Patricia Silberstein, 22, escaped the clutches of his stalker and abusive ex-boyfriend Tony Wojcik by killing him in May 1976. For the residents of Mount Vernon, New York, the case was a shocking revelation because of the unusual sentencing the perpetrator received.
‘Deadly Women: DIY Burial’ on Investigation Discovery follows the tragic case of Patricia and how the police finally apprehended her. So, who is Patricia Silberstein? Let us investigate!
Table of Contents
Patricia Silberstein, who is she?
Patricia Silberstein was born in Yonkers, New York in October 1953. Patricia, then 20, worked at a Wall Street bank in 1974. She was a standout employee who was both ambitious and hardworking. Patricia met 26-year-old Anthony “Tony” Wojcik at her new job, and the two hit it off right away. Both were going through divorces at the time, and they began living together after only one month of dating.
Patricia used to give Tony gold chains and rings because he liked jewelry. She even got his name tattooed on her when it was considered too scandalous and not as common as it is now. The charm gradually began to wear off after a few months. Patricia realized Tony’s commitment was superficial when he began dating other women and did not try to hide them from her. His infidelity was not his only vice; he was also an alcoholic.
Tony had a drinking problem. Throughout the day, he drank alcohol. When Patricia poured his bottle out the window, he physically assaulted her, severely beating her. Patricia soon realized Tony’s true colors. In 1976, she broke up with him, resigned from her job, and relocated to Mount Vernon, New York. Patricia and her brother opened an automotive repair shop there. She also began dating a new man.
Tony, on the other hand, would not leave her alone. He continued to call and harass her, even threatening her. He once met her on the streets and chased her to her car, breaking open her window and ripping off her chains and other jewelry. Patricia eventually decided to solve the problem on her own. Patricia agreed to meet Tony on her terms on May 19, 1976. She drove him to her shop after picking him up in her car. Tony was also inebriated that day, and she claimed he tried to kiss her hard.
When a disgusted Patricia refused his advances, Tony allegedly struck her across the face. But this time she was prepared. She escaped his clutches, grabbed a baton she kept by the driver’s seat, and ran off to the Mount Vernon incinerator, which was next door to her shop. Tony, who was drunk, ran after her but tripped and fell down the stairs. Patricia was prepared with her baton and began beating him until he fractured his skull and his brain began to leak.
There was blood everywhere, and Patricia fled the scene, locking him in one of the incinerators. She went to his 125 Mount Hope Place apartment in the Bronx and staged it to look like a robbery had occurred. Tony, on the other hand, was not dead, and he managed to crawl out, bleeding until he died of hypovolemic shock. When the cops arrived on the scene, they quickly identified the ex-girlfriend who worked next door.
Is Patricia Silberstein still alive?
Patricia broke down and confessed to the crime when she was brought in for questioning. In May 1976, she was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. In July 1977, a jury found her guilty of manslaughter and sentenced her to more than 22 years in prison. Patricia Silberstein was 22 years, 7 months, and 6 days old on the day Anthony Wojcik was killed, according to the judge who sentenced her. “The jury felt intent to kill was not established,” he added, “so that will be her sentence.”
She did, however, appeal her sentence, and it was reduced to 15 years. She completed her sentence and was released in 1992. In 1995, three years after her release, she died of natural causes in her early forties.
