was it all a big, unfortunate accident? 

This is the death of Patricia Wing on Dark Downeast. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or hit play above to start listening right now.