By Joe Johnson
About a week before a Statham man was charged in connection with the death of his girlfriend, he had been released from jail after he had been arrested for violating a temporary protective order that a different woman had taken out against him, according to Winder Police Department and Barrow County Sheriff’s Office records.
On Feb. 12, a 31-year-old Statham woman filed a complaint against William Andrew Kinsey because he allegedly was skirting a court-issued TPO by contacting the woman through third parties, according to a Winder police report.
While in Winder, the woman received a text message from an unknown phone number that stated, “Hey you should be nice to drew. He loves u.”
The woman reportedly told police that Kinsey was a former boyfriend who went by the name “Drew.”
She also said that customers regularly arrived at a store in Statham where she worked to deliver messages from Kinsey.
The police report indicates that no immediate action was taken because the text message was “relatively ambiguous" and the woman was unable to identify the people who delivered messages to her at her job from Kinsey.
According to the police report, additional investigation was needed to determine the owner of the phone from which the text message to the woman originated so that they could be questioned “regarding their interactions with Mr. Kinsey.”
The next day, on Feb. 13, Winder police arrested Kinsey for a felony TPO violation, according to Winder Police Chief Jim Fullington.
The Barrow County Detention Center’s website indicates that Kinsey was released from custody upon posting a $20,000 bond on Feb. 27.
Ten days later, on March 8, 36-year-old Brittnie Aaron Patterson, described by authorities as Kinsey’s girlfriend was found dead in her home on Goldshore Way in Statham.
According to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched at about 8:30 a.m. that day to investigate a neighbor’s report of seeing a blood trail, including footprints that led from Patterson’s driveway to the front door of her home.
The deputies reportedly forced their way into the home and found Patterson’s lifeless body.
Sheriff Jud Smith said it appeared as though Patterson had been struck by a vehicle before dying inside her home.
“We are investigating the incident and what occurred at the scene, which included the possibility the deceased female had injuries that could be consistent with being struck by a vehicle,” Smith said.
Kinsey, 46, of Third Street in Statham was arrested later in the day on charges of causing serious injury by motor vehicle and reckless driving.
Kinsey was being held without bail at the Barrow County Detention Center and may be facing additional charges, the sheriff said.
“We are working with the DA’s office now including the GBI to piece the facts together,” he said.
The cause and manner of Patterson’s death was not yet known by the sheriff's office because the final autopsy report had not yet been released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s State Crime Lab.