Patrece Alston Took A Ride With a Killer & Vanished In 1998
Those who came in contact with Lucious Boyd and survived without tragic incidents should count themselves lucky. Police are hoping that Patrece Alston didn’t meet an unfortunate fate as the Florida man was known to be trouble: a crack cocaine addict with a violent streak. Boyd was no stranger to the court system in the 1990s, being acquitted on multiple occasions on charges of rape (twice) and killing a male acquaintance, Roderick Bullard, following an argument over a vehicle. Of the latter, Boyd claimed self-defense.
In 1990, he was placed on probation following an incident where he choked his wife until she was unconscious. Two years later, he faced accusations of rape after a young woman told police that Boyd sexually assaulted her while they were on a date celebrating her 18th birthday. In the end, the teen decided not to prosecute so charges were never filed. The number of unsolved and unreported sexual assaults Boyd is responsible for are thought to be astronomical.
Dawnia Dacosta, 21, was a student who worked as a customer service representative for American Express and volunteered as a choir singer in her church. In early December 1998, Dawnia left her job around 10:00 p.m. and visited her church where she prayed until 1:00 a.m.
On her way home, Dawnia ran out of gas on Interstate 95 and walked to a nearby Texaco gas station for help. A witness at the station told police that Dawnia looked frightened. It was reported that a church van with a Black man behind the wheel pulled into the station behind her. Dawnia got into the van and drove off with the man, later identified as Boyd.
According to reports, Dawnia sadly met a horrific fate. Boyd reportedly hit her in the head while she was in the vehicle then took her back to his apartment and beat her until he cracked her skull open. Boyd then stabbed her 36 times with a screwdriver, took her clothes off, raped her, and then wrapped her body in bags, sheets, and a shower curtain. He disposed of Dawnia’s remains by dumping them in an alley. The killer would later admit that while he was smoking drugs and high on crack, he ate part of Dawnia’s legs. It was also later revealed that Boyd worked as a handyman at a local church and used their van to assault and transport Dawnia.
Some of you may be asking, what does all of this have to do with Patrece Alston? Well, before the 19-year-old vanished, the vivacious teen dropped out of high school and lived with her sister where she helped care for her sister’s children. Just months before Dawnia’s vicious murder, Patrece disappeared from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The last person Patrece was seen with was Lucious Boyd as she was getting into a green Mazda. It was Boyd’s girlfriend’s car, but he allowed Patrece to drive that day, June 23, 1998.
Although Patrece and Boyd were known acquaintances who spent time together often, they were not a couple. Reports state that Patrece and Boyd planned on driving on a 200-mile journey to Winter Haven, Florida. Witnesses told investigators that Patrece made it clear she intended to return the same day, but days went by without any word. Finally, Boyd returned alone and told inquiring minds that he didn’t know where Patrece was. He said she met two men and left with them.
Patrece Alston has never been seen or heard from again.
Detectives suspect that they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface when it comes to delving into the crimes that Boyd is guilty of, some believing that he may even be a serial killer responsible for approximately 10 unsolved murders. Police connected Boyd to another missing Florida woman, Danielle Zacot, who was last seen getting into a sports car with a Black man outside of a Winn-Dixie grocery store. Danielle worked for a printing company that often did business with Boyd’s family’s funeral home.
For the murder of Dawnia Dacosta, Boyd was charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. He is currently awaiting execution and has yet to be charged with any other crimes, including the disappearances of Patrece Alston and Danielle Zacot.
At the time of her disappearance, Patrece Alston was 5 feet 5 inches tall and 123 pounds. She had black/dark brown hair, brown eyes, a tattoo on her abdomen, and a tattoo on her right shoulder. Her middle name is “Lashelle.” Unfortunately, the only publicly available photos of Patrece are so distorted that they cannot make out further details of her appearance.
Anyone with information regarding this case or the crimes of Lucious Boyd is urged to contact the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department at (954) 828-5700 or their local authorities.
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