An Ozark County woman has been charged with the murder of a woman she was the caregiver for. The 38-year-old severely mentally handicapped woman died in October and 58-year-old Patricia Anna Santos-Duvalier of Dora was arrested Sunday following an investigation led by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) with assistance from the Ozark County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the probable cause affidavit from the MSHP, the victim was found dead in the front yard of her residence in Tecumseh. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be undetermined due to internal blood loss, however numerous injuries were visible all over the victims body.
During an interview with law enforcement, Santos-Duvalier denied causing the injuries, but law enforcement say she lied about being in the victim’s vehicle and her whereabouts prior to calling 911.
During the execution of a search warrant, officers found blood on the headliner and the floorboard of the vehicle. Santos-Duvalier denied the victim had been in the car, saying the victim had fallen off the porch which caused her injuries and death.
Cell phone records indicate Santos-Duvalier traveled the county road the morning of the victim’s death which was inconsistent with her statements.
According to the affidavit, the MSHP investigator believes Santos-Duvalier may have assaulted the victim on the county road, driven back to the residence, removed the victim from the vehicle and placed her on the ground where she died from internal blood loss.
Santos-Duvalier is facing felony charges of second degree murder and first degree assault. She is being held in the Ozark County Jail without bail.
Santos-Duvalier has been arrested before in connection with the care of the victim and her bedridden mother. She was charged with financial exploitation of the elderly or disabled, elder abuse, first degree assault and abuse of a mentally disabled person.
Click here to read our previous story about those arrests.
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