Man Charged in Slayings of South L.A. Couple

A Los Angeles man was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder with special circumstances and one count of robbery in the stabbing deaths of Albert Patton, the 90-year-old co-founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, and Patton’s 85-year-old wheelchair-bound wife.

The special-circumstance allegations could make Stevie Bernard Jackson, 34, a former tenant in a building owned by the Pattons, eligible for the death penalty.

The bodies of Albert and Edna Patton were found by a neighbor about 8:40 p.m. May 27 in the couple’s three-story home on South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. Police said they were apparently killed during a robbery.

Albert Patton, who co-founded the national 100 Black Men organization for disadvantaged youth, was found in the kitchen. His wife was found in the bedroom.

Homicide detectives said Jackson had visited the couple in the past. An informant reportedly told police that the couple had given Jackson money on previous occasions.

Det. Michael Whelan said Albert Patton’s wallet and a “large quantity” of money were missing. Police described the suspect as a cocaine abuser who had been hard pressed to pay for his habit.

Jackson was arrested Friday at a motel on South La Brea. In his room, police said, they found a shirt that was shown by DNA analysis to have been stained with the victims’ blood.

Another man, whom police did not identify, was arrested with Jackson in connection with a string of other robberies. There is nothing to suggest that he was involved in the Patton murders, authorities said.

The Pattons were known as a generous couple who donated money to community programs and funded scholarships for young black students. Albert Patton was a friend and financial supporter of the late Mayor Tom Bradley.

Jackson is scheduled to enter a plea June 20 in Los Angeles Superior Court.