The quiet Fovissste Paraíso neighborhood in Tuxtla Gutiérrez was the scene of a discovery in 2006: the bodies of a woman and two minors, allegedly murdered by John Patrick Addis, a former American police officer wanted by the FBI, who lived in Mexico under the name “Charlie Petterson.”
Addis, born in Michigan in 1950, was known for his ability to create new identities, which he used to evade authorities. In the United States, he was suspected of multiple crimes, including the murder of his ex-partner Joann Albanese in 1995 in Las Vegas. At the time, Addis, 45, seemed to lead a normal life as an instructor at a Las Vegas gym. Attractive, charismatic and charming, he quickly captivated Joann, a divorced mother of two looking for company in the big city. However, after a few months of dating, Addis’ personality began to show signs of abuse and control, which led Joann to plan to end the relationship. After a final date at a restaurant, Joann disappeared and was not heard from again until her car was found in the Arizona desert. Joann’s remains were found three years later, near the spot where her car was abandoned.
The intense police and media search in the United States led to speculation that Addis had fled to Mexico. Between 1998 and 1999, he was seen in Guadalajara under a new identity, where he met Laura Liliana Padilla Suárez, a young Mexican woman who, fascinated by Addis’s charisma, fled with him to Chiapas, unaware of his dark past. Under the name “Charlie Petterson,” Addis settled in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, where he worked as a tennis instructor at the Club Campestre and taught English and French at home.
In the capital of Chiapas, the Petterson Padilla family’s lifestyle was unconventional: the children, Ixchel and Eithan, did not attend any school and were educated at home. Ixchel, only seven years old, had mastered four languages thanks to intensive classes from her parents. Neighbors in the Fovissste Paraíso neighborhood described Addis as a reserved man who was extremely jealous of his wife, who rarely went out alone. Some said that Laura Liliana was dejected and submissive in Addis’ presence, while when she was alone she changed drastically, displaying a friendly attitude.
On October 12, 2006, Addis murdered Laura Liliana and her two children in their home in the Fovissste Paraíso neighborhood. The bodies were found six days later by local authorities, alerted by the strong odor coming from the house. At the crime scene, each body was found in their bed, with syringes and chemicals nearby, which pointed to a premeditated murder. The autopsy indicated that the victims had died days before being found, in what investigators consider a deliberate execution by Addis.
On October 14, two days after the murders, Addis was found dead in a hotel in Guatemala. Guatemalan National Civil Police discovered his decomposing body alongside false credentials under the name “Charlie Petterson.” Authorities confirmed his identity through fingerprint comparisons and DNA testing. The official report stated that Addis died of a heart attack, although the suspicious conditions of his death raised the possibility of suicide.
John Patrick Addis had a troubled history dating back to his early years as a police officer in Alaska. His first marriage ended after repeated abuse, leading him to kidnap his four children and take them to Michigan, where he held them captive for weeks. He was arrested for parental kidnapping and spent 18 months in prison. He later married again, but his second marriage was also marred by abuse, leading him to flee and constantly change his identity. As he moved through different states in the United States, Addis stole and falsified documents to stay hidden.
Following the murder of his family in Chiapas, four more victims were added to his record, two of them children. Investigations concluded that Addis had planned the murders before escaping to Guatemala. Addis’ death in 2006 marked the end of a decade-long manhunt involving U.S. and Latin American agencies. His ability to evade authorities, as well as his ability to adapt, had made him one of the most wanted fugitives.
Although John Patrick Addis was officially declared dead, theories persist among some Chiapas residents that he might have faked his death. Addis’ ability to change his identity and deceive authorities led many to speculate that he might have managed to escape once again, leaving behind a trail of tragedy and mystery that still resonates in the collective memory of the inhabitants of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Source: elherladodechiapas
