by Brandon Hartman & Bruce Gietzen
WACO - A Baylor freshman found dead in the back seat of a burning car will be laid to rest Monday.
The memorial service for Will Patterson is set to take place at Woodland Baptist Church in San Antonio.
Patterson's body was found inside a charred late model Cadillac just east of Waco Thursday morning.
The McLennan County Sheriff's office said earlier Thursday evening it could not confirm Patterson was killed until dental records sent to Dallas made a positive identification.
The records came back on Friday and were able to confirm that Patterson was the victim.
We still don't know what caused the car to catch on fire but a family spokesperson says Patterson's death was accidental.
According to Chief Deputy Randy Plemons, the sheriff's office got the first call regarding the fire at 6:55 a.m. from a woman driving by who reported seeing the car burning on Eastland Lake Drive between University Parks and South Third in Waco.
Robinson and Downsville Fire Departments Responded and reported that the car was completely engulfed and that there was a body inside.
We now know that Patterson was found in the back seat of the car and witnesses say he appeared to have been trying to get out of the burning vehicle.
The car was a newer model Cadillac that had dealer plates on it, and reports indicate it was registered recently to Patterson.
The vehicle's identification number helped lead investigators to the victim.
The body was burned beyond recognition and it was not initially possible to determine the age, gender and race of the victim.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been called in to assist in the investigation, and try to determine why Patterson was in that rural area early in the morning, what he was doing in the backseat, and whether he was alone in the car moments before the fire.
