The Murders of Kelly Wharen and Jonathan Vuick
For this case I watched an episode of Stranger Among Us. It’s season 1 episode 6, titled ‘Blood Red Reunion.’
Family secrets are revealed when two people are shot and killed.
Background
Patrick and Kelly Wharen met in high school in 1989, in Easton, Pennsylvania. They became smitten with each other, and eventually married and had three kids.
They moved from Pennsylvania to Hardeville, Florida. Patrick worked at a department store, and Kelly as a security guard at the Kennedy Space Center. The Wharen’s seemed to be a happy family, but soon people learned that things weren’t as perfect as they seemed.
Jonathan Vuick
Kelly Wharen
A Secret Child
Patrick soon learned that he had a daughter with a woman that he had dated before Kelly. Patrick’s daughter showed up at the Wharen home, telling them that she had been kicked out and had nowhere to go.
Kelly tried to adjust to their new houseguest, but Andrea didn’t make it easy. She liked to smoke, stay out late and hangout with questionable people.
Kelly and Patrick fought all the time, and Andrea liked to pit the couple against each other. One night while the couple was fighting, Patrick ended up hitting Kelly. Kelly took the kids to stay at a nearby relative’s home, where they stayed for about a week.
Patrick and Kelly decided to work on their marriage, however Andrea had other ideas. A week after Kelly and the kids returned home, Andrea accused Patrick of touching her inappropriately. Patrick was arrested, and Kelly didn’t know whether Andrea was lying or telling the truth.
After Patrick was released, he told Andrea to leave, and she went to stay with a friend.
Another Bombshell
In the fall of 2007, things seemed to be better for the Wharen’s. That was until Kelly announced that she too had a secret child.
Kelly said she had been in contact with her 19 year old daughter Missy Seagram, and Missy’s fiancé Jonathan Vuick. Kelly told her family that Missy was six months pregnant with twins, and she was hoping Missy and Jonathan would eventually move into their rental home, which was across the street.
On Halloween 2007, Kelly went to visit Missy and Jonathan. Four days later, Kelly returned home with Jonathan. The rental house was still be rented out at the time, so Jonathan stayed in the main house. Patrick even helped Jonathan get a job at the same department store that he worked at.
Kelly said Missy was planning to come down for Thanksgiving, but she never showed up. Kelly said that it was due to complications of her pregnancy.
An Usual Relationship
A few weeks later, Jonathan finally moved into the rental property. Kelly and Jonathan were spending more time together. Kelly said she was helping him fix up the house.
Patrick started to get suspicious of their relationship, and Kelly would get defensive and angry. However, Kelly continued to stay at the rental house even after the house was furnished, and set up for the babies.
Patrick and Kelly were fighting once again, and in one fight Patrick grabbed Kelly by the wrist. He was arrested for domestic violence, and Kelly completely abandoned her kids.
The youngest child, Dwayne reached out to his aunt, who lived nearby. He told her that there was no food in the house, and they were hungry. Kim Schlough, the children’s aunt and Patrick’s sister, went to the rental home. When she arrived, she found Kelly and Jonathan lying on the couch together. Kim asked Kelly why she just abandoned her kids. Kelly told her that she didn’t want to be a mom anymore.
By December 2007, Kelly only came home to wake up the kids for school. She also dropped the charges against Patrick, so that he could resume the responsibilities that she didn’t want anymore.
Patrick didn’t want to abandon their marriage, and he begged Kelly to go to counseling. Kelly agreed, but would end up blowing it off. Kim said she was heartbroken to see how devastated her brother was. Jonathan would also taunt Patrick by telling him he was f****** Kelly. Patrick ended up quitting his job, so he didn’t have to be around him.
The Murders
On April 4, 2008, Patrick went to a neighbor’s house for a barbecue. He was told by one of the neighbors that Kelly and Jonathan were together and watching an adult film.
That night, Patrick told his daughter Courtney to go talk to her mom before something bad happened. Courtney was confused, but she went with her brother PJ to the rental home.
Patrick soon came over as well, and pointed a gun at his wife. He shot her once in the abdomen, and Jonathan took her back into the home, and barricaded them inside.
PJ tried to wrestle the gun away from his dad, and Patrick ended up shooting himself and his son. PJ called 911, and said “I’ve been shot, help me.” Patrick was able to get up and shoot through the door, killing Jonathan. He then entered the home, and shot Kelly two more times. Before Jonathan died, he told the police that Patrick was the one who shot him.
When the ambulance arrived, Patrick and PJ were rushed the hospital. They both survived, and Patrick was charged with two counts of first degree murder.
Trial and Conviction
In February 2012, Patrick Wharen went on trial.
His defense was that he killed Kelly and Jonathan in a heat of passion. The prosecution was able to prove that it was premeditated. Less than a month before the murders, Patrick bought the murder weapon.
On February 22, he was found guilty on both counts. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Patrick Wharen
Other
Kelly’s daughter Missy never existed. The police discovered that all of Missy’s social media and pictures were coming from an IP address from the rental home. There were also no records of any Missy Seagram giving birth in Virginia.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This was a crazy case. I was genuinely shocked by everything I learned. I still don’t know how Jonathan and Kelly met because it was proven that Missy didn’t exist. Patrick seemed like he tried everything to get Kelly back, but she was infatuated with her new younger boyfriend. Patrick and Kelly also seemed to have a very toxic relationship, and it obviously wasn’t healthy anymore. At the end of the day, Kelly and Jonathan didn’t deserve to be brutally murdered, so Patrick deserves the sentence he received.
Sources
https://www.theledger.com/article/LK/20120223/News/608112960/LL
https://www.wftv.com/news/jurors-hear-chilling-911-call-victim-fatally-shot/287929793/
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/2012/02/easton_area_native_sentenced_t.html
