Asheville man pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of his father in 2021

ASHEVILLE – An Asheville man sentenced May 18 in Buncombe County Superior Court after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his father, Robert Kirkpatrick, 65, in 2021, should be out of jail this week.

According to Asheville Police Department Capt. Joe Silberman in his 2022 statements to the Asheville Citizen Times, Bobby Kirkpatrick, 35, was originally charged in January 2022 with first-degree murder in the death of his father. According to court records, the younger Kirkpatrick will serve 13-25 months in prison, with 16 months of pre-trial credit applied to his sentence.

He is currently housed in the Buncombe County Detention Center, which lists his release date as May 26.

Robert Kirkpatrick was found dead in his Arden home May 25, 2021. A 911 caller informed police of overhearing a verbal altercation between the father and son. Upon arrival, officers found Robert Kirkpatrick dead with no one else in the residence but son Bobby Kirkpatrick.

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Kirkpatrick was taken into custody in Henderson County following the charge and subsequently transported to the Buncombe County jail where he was held without bond.

Robert Kirkpatrick’s death was considered suspicious until Oct. 27, 2021, when an autopsy indicated that the death was a homicide. The official cause of death was ruled as mechanical asphyxiation. Kirkpatrick stated during his initial questioning that he had unsuccessfully attempted CPR on his father. In District Attorney Todd Williams’ recent Twitter post on Kirkpatrick’s sentencing he stated that said CPR was negligently performed.

During his initial questioning at the Asheville Police Department, Kirkpatrick stated that his father had a history of health issues. Kirkpatrick also stated that he had engaged in verbal altercations with his father in the past, but that these disagreements never became physical.

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Williams did not immediately respond to questions May 23.

In his tweet, Williams stated that the victim’s wife and daughter supported Kirkpatrick’s plea. However, Kirkpatrick's death certificate obtained through the Register of Deeds Office says that he was divorced at the time of his death. His daughter could not immediately be reached.

Iris Seaton is the Citizen Times News Reporting intern. Email her at ISeaton@citizentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville man pleads guilty to 2021 manslaughter of his father