In the summer of 1912, teenager Victor Patterson disappeared after a night out with friends. Days later, his body was discovered in a pasture near Canton, Minnesota, dead from a gunshot wound. A revolver lay nearby, and the initial conclusion leaned toward suicide—but the details left many uneasy.

Newspaper accounts from the time reveal conflicting interpretations: questions about the weapon, the timeline, and the language used by investigators and the coroner’s jury. Rather than providing clarity, the official verdict introduced ambiguity—suggesting uncertainty about who held the gun and how Victor truly met his end.

In this episode of Roots & Riddles, we examine contemporary reporting, coroner testimony, and period attitudes toward youth, alcohol, and accountability. More than a single tragic death, Victor Patterson’s story offers a glimpse into how early-20th-century communities understood—and sometimes struggled to explain—sudden loss.

Sources:
– Harmony News, July 4, 1912
– Preston Times, July 3, 1912

- Fillmore County District Court, Coroner's Inquest Record, Case 62, MNHS Archives