Pistol Black, Patrice Endres' Son, Is Still Searching for Justice

The hairdresser's disappearance and death remains a mystery.

pistol black patrice endres
(Image credit: Netflix)
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In the episode "13 Minutes" in the first season of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries reboot, the story of hairdresser Patrice Endres' disappearance and death unfolds in sad detail. Based on the reception to the episode, viewers are intensely interested about what her life was like before her disappearance and what, exactly, happened to the popular community figure and entrepreneur. One of the saddest aspects of her story was Patrice's close relationship with her son, Pistol Black, who at 16 was left devastated when his mother disappeared. Black gives candid interviews throughout the course of the episode and clearly grieves the loss of his kind, compassionate parental figure. Right now, there are no active suspects in the beloved hairdresser's disappearance and death, but Black is still hoping for closure and justice.

How close were Patrice and Pistol?

Very close—basically best friends, to hear Black talk about it. They fought from time to time; Black said the morning of her disappearance they had a minor tiff, because he was hoping to get to school early to see his girlfriend, and that he had a rebellious streak—but friends spoke about how Patrice doted on her son and would never have voluntarily left him behind.

patrice endres pistol black

(Image credit: Netflix)

What happened after Patrice Endres went missing?

An intense search followed the "13 minutes" on April 15, 2004—the 13 minutes between when Patrice was last seen and when she went missing from her salon. Money was stolen from her safe, and the prevailing theory is that she was abducted. Nothing resulted from the few leads available, and her remains were found over a year and a half later. No one has ever been arrested in the case, and despite many interviews (including with two serial killers who may have been active in the area at the time) and a false confession, it doesn't seem like there are any new leads.

Both Black and Rob said in the episode that there was an ongoing animosity between the two of them, and that Rob kicked Black out of the house as soon as Patrice disappeared (even, says Pistol, without giving him any of his personal belongings). In spite of their differences, Rob and Black worked hard with the police and community on the case; Black said he was devastated when his mother was found murdered, saying that he'd held out hope until the very end that she might be found alive.

Where is Pistol Black now?

After Patrice's death, Pistol went to live with his father. There's not much information about Black online today, which may be by design. It's unclear if a LinkedIn page for a person with the same name is the same Pistol Black, but if it is, he's in Georgia working as a master insulation installer.

In the episode, Black said it'd been 15 years since his mom's death, and that he has none of her personal belongings (Rob has her possessions, as well as her ashes—Rob says he's glad Black doesn't have them).

Black said he's still looking for closure and justice. "I just hope I can be half the person she was," he said in the episode, through tears.

If you have information about Patrice's disappearance and death, visit unsolved.com.

Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.