Until reading Lisa Thompson's story in today's Erie Times-News about Richard Patton, a mentally-deranged man who stands accused of homicide, aggravated assault and other charges, I'd forgotten I knew him many years ago. Judging from the calls and e-mails I received today, I wasn't alone.

Tim Miller wrote, "You remember Patton. He was a good softball pitcher and a basketball ref."

He was right. That Patton was bright, personable and seemed to have a promising future. But until this morning, the only Richard Patton I was familiar with was the disturbed man in the beard who had a 4-hour standoff with police in September of 2005. That was after police said he fatally shot Steve Lynton, a New Jersey man who was visiting Patton's neighbor.

Thompson's story is heartbreaking on several levels. First, Patton's devoted older daughter, remembering the happy days when he was a good dad, continues to remain loyal to him. "He's sick," she told police at the standoff in 2005.

Even sadder are comments by Lynton's widow, Isabel Lynton, who had planned a joyful retirement with her husband of 27 years. All those glorious plans ended when Steven Lynton's life was allegedly snuffed out by the shots from a deranged man.

Only a week after the shootings at Virginia Tech, many readers are still talking about the mentally-disturbed killer in Blackburg, who took 33 lives, including his own. That awful incident, and now this story about Patton, cast a new light on mental illness.

I have no great insight such illnesses, only empathy for family members and sympathy of the families of victims. Thompson's story did illuminate what's happened to those associated with Patton and Steve Lynton. Unfortunately, it's very sad. We can only hope that others who are coping with mental illness or with family members who suffer from such illness might take something of value from Thompson's fascinating report.

-- Kevin Cuneo

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