Collinsville man sentenced to prison for attempted murder of gas station clerk in 2017
A 27-year-old Collinsville man was sentenced to 85 years in federal prison for the armed robbery and attempted first-degree murder of a gas station clerk in 2017.
Patrick B. Wilson was found guilty of the crimes by a Madison County jury on Oct. 4. On Tuesday, Judge Neil Schroeder sentenced him to 45 years for the attempted murder charge and 40 years for the armed robbery charge.
On Aug. 15, 2017, Collinsville police responded to the Exxon Mobile gas station in the 800 block of South Morrison Avenue for reports of an armed robbery. There, they found the clerk, Charles Atkins, with a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen and severe blood loss, according to Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons’ office.
Wilson had already fled the scene with the cash he could carry from the register.
At his sentencing hearing, Wilson claimed he was the one fighting for his life. Assistant State’s Attorney Crystal Uhe said in response to the claim that Wilson “has not shown one bit of remorse for his actions.”
Charles Atkins and Melissa Noell, who was also working at the gas station at the time of the shooting, both shared victim impact statements at the hearing, according to a transcript from Gibbons’ office.
“In a lot of ways that night, I did die,” Atkins said. “Since then, my sense of safety is irreparably damaged. Things I used to enjoy were now tainted. Walks were always accompanied by me looking over my shoulder. Going out to eat now meant that I had to sit facing the door. Favorite movies and video games could now make me terrified.”
Noell said that she spent two years thinking of “the what ifs” after that night, the transcript says.
“What if it was me who got shot? What could I have done differently that night? What if I didn’t freeze up when you walked in?” she said.
Atkins also said that he was thankful to have the opportunity to heal following the incident.
“As far as my opinion on a sentence, I want justice, not revenge,” he said.
Wilson must serve 85 percent of his sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections, and will have three years of mandatory supervision following his release.
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