The story of Patty Columbo is a chilling account of how a toxic relationship and deep-seated resentment led to a horrific family massacre in the quiet suburb of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. In the 1970s, the Columbo family appeared to be a successful, middle-class household. Frank Columbo, a successful businessman, and his wife Mary had two children: Patricia (Patty) and her younger brother Michael.

Patty’s early life was marked by extreme attention from her father, but also by hidden trauma. According to sources, she was victims of long-term abuse by a family friend known as Uncle Gaz, a secret she kept from her parents for years. As she grew older, her relationship with her mother became increasingly strained and critical, leading Patty to seek escape.

In 1972, at the age of 16, Patty met Frank DeLuca, the manager of a pharmacy located across from the coffee shop where she worked. Their relationship was built on a series of lies. Frank DeLuca, who was actually 36 years old with a wife and five children, told Patty he was 28 and single. Patty, in turn, told him she was 18. When the truth about DeLuca's family came out, Patty did not end the relationship; instead, she became further entangled in his life, even briefly moving into the DeLuca family home under the pretense of being a troubled employee helping with the household.

The situation caused a massive rift with her parents. Frank Columbo was a man of traditional values who deeply disapproved of the relationship. After a physical confrontation where Frank Columbo attacked DeLuca and threatened him with a gun, Patty’s father officially disinherited her. This financial and emotional break became the catalyst for the tragedy that followed.

On May 4, 1976, the lives of the Columbo family came to a brutal end. Frank, Mary, and 13-year-old Michael were found murdered in their home. They had been shot and stabbed multiple times in a scene described as incredibly violent. Initially, Patty tried to divert suspicion by suggesting her father had ties to organized crime in Chicago, but her behavior during the investigation—ranging from being strangely unemotional to flirtatious with police—made her a primary suspect.

The investigation uncovered that Patty and DeLuca had been planning the murders for months. They had even attempted to hire two men, Lanny Mitchell and Roman Sobczynski, to carry out the killings in exchange for money from the family's life insurance policy. When that plan failed, Patty and DeLuca decided to commit the crimes themselves.

During the trial, it was revealed that the couple’s lifestyle included frequent visits to swingers' clubs and a strange power dynamic where DeLuca encouraged Patty to engage in risky behaviors. The jury found both guilty of the triple homicide. Both Patricia Columbo and Frank DeLuca were sentenced to 200 to 300 years in prison.

In the years following their conviction, Frank DeLuca eventually admitted to being the one who pulled the trigger, though many believe Patty was the mastermind behind the plot. Despite multiple requests for parole and claims that they acted out of fear of Frank Columbo's temper, both remain behind bars. The case remains a dark chapter in Illinois history, illustrating a devastating breakdown of family bonds driven by obsession and greed.

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