Bio

Dennis Wade Suttles was born on February 26, 1952. He had a complicated early life. His father left when he was four years old, and he was raised by his grandparents, Noah and Dicie Suttles, who were strict and religious. They provided him with a stable home, but Suttles faced challenges growing up. His older brother died at a young age, which had a significant impact on the family.

Suttles dropped out of school in the tenth grade and took on work to support himself. He struggled academically, demonstrated by his later IQ scores, which indicated he had below-average intelligence. He managed to find work as a foreman for a roofing company, where he was said to be responsible and even planned to start his own business.

Throughout his early years, Suttles had a history of failed relationships. His first marriage lasted twelve years and resulted in one child. He had a reputation for being calm and easygoing, but he had episodes of anger, particularly during conflicts with romantic partners.

At one point, he was incarcerated for violent crimes against a previous girlfriend and his family. He participated in anger management programs while in prison. After serving his time, he was paroled and lived with his mother. Despite making efforts to improve his life, Suttles struggled to maintain stable relationships.

His relationship with Patricia Gail Rhodes began in April 1995. They moved in together, but by February 1996, they had an argument, which resulted in Rhodes moving out. Suttles felt distraught over the breakup and attempted to reconcile with her. However, she felt fearful and avoided him. Suttles became increasingly desperate to win her back, leading to a tragic series of events. 

Murder Story

On March 13, 1996, Dennis Wade Suttles killed his former girlfriend, Patricia Gail Rhodes, in a Taco Bell parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee. Patricia was at the restaurant with her 15-year-old daughter, Christina, and her daughter's friend. Dennis confronted Patricia outside the restaurant and an argument ensued.

During the confrontation, Dennis pulled out a knife and placed it against Patricia's throat. When Christina approached, Dennis threatened her, telling her to stay back or he would harm her mother. After a moment, he put the knife away and released Patricia. However, when she tried to escape back into the restaurant, Dennis tackled her and fatally stabbed her multiple times.

Witnesses inside the restaurant saw the attack. Some rushed to help Patricia as she lay on the ground bleeding. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

After the incident, Dennis contacted a friend and admitted that he believed he had killed Patricia. That evening, he was arrested by police as he approached his home. He was cooperative with the authorities and had a knife on him at the time of his arrest.

Dennis was charged with first-degree murder and was tried and convicted. On November 4, 1997, he was sentenced to death. The court found that the murder had been premeditated, and his previous violent convictions contributed to the severity of his sentence.