Vigil For LI Man Killed In Axe Attack: "He Was An Amazing Person'

RIVERHEAD, NY — Family and friends gathered on the football field at Riverhead High School Monday night to remember a graduate who lost his life in a horrific axe attack in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

James "Jimi" Patterson, 22, had recently moved to Tulsa. On October 17, according to a Tulsa Police Department news release, Tulsa World reported that Israeil Trejo, 26, was holding an axe that he was trying to buy from another person in the home, where Patterson was sitting on a couch.

Trejo and Patterson reportedly had never even spoken before Trejo “swung the axe and buried it deep inside the victim’s head,” police said, according to Tulsa World; Patterson was taken to the hospital with the axe still in his head. Patterson died on October 20 and Trejo, who was originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon, saw that charge upgraded to first-degree murder, Tulsa World reported.

Patterson's father Robert said his sister Alyssa Robichaud organized the vigil. A crowd of Patterson's lifetime friends turned out to the event and held candles that illuminated the dark night as they shared memories of a young man who'd touched all of their hearts. A large photo of Patterson was hanging at the vigil and those present were invited both to speak, or to write their memories.

Robert Patterson sang "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" for his boy as tears welled in the crowd and those present lit their candles.

Speaking to the crowd, music softly playing, Patterson's father spoke of the son he adored. "If you knew Jimmy very well, you know he loved his Memaw. She loved him endlessly. She passed away last year. She believed in Jesus 100 percent — that was pretty much a part of her identity. And Jimi did, too. I believe that in whatever form heaven exists, if two people were ever going to meet up and hang out, it's Jimi and his Memaw. There's a little bit of peace in that, for me."

Patterson's sister Alyssa Robichaud also spoke to her "Jimbro" saying that from the time their mom was pregnant with him, they were "homies. She would drop me off at school every day and I'd kiss her good-bye and she'd say, 'Kiss your brother, too' and I would kiss your belly every single day."

Her brother, she said, called her LaLa, just as Memaw did. "I'm glad Memaw is holding your hand now," she said.

She added: "I'm so thankful to have had such an amazing little brother gifted to all of us. It's all I could ever want. Jimi has helped so many people in more ways than anyone could ever imagine. He was talented, a musician, an artist, a rapper, a comedian, a therapist, a friend, a son, a brother, a grandson, nephew, and so much more. . . He made me so proud in so many ways. He had strength; I went to him when I needed advice."

Alyssa added: "Jimi will stay in our hearts forever, always and forever. Whenever I hug myself, my hands land on the tattoos I got representing you — and it feels as if you're hugging me."

His father, looking out over the crowd, said: "Jimi would be really happy with this. I'm sure he is. He must be watching this."

He shared memories of coaching Jimi's soccer team, of learning about Yu-Gi-Oh so he could share it with his son. "When we think about Jimi, we should think about things like this, the moments you had with him that were cool. Not the bad. Not the end."

The memories flowed, stories of Jimi at Memaw's beach in the winter, sliding down the dock and almost slipping into the water, laughing and dancing all the while — always smiling, always happy, forever trying to make others laugh.

Others remembered Jimi's first forays into rap music and witnessing his emerging talent and gift. The friends who gathered were lifetime friends, dating back to elementary school and even before. He left a mark, all agreed.

A GoFundMe page, "Bring Jimi home," was created by Lexus Gilliam and his sister Alyssa Robichaud.

"I am sure many of you have heard the Blue Waves community has suffered the tragic loss of one of our own 2018 graduating class members. Jimi was such a great kid. Jimi had a great heart; he was very intelligent and was always the class clown, keeping a smile on everyone’s face," the page said. "He was very talented when it came to making music, which he loved to do.

"Unfortunately, a gruesome attack occurred, resulting in a family losing their son, brother, friend, and our community losing a great young man.," the page said."

At the vigil, Patterson's father said that after the expenses are paid, he'd like to use any remaining funds to record Jim's music and "put it out there" in the world, for all to hear. "I have big plans for Jimi, still," his father said. "I'm not done with him yet."

He'd like to put out the album his son always dreamed of, and asked if any of his friends remembered exactly what songs he wanted included. One young man did. "I would love to release that," his father said.

Other friends described Patterson as a musical influence, someone as close as a brother — a person who always made you know that you mattered, as a person. Voices swollen with tears, they also described the raw grief of losing him.

"He's going to live on in all our hearts," one friend said.

To donate to the GoFundMe,click here.

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