January 27, 2013. Bradenton, Florida. After taking his boat out onto the Braden River, 52-year old Patrick Mullins fails to return home and the abandoned boat is discovered several miles away in Egmont Channel the following day. Nine days after he vanished, Pat is found floating in Tampa Bay and it turns out he was fatally shot through the head and weighed down in the water with an anchor tied to a rope wrapped around his body. His official cause of death is listed as “undetermined”, but while law enforcement leans towards suicide, Pat’s loved ones notice some odd discrepancies to make them believe he was murdered. A family friend displays some suspicious behavior to suggest he might have knowledge of what happened, but there is not enough evidence to implicate him. Was Patrick Mullins the victim of foul play or was his death actually an elaborate suicide? For our first “Trail Went Cold” episode of 2024, we shall explore a controversial case which was featured on the Netflix reboot of “Unsolved Mysteries”.

If you have any information about the death of Patrick Mullins, please contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011 or Manatee County Crimestoppers at (866) 634-TIPS (8477).

Additional Reading:

https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Pat_Mullins

https://unsolved.com/gallery/body-in-the-bay/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/01/in-boaters-death-a-river-keeps-its-secrets-close/64255908007/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317870/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/669317973/

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2013/09/25/pat-mullins-death-investigation-under-review/29201496007/

https://www.bradenton.com/living/article129187884.html

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2018/feb/07/manatee-county-murder-patrick-mullins-reward/

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/01/14/cold-case-family-still-searching-answers-patrick-mullins-homicide/

https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article267853552.html

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“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.