Patrice Endres Homicide in Dawson County Georgia

Patrice Endres was a 38‑year‑old hairstylist and devoted mother living in Cumming, Forsyth County, Georgia. Known for her warm smile, professionalism behind the chair, and close relationship with her teenage son, Stephanie “Pistol” Endres, Patrice had built a reputation in her community as a reliable stylist who balanced her small business with family life. She worked out of Tamber’s Trim‑N‑Tan, a modest salon on Highway 369, where regulars appreciated her skill and gentle demeanor. Despite the demands of single parenthood following her divorce from her first husband, Patrice maintained a busy schedule, juggling weekend appointments, school drop‑offs, and routine home life in a close‑knit neighborhood.

The Day of Disappearance

On Thursday, April 15, 2004, Patrice began her morning like any other. After driving her son to school, she locked up their home and headed to the salon. She completed her first appointment by 11:05 AM and welcomed a second client at 11:20 AM. Phone records indicate an incoming call at 11:37 AM—Patrice answered and spoke for approximately two minutes. A follow‑up call at 11:50 AM went unanswered. When her next scheduled clients arrived shortly after noon, they found the salon deserted: Patrice’s purse and car keys lay on the counter, her lunch remained in the microwave, and the cash drawer was open and empty. Outside, her Chevrolet Tahoe was parked at an unusual angle, suggesting someone else had moved it. Within minutes, a full‑scale missing‑person investigation was launched.

Initial Investigation and Evidence

Law enforcement arrived on scene within the hour and combed the salon for clues. There were no signs of a struggle—no overturned chairs, no visible blood, no forced entry. Because the cash register was emptied while Patrice’s personal items were untouched, detectives theorized robbery may have been staged to mislead. Phone records and salon appointment logs allowed authorities to narrow her disappearance to a tight 13‑minute window between 11:37 AM and 11:50 AM. Interviews with neighbors and coworkers yielded conflicting reports of a blue sedan in the parking lot—some said it resembled a 1992 Chevrolet Lumina, others recalled a late‑1990s Ford Taurus or Chevrolet Malibu. No license plate was recorded. That fleeting sighting became the cornerstone of the investigation.

Suspicions and Persons of Interest

Rob Endres (Husband)

Patrice’s second husband, Rob Endres, immediately drew scrutiny. The couple’s relationship had been strained; Patrice had spoken to close friends about filing for divorce. The day after her disappearance, Rob changed the locks on their shared home, barring Pistol from collecting his mother’s belongings. Rob produced two pieces of purported alibi evidence: a time‑stamped gas‑station receipt and a workplace turnstile record placing him at his job during the critical window. However, neither item definitively proved his whereabouts for the full 13 minutes. In the years that followed, Rob’s behavior grew increasingly disturbing: he requested Patrice’s disinterred bones be reassembled so he could carry her skull, and he kept and “cuddled” her cremated ashes for over a year before finally returning them to Pistol after Rob’s own death in October 2023.

Jeremy Bryan Jones

In late 2005, Jeremy Bryan Jones—a drifter later linked to at least one other homicide—confessed to killing Patrice. Investigators noted that he accurately described the interior layout of Tamber’s Trim‑N‑Tan and mentioned details not publicly released. However, when confronted, Jones retracted his confession, claiming coercion, and no physical evidence tied him to Cumming. Jones’s credibility was further undermined by his inconsistent statements across interviews.

Gary Michael Hilton

Serial killer Gary Michael Hilton, known for abducting and murdering hikers in Georgia’s forests between 2005 and 2008, became a person of interest because he frequented Forsyth County salons for cash at lunchtime. Hilton’s modus operandi involved surprise attacks in wooded areas, dumping victims in remote terrain. While his pattern and geographic nearby overlap raised eyebrows, detectives found no forensic link connecting Hilton to Patrice’s disappearance or remains.

Discovery of Remains in Dawson County

On December 6, 2005—twenty months after Patrice vanished—Elbert Clark and a friend were scouting around the remote property of Lebanon Baptist Church in Dawson County, Georgia, roughly six miles north of Cumming. Clark’s dog unearthed a human skull; further excavation revealed additional skeletal remains. DNA analysis confirmed the bones belonged to Patrice Endres. The location—behind the church and off unpaved service roads—was rugged, densely wooded, and seldom traveled. The fact that her remains were found so far from the salon, without personal effects like her distinctive wedding ring (two bands soldered together with a marquise‑cut diamond), reinforced theories of a planned abduction followed by transport into isolated terrain.

Crime Scene Analysis and Forensic Findings

Crime scene specialists documented the discovery site meticulously, mapping the scatter of bones, identifying animal scavenging as the likely cause of disarticulation, and noting the absence of clothing fragments or jewelry. Taphonomy experts estimated the remains had been exposed to the elements for an extended period, consistent with the twenty‑month interval. No burial pit was evident; rather, the remains lay in natural depressions and leaf litter, suggesting someone dumped them and departed without concealment. Soil and pollen samples indicated a forest environment remarkably similar to areas around Cumming, hinting that Patrice may have been killed nearby before her body was moved.

Theories and Motives

Several theories have persisted:

• Intimate Partner Homicide: Patrice’s troubled marriage and plans to divorce provided motive, and Rob Endres’s post‑disappearance conduct fueled suspicion.
• Opportunistic Criminal: A robber, possibly the driver of the blue sedan, may have targeted the salon for cash, panicked, and abducted Patrice when confronted.
• Serial Predator: Gary Michael Hilton’s known activities and timing aligned with Patrice’s fate, suggesting she may have been a random victim.
• False Confession: Jeremy Bryan Jones’s retracted admission complicates the narrative, raising questions about whether he was seeking notoriety.

No single theory has provided the “smoking gun.” Instead, detectives have juggled competing leads, alibis, and witness reports, hoping to converge on a definitive suspect.

Impact on Family and Community

The Endres family endured two decades of uncertainty and grief. Pistol, Patrice’s only child, spent his teenage years hoping for his mother’s safe return and his adult life seeking justice for her death. The Forsyth County community rallied around the family—hosting benefit fundraisers, distributing flyers, and maintaining a “Missing” banner outside the salon for months after Patrice disappeared. Local businesses and churches held vigils, and online forums buzzed with amateur sleuths swapping theories and scouring satellite imagery for clues.

Law Enforcement Efforts Over Time

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office have periodically reopened the case as new information arises. Advances in forensic technology have allowed cold-case units to re‑examine bloodwork, fingerprints, and any remaining physical artifacts from the salon. Digital investigators have mapped Rob Endres’s electronic footprints, while behavioral analysts have profiled possible offenders. In 2023, the GBI issued a public appeal specifically for Patrice’s missing wedding ring, believing it could have resurfaced in a pawn shop or private collection. Tip lines and anonymous online portals remain active.

Media Coverage and Renewed Interest

Documentaries, podcasts, and true‑crime blogs—including a high‑profile episode on the Mile Higher Podcast—have brought renewed attention to Patrice’s case. Each retelling introduces subtle new angles: interviews with former salon clients who saw a suspicious man loitering in the parking lot, forensic experts debating cause of death (whether strangulation occurred at the salon or the body was moved already deceased), and archival footage of Rob’s chilling press conferences. While some media portrayals lean toward conspiracy theories, reputable outlets focus on timelines, witness testimonies, and the family’s unrelenting pursuit of answers.

Current Status and Call for Information

As of 2025, Patrice Endres’s homicide remains officially unsolved. Investigators believe that anyone with relevant information—no matter how trivial it seems—could crack the case. The GBI continues to accept tips via its toll‑free line and secure online forms. Forsyth County law enforcement reminds the public that memories from over two decades ago can still hold value: a forgotten conversation, a scrap of surveillance tape, or a ring pawned under a different name might finally point to the person responsible.

Legacy and Remembrance

Though her life was tragically cut short, Patrice’s legacy endures in the hearts of those who knew her. Friends and family have established scholarships in her name for cosmetology students, and Pistol launched a foundation promoting safe work environments for salon professionals. Each year on April 15, supporters in Cumming gather at Tamber’s Trim‑N‑Tan—now under new ownership—to plant flowers, share stories, and renew the promise that Patrice’s story will never be forgotten until justice is served.