STRATHCONA, Minn. (Valley News Live) – The man who died in a house fire last week in Roseau County, Seddrex Gates, He was on the run for allegedly killing Patricia Wright in Brooklyn Center.

“So he had a warrant for his arrest for the arson and arson and he avoided the law for three years,” said Teicha Tenhoff, sister of Patricia Wright.

On June 23, 2021, Teicha’s sister, Patricia, was allegedly shot in the head at her Brooklyn Center home by her ex-partner, Seddrex Gates. A home he shared with Gates and their six children. Court documents say he killed Patricia, although he was never convicted.

“So there’s a lot of anger and it’s really unfair that he did that to our family, to his children, when he could have let her go.”

It was in October that Gates was charged with first-degree arson for setting fire to the murder scene.

“Before the day he burned down that garage, our family had been asking him for my sister’s belongings. “He said he would give us his belongings but then all of my sister’s belongings ended up in the fire, in the garage.”

Court documents say there was an agreement between Wright and Gates to sell the house. He later contacted another real estate agent in an attempt to sell the house. It disappeared before any sale could be made. The court then ordered that Teicha be transferred. Gates told officers he lit the fire because “he had bad feelings.”

“So we never received those belongings.”

Just a few weeks ago, Gates was going to be sentenced.

“Until recently in May, he was found living in Brainerd with his current girlfriend at the moment. Then he came down, he was under house arrest from May until last October, when they cut off his house arrest bracelet.”

Teicha says he didn’t want to face the consequences.

“He cut off the bracelets because he knew he was going to be sentenced for the arson and he didn’t want to serve that sentence. Because we were going to trial for that arson, that’s where we were with the arson. He was going to trial and he was going to be sentenced. “Once he knew what time she was looking at, he decided to cut off her house arrest bracelet.”

Court documents say he was a fugitive. Gates was found near the Canadian border, Strathcona to be exact. He was dead.

“Ultimately, jail wasn’t a punishment, I guess. Because eventually he could have been released. He could still enjoy life and visits, he could still see his family. He received the maximum punishment I assume he would receive for murdering someone. So yes, we are relieved.”

Patricia and Gates leave behind six children. Teicha says the elders know what’s going on and there are no feelings involved.

“They were also quite relieved when I told them. But they also have the same thing: ‘Now, we’ll never know why they did that to our mom.’”

A sister and mother whose life ended tragically.

“My sister was amazing. She was a mother, she was a friend, she was everyone’s sister. Sometimes she had more patience with her children than I did. Because there are many and sometimes everything gets chaotic around here. But she was amazing.”

Teicha says the detective will probably close the case. Although Gates had a girlfriend who they are seeing if they can prosecute her for harboring a fugitive.

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