On the morning of Feb. 27, Scott Patronick, 47, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was found severely beaten and taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after. Two men, also residents of Phillipsburg, were taken into custody and charged with the murder. Bail has been set at $1 million and both face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Mr. Patronick was walking to his home after leaving a local Phillipsburg pub he frequented. The two men, Joshua Dalrymple, 27, and Nicholas Yerian, 24, live within blocks of both the pub and Patronick’s home. Witnesses say, and video surveillance confirms, both had been asked to leave the bar earlier in the evening after an altercation. That fight did not involve Patronick. However, sources say he may have assisted the staff in ushering them out. The motive for the murder is still under investigation – both robbery and an anti-gay hate crime have been suggested. Scott Patronick was gay.
Scott Partronick was an avid antique collector. According to sources who knew him, he was kind and always willing to help someone in need. Some have suggested he was a target for that reason. Friends speculate that robbery is the most likely reason for this crime. Referred to by a variety of locals as someone who would give away the shirt off his back, Patronick was also said to be opinionated yet gentle and giving, such as providing people a place to stay to care for his previous partner until his illness proved fatal. It is evident, from the online tributes that have surfaced in the Phillipsburg area since his death that Patronick was appreciative and reciprocating of the good people with whom he was fortunate enough to have crossed paths.
A local woman, who was unaware Patronick was even her neighbor, wrote on Tributes.com: “I did not know Scott very well at all. He was my waiter on Valentine’s Day and handed me a rose when my husband and I sat down. We saw an older woman dining by herself and told Scott that we would like to pay for her dinner… he smiled and said that it was his mother. When my husband went to the bathroom, Scott brought us the check and on the back, he wrote in beautiful handwriting that he took care of it and for us to have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. It was the nicest gesture of human kindness I’ve seen in a long time….”
Scott Patronick is mourned by his friends, family and loved ones. The town of Phillipsburg has been left with a lot of sadness and questions. The local gay community has been left with one less kind soul. Memorial contributions may be made in his name to: St. Hubert’s of North Branch, PO Box 5281, North Branch, NJ 08876, 908- 526-3330. Online condolences may be sent via www.middlesexfuneralhome.com.
On the morning of Feb. 27, Scott Patronick, 47, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was found severely beaten and taken to a local hospital where he died shortly after. Two men, also residents of Phillipsburg, were taken into custody and charged with the murder. Bail has been set at $1 million and both face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
