On September 3, 29-year-old Cory Wayne Patterson surprised everyone by stealing a plane in Tupelo, Mississippi. He flew it, and soon after, threatened to crash it into a Walmart. 

Patterson was arrested and was charged with destruction of an aircraft and an attempt to commit an offense. He was brought to the Federal Detention Center in Miami where he was held.

On Monday it was reported that Patterson was found unresponsive in his cell at the federal prison. He had arrived at the prison the previous Thursday.

According to reports, emergency responders tried to save him, but their efforts were in vain. No other inmates or persons within the vicinity were harmed during the incident.

A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said that they have no other information to share. At this time, there is no update about how the man died.

If Patterson had been convicted, he would have been given up to 25 years in prison,

Patterson worked in Tupelo Aviation. He stole a Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin engine and flew it without having a pilot’s license. He called 911 and told them that he would be crashing the plane into a Walmart.

In a note that police retrieved from the plane, Patterson said that he chose Walmart since it would be easy to evacuate and that he did not want to hurt anybody.

While police were talking to him during the incident, Patterson agreed to land the plane safely in Tupelo but a change of heart led him to land it in Ripley, Mississippi. Despite damage to the aircraft, Patterson made it out safely. 

No one was hurt when the plane landed and Patterson’s family was contacted immediately. 

Police also discovered a “goodbye” message that he posted on Facebook. In the post, Patterson said he was sick of living, according to court records.