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The latest episode of Philly Homicide, The Center City Devil, airs on Oxygen at 9 p.m. on November 2, 2024. The episode depicts Patricia McDermott, a mother of four and a radiology tech. As she walked to work at Pennsylvania Hospital early on May 17, 2005, she was shot once, cutting short her life.
The case shook Philadelphia, leaving investigators and residents searching for answers. In a shocking twist, the seemingly random killing pointed to a serial killer, Juan Covington, lurking in the city. Patricia McDermott's murder revealed a dark and complex tale. This episode looks through the chilling details surrounding her death and the bizarre motives of her killer.
This episode of Philly Homicide goes into detail about what Covington did, showing how his crazy thoughts and paranoia led to a string of murders.
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Patricia McDermott’s final day
Every morning, Patricia McDermott took the train from her home in Elkins Park to Philadelphia, just like she did every other day. Her new schedule lets her spend more time with her kids, so she works an early shift.
A man came up behind her as she walked along Ninth Street after getting off the Route 33 bus. They didn't say anything before he shot her in the head. Surveillance video from a nearby U.S. Post Office showed her killer leaving the scene of the crime, but it was still not clear why they did it.
Unraveling the investigation
At first, Patricia McDermott's murder seemed like a single tragic event. Detectives didn't find any signs of theft, and she didn't have any known enemies who might have tried to hurt her.
Police put out a sketch of a person based on surveillance footage, but there were no leads right away. But after a few months, police got a tip from someone they didn't know that changed the entire case.
The arrest of Juan Covington
On the day Patricia would have been 49, Juan Covington was arrested. He used to drive a SEPTA bus and haul medical waste for a living.
When police found him with a gun, and his permit wasn't valid, they detained him. Covington matched the description of the man caught on camera near the crime scene. That man was also seen wearing similar clothes on the morning of McDermott's murder.
A chilling confession and a disturbing motive
Responding to questioning, Patricia McDermott's killer, Juan Covington, admitted to killing her and gave a strange reason for his actions. Patricia was accused of "activating a machine" that hurt Covington, who thought that Patricia was exposing him to radiation.
Apparently, this threat made him kill her. He acknowledged committing other murders and attempted murders since 1998 and not just the one involving Patricia.
Covington’s psychological profile
The defense lawyer for Covington said that his client was mentally ill. The experts who tested Covington said that he had symptoms of schizophrenia, which explains why he was so focused on people he saw as threats.
Covington, unlike other killers, carried out what he did because he was paranoid and not because he wanted to hurt himself. They alleged that due to his illness, he killed people he was afraid of without getting any pleasure from it.
Justice and sentencing
In March 2006, Patricia McDermott’s killer pled guilty but mentally ill to three murders and two attempted murders.
The court sentenced Covington to three consecutive life sentences and additional terms of 20 to 40 years. For Patricia McDermott’s family, the sentencing brought a degree of closure, knowing her killer would never harm anyone again.
The murder of Patricia McDermott showed how dangerous it's to have untreated mental illness and easy access to weapons.
Philly Homicide, The Center City Devil, airs on Oxygen at 9:00 p.m. on November 2, 2024.
