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By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Lowndes County Circuit Court Judge Terri Bozeman Lovell sentenced a Hayneville man to life without possibility of parole Wednesday, May 7 in connection with home invasion case.

Robert Christerforo Patterson, who was 21 of Hayneville at the time of his arrest in 2012 and who was found guilty by a Lowndes County Jury in April of this year on charges of burglary in the first degree, attempted murder and robbery in the first degree in connection with a home invasion case, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole by Lovell.

His attorney William Morgan Rayborn of Brantley declined to comment on the sentence, but said he does plan to file a motion for a new trial.

Lowndes County District Attorney Charlotte M. Tesmer said Lovell didn’t have much of a choice on the sentence under the habitual offender law.

She said, “With his (Patterson’s) past and these kind of crimes, that’s what happens to you. It’s a shame that someone that age would throw his life away, but I think it’s a message to other folks in Lowndes County our community is just not going to tolerate home invasion type crimes.”

She said Patterson had been previously charged with murder, distribution of a controlled substance and robbery.

Tesmer said an undercover agent allegedly bought drugs from Patterson and Patterson allegedly pulled a gun on him and tried to shoot him, but the gun would not fire.

She also said he, along with three others, is also alleged to have shot into an occupied home killing a grandmother who was in bed with a grandchild in a robbery case from 2006.

Tesmer said Patterson received a split sentence and was out on probation when the charges for which he was sentenced Wednesday took place.

She said of Patterson’s sentence, “I think these kinds of crime with this kind of criminal history, that’s what is called for.”

In addition to life in prison without possibility of parole, Patterson was order to pay restitution and other court costs.