Oxygen ‘Accident, Suicide or Murder’: Slain Woman’s Sister Speaks Out About Shocking Killing

Oxygen True Crime has been taking viewers down the winding road of some of the most tragic cases of Accident, Suicide, or Murder. The series delves into unbelievable but true stories of suspicious deaths. Things are not always what they seem once you go down the rabbit hole as new evidence, clues, and details are revealed about what actually happened. Detectives and victims’ families help paint the picture by recounting these often heart-wrenching stories.

The season finale centers on the 2002 death of Patty Wlasiuk, who first was thought to have drowned after her pickup flipped in the frigid waters of Guilford Lake in Upstate New York. That’s the story Patty’s husband Peter gave police, but further investigation revealed a different scenario led to her demise. Peter ended up being arrested and sentenced to 25 years to life for second-degree murder.

Ahead of the episode, we spoke with Patty’s sister Wendy Jennings about revisiting the loss of her sibling now 22 years later.

Wendy Jennings: I was glad because it brought it to the forefront again so that people who knew the situation back then were thinking about it again…When Oxygen contacted me, it was a case of putting it out there. This is the story. He was convicted not once but three times. The potential of him getting out soon is there. Do we really want this to be the situation?

How was it sitting down to live through this all over again?

It’s funny because the more you talk about it the less emotional you are about it. That’s not to say it doesn’t bring back a lot. I’ve done interviews several times for different programs. I guess I found it easier to talk with more time. It is something I talk about anyway when something comes up or an anniversary. Last year, my sister’s son died. We dealt with that. We’re having him buried with my sister, so it’s a case of there being a lot of connections.

Peter Wlasiuk (The Evening Sun)

There were a lot of moving parts to this investigation. How do you look back on the police work that was done to arrest Peter? 

I remember at the time feeling blessed we had people so determined. That goes all the way to the coroner to the police and the accident reconstruction and the constant line of thinking that they weren’t going to let this one go. It was really the first big case like this in that area and county. It was a big deal then. Now unfortunately other people have gone through similar situations. It was the starting point where other police departments know what they need to look for and how to keep the investigation on the mark. It really was a big deal here. We were blessed with the fact we had these people working on the case and kept working until they found answers.

How did you cope with the loss? 

I think the fact Patty left children made a big difference because you realize you have to keep moving forward because of the kids. My mother and grandmother were here. My grandmother lived with Patty for a number of years, so there was a lot of closeness. You had to be strong for them too. It was a hard situation for my mother and grandmother. It was finding strength in connecting with family and staying close. I think the fact I had a husband in the police department before the accident. That helped because he understood the technical aspect of it, but also the emotional aspect. For me, his support at the time was key. I was making trips up to Baltimore basically once a month to see family and make sure things were okay. I also made regular calls to stay in touch.

What do you want viewers to know about this case and Patty as a person? 

I want people to just remember he was found guilty. That being the case, do we really want him back in the community? I know people continue to talk about how loved Patty was. They say the same about my mother and grandmother…I think with Patty, just remember the kind and caring and loving person she was who would go out of her way to help any way she could. She worked at the hospital and her patients loved her. The EMTs and police that came in and out of the ER loved her. The nursing staff and doctors loved her. The love she had and they felt for her. Her children can connect to that, so there is a positive memory despite the horrible situation.

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Peter eventually remarried and for years his wife has been trying to create a groundswell of support to get him out. What do you make of all this? 

When that one show was done, they went to Attica and interviewed him and he wouldn’t answer the questions. You can draw a conclusion that if he wasn’t willing to answer these questions, what are you hiding? One of the people involved with him at the time, she had since been burned by him. She regrets having been involved at all. I know it’s a case of, “Yep, I could have told you that. You had to learn the hard way.” This whole “Justice for Peter” and all this stuff, I sit and shake my head. I think, “If you guys are really that dumb to think after three trials, “Okay, he was innocent.” That’s on them. In my heart, I know. When we found out he got married in prison, all I could think was, “She’ll learn the hard way too.” That’s what he does. Uses and burns bridges and drops you like a hot potato.

Accident, Suicide, or Murder, June 22, 8/7c, Oxygen