Betty Louise Van Patter (1932–1974) was an American activist and accountant best known for her role as a bookkeeper for the Black Panther Party (BPP), a revolutionary socialist organization. Born on January 1, 1932, Van Patter was a white woman who immersed herself in left-wing political causes during the turbulent civil rights era. She had prior experience in accounting and activism, including work with Venceremos Brigade trips to Cuba and bookkeeping for radical publications. In 1973, she was hired by BPP co-founder Huey P. Newton to manage the finances of the organization's community school and service programs in Oakland, California, where she uncovered evidence of financial mismanagement and possible embezzlement by BPP associates. Van Patter's involvement with the BPP ended tragically when she went missing in late November 1974 after voicing concerns about irregularities in the group's books, including missing funds from an Oakland liquor store owned by the party. Her beaten body was discovered on December 1, 1974, in the San Francisco Bay, indicating she had been murdered. The case remains unsolved, but it sparked widespread allegations of involvement by BPP leadership, particularly Newton, who was accused (though never charged) of ordering the killing to silence her. The murder drew national attention, contributing to the FBI's COINTELPRO efforts against the BPP and highlighting internal corruption and violence within the group. Van Patter's death is often cited as a pivotal moment in the decline of the Black Panthers and underscores the perils faced by supporters of radical movements in the 1970s.