Patrick Franklin Andrews: The D.C. Street Killer
Overview
Patrick Franklin Andrews is a convicted serial killer whose decade-long span of violence began on the streets of Washington, D.C., and culminated in a brutal murder inside a maximum-security federal prison. Responsible for three proven murders between 1997 and 2007, Andrews demonstrated a consistent capacity for extreme violence, often sparked by seemingly minor disputes. His first two killings, committed when he was a teenager and a young adult, earned him a sentence of 35 years to life. Yet, this did not deter his murderous path. While serving his sentence, he orchestrated and carried out the stabbing of a fellow inmate, an act that ultimately secured him a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His case is a chilling study of escalating violence that even the walls of a penitentiary could not contain.
Early Life
Public records and news reports are almost entirely silent on the childhood and background of Patrick Franklin Andrews. Born around 1980 in Washington, D.C., he grew up during a period of intense social and economic turmoil in the city, marked by high crime rates. What little is known suggests an early entry into the criminal justice system, including time spent in juvenile institutions. It was there he reportedly crossed paths with Kevin Bellinger, a future accomplice. Beyond these sparse details, there is no available information about his family, education, or the specific circumstances that shaped his formative years. His documented history begins abruptly and violently in his late teens, leaving his motivations and the origins of his violent tendencies largely a matter of speculation.
The Murder of Robert Ward
The violent trajectory of Patrick Andrews’s life became public record on August 4, 1997. On that evening, at around 6:00 p.m., 18-year-old Robert Ward was walking near the intersection of 16th Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Southeast Washington, D.C. Andrews, then just 17, ambushed him. Armed with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, Andrews chased Ward into the street and opened fire.
The attack was one of shocking brutality. Witnesses testified that Andrews shot Ward numerous times, and even after Ward had fallen to the ground, Andrews stood over him and continued to fire until his weapon was empty. An autopsy would later reveal that Ward had been shot 18 times at close range. The motive for this savage killing was described by prosecutors as a long-standing "beef" that had originated from a dispute the previous year. On September 12, 2002, after his first trial ended in a hung jury, Andrews, then 21, was sentenced in D.C. Superior Court to a term of 36 years and eight months to life in prison for the murder of Robert Ward.
The Murder of Deyon Rivers
Less than three years later, while still a free man, Andrews killed again. In the early morning hours of July 2, 2000, Deyon Rivers was sitting in his car near the corner of 18th and C Streets in Northeast D.C. The night before, Rivers had been involved in a minor altercation with a man named David Braddy, a friend of Andrews and his associate, Randall C. Mack. Rivers had been setting off firecrackers, and one nearly struck Braddy’s girlfriend. Though the initial incident ended without violence, Braddy later recounted his anger to Andrews and Mack.
Seeking revenge for this perceived slight, Andrews and Mack armed themselves and lay in wait for Rivers. They emerged from an alley and ambushed him in his vehicle, firing at least sixteen shots from two different pistols into the car. Rivers was struck multiple times and died at the scene. On May 15, 2002, a jury found both Patrick Andrews and Randall Mack guilty of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, along with a host of related firearms offenses. This conviction, combined with his subsequent conviction for the murder of Robert Ward, led to an aggregate sentence of 35 years to life in prison.
The Victims
The three men whose lives were taken by Patrick Andrews are remembered here with respect. Due to a lack of public records, detailed personal information and remembrances are unfortunately limited.
- Robert Ward, 18 — Killed on August 4, 1997, in Washington, D.C. He was a resident of Bay Street SE and was just a teenager when he was brutally murdered over a personal dispute.
- Deyon Rivers, age unknown — Killed on July 2, 2000, in Washington, D.C. He was ambushed and shot to death while sitting in his car, the victim of a retaliatory act for a minor argument.
- Jesse Harris, 28 — Killed on October 7, 2007, in Hazelton, West Virginia. He was an inmate at USP Hazelton who was ambushed and fatally stabbed by Andrews and an accomplice. Court statements revealed he had known his attackers from their time in Washington, D.C.
The Prison Murder of Jesse Harris
By 2007, Patrick Andrews was serving his sentence for the murders of Ward and Rivers at the high-security United States Penitentiary in Hazelton, West Virginia. Incarceration did not curb his capacity for violence; it only changed the venue. On the evening of October 7, 2007, Andrews and a fellow inmate, Kevin Bellinger, put a deadly plan into motion.
The target was 28-year-old inmate Jesse Harris. According to court records, all three men had known each other from their lives in Washington, D.C., suggesting the motive had roots outside the prison walls. As a group of inmates was being moved from the recreation yard back to their cells, Andrews and Bellinger ambushed Harris. They confronted him verbally before attacking him with shanks, or homemade knives. The assault was swift and vicious. Prison surveillance footage captured the orchestrated attack, showing the two men repeatedly stabbing the unarmed Harris, who was attempting to back away. Harris sustained at least 20 stab wounds and died from his injuries.
Investigation and Trial
The investigation into the murder of Jesse Harris was conducted by the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The evidence was overwhelming, consisting of surveillance video of the attack and witness testimony from correctional officers and other inmates. Despite this, it took nearly five years for a formal indictment. On October 2, 2012, a grand jury charged both Andrews and Bellinger with second-degree murder and murder by a federal prisoner.
Kevin Bellinger, Andrews's accomplice, went to trial first. In June 2014, a federal jury convicted him on both counts, and on October 8, 2014, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Facing a potential death sentence if his case went to trial, Patrick Andrews chose to plead guilty. On April 13, 2015, he admitted his guilt to one count of murder by a federal prisoner serving a life sentence and one count of second-degree murder. The plea agreement spared him from a capital trial.
Sentence and Imprisonment
For the murder of Jesse Harris, U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley sentenced Patrick Andrews to two concurrent life sentences, to be served consecutively to the 35-years-to-life sentence he was already serving for the murders in Washington, D.C. The sentence carries no possibility of parole, ensuring he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
Following this final conviction, Andrews was transferred to USP Florence High in Colorado, a facility known for holding some of the country's most dangerous inmates. He was later moved and is currently incarcerated at USP Beaumont in Texas. His federal register number is 12550-007. His accomplices, Randall C. Mack and Kevin Bellinger, are also serving lengthy sentences for their roles in the murders of Deyon Rivers and Jesse Harris, respectively.
