▁was ▁committed ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁party . ▁She ▁had ▁reported ly ▁threatened ▁to ▁make ▁public ▁her ▁discovery ▁that ▁the ▁party ▁doctor ed ▁its ▁books ▁and ▁had ▁major ▁tax ▁problems . ▁ ▁Biography ▁After ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁book keeper ▁for ▁R amp arts ▁magazine , ▁Van ▁P atter ▁became ▁an ▁a ide ▁to ▁Pan ther ▁leader ▁Ela ine ▁Brown ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁after ▁being ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁Party ▁by ▁David ▁Hor ow itz . ▁▁ ▁Van ▁P atter ▁went ▁missing ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁Some ▁weeks ▁later , ▁her ▁sever ely ▁be aten ▁cor pse ▁was ▁found ▁on ▁a ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bay ▁beach . ▁There ▁was ▁ins u fficient ▁evidence ▁for ▁police ▁to ▁charge ▁anyone ▁with ▁van ▁P atter ' s ▁death ▁but ▁the ▁Black ▁Pan ther ▁Party ▁was ▁" al most ▁univers ally ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁responsible ," ▁wrote ▁Frank ▁Brow ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁According ▁to ▁other ▁authors , ▁H ue y ▁Newton ▁alleg edly ▁conf essed ▁to ▁a ▁friend ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁ordered ▁Van ▁P atter ' s ▁murder , ▁and ▁that ▁Van ▁P atter ▁had ▁been ▁tort ured ▁and ▁ra ped ▁before ▁being ▁killed . ▁Christopher ▁H itch ens ▁wrote ▁in ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁that : ▁" There ▁is ▁no ▁doubt ▁now , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁pre cious ▁little ▁then , ▁of ▁the ▁Pan ther ▁leadership ' s ▁comp licity ▁in ▁this ▁revol ting ▁crime ".