Brian Mann Lead Poisoning Case: Trial, Life Sentence, and Appeal

Brian Mann, a former Hartselle, Alabama chiropractor, was convicted of attempted murder in June 2025 for secretly poisoning his wife, Hannah Pettey, with lead over roughly six months in an apparent scheme to collect more than a million dollars in life insurance. The Brian Mann lead poisoning case ended with a life sentence, an affirmed conviction on appeal in June 2026, and Hannah’s survival against long odds. He is incarcerated at Limestone Correctional Facility in Harvest, Alabama.¹

How the Poisoning Happened

In the summer of 2021, Hannah Pettey, then 25, started suffering back and abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, lethargy, and trouble walking. Mann gave her capsules he described as vitamin supplements meant to strengthen her immune system. Prosecutors later said he had laced them with particles of lead.²

By January 2022, Hannah was emaciated and largely bedridden. On January 18, her mother, Nicole Pettey, drove her to UAB Hospital in Birmingham after a phone call in which Hannah could barely speak. Shortly after arriving, Hannah had a severe seizure, lost consciousness, and was placed in a medically induced coma. Doctors told her mother she was “starving to death” and had hours to live.²

Eight days into her hospitalization, a neurologist discovered dangerously elevated lead levels. Dr. Felicia Hataway of UAB testified that a safe adult blood lead level sits near 10 micrograms per deciliter; Hannah’s readings were in the 80s. X-rays showed her colon packed with lead, and the metal had accumulated in her bones. She required around-the-clock colon irrigation and medical paralysis to control brain swelling.³ Doctors concluded the ingestion was deliberate, and the hospital reported the case to the Morgan County Department of Human Resources.²

How Investigators Traced the Lead

The Hartselle Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division opened a case after receiving reports from UAB and DHR. Two searches of the couple’s home turned up no lead source.²

The break came from a contractor, Danny Hill, who had previously lined the walls of the X-ray room at Mann’s chiropractic office with lead sheeting. Hill recognized Mann from news coverage and contacted police, telling them he had left extra lead material with Mann. In May 2023, officers executed a search warrant at Mann’s chiropractic office and former home and recovered a section of thin, malleable lead sheet from the office wall.⁴

Before his arrest, Mann went to Decatur General Hospital and told a nurse he had X-rayed himself and seen what he believed was lead in his gut. A nurse practitioner confirmed a substance in his colon but noted it did not appear to have been there long. When told a second X-ray was needed, Mann reportedly became visibly nervous. After subpoenaing his medical records, Captain Alan McDearmond signed an affidavit concluding Mann had intentionally swallowed lead to make himself look like a victim too.⁵

Mann was arrested in September 2022, charged with attempted murder, and released on a $500,000 bond after pleading not guilty. Court documents alleged he “intentionally caused her to unwittingly ingest particles of lead.”³

The Life Insurance Motive

Prosecutors argued Mann’s motive was money. Evidence at trial showed he had taken out several life insurance policies in Hannah’s name across multiple companies, naming himself as the sole beneficiary; the combined payout on her death would have exceeded one million dollars. An insurance agent confirmed the beneficiary designations.³ Investigators also found that while Hannah was hospitalized, Mann tried to obtain additional policies totaling more than $5 million.²

Prosecutors said Mann pressured Hannah to wear ankle weights to hide her weight loss, evidence that he knew what was happening to her body.⁶

The Trial and Verdict

The trial took place in June 2025 at the Morgan County Courthouse in Decatur before Judge Charles Elliott. The state called seven witnesses and argued Mann had the “means, the motive and the opportunity” to kill his wife.³

Hannah testified that Mann had opposed her going to the hospital and voiced concern about insurance coverage, and that she only went after her mother urged her to. Dr. Hataway testified about the severity of Hannah’s lead levels and said the pattern was consistent with ingestion rather than environmental exposure. Danny Hill testified about installing the lead sheeting and leaving the leftover material at Mann’s office.⁷

Defense attorney Chad Morgan chose not to call any of the seven witnesses he had prepared, a decision he later called “the wrong one.” He argued the state relied on “assumptions and not evidence” and had failed to prove any overt act beyond a reasonable doubt.³

On June 12, 2025, after roughly two hours of deliberation on Wednesday evening and another 45 minutes Thursday morning, the jury found Mann guilty of attempted murder.⁸

The Life Sentence

Judge Elliott sentenced Mann on August 27, 2025, to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The prosecution described the crime as a “daily decision to kill his wife” sustained over roughly six months.⁶

Elliott told the courtroom he had been “appalled” by Mann’s behavior during the trial, saying he watched Mann snicker during the prosecution’s closing argument and calling his demeanor “flippant” and “jarring.” He ordered that any money Mann earns while incarcerated go toward restitution for Hannah.⁶ Elliott also asked the district attorney’s office to notify him whenever Mann becomes eligible for parole, saying that even if he was no longer on the bench, he would drive to Montgomery himself to argue against release.⁴

The Appeal

Mann’s attorneys filed a motion for acquittal and a new trial, arguing the state had failed to prove attempted murder beyond a reasonable doubt and that the jury’s conclusions about how Hannah ingested lead were “pure speculation.” The motion was denied in October 2025.⁹

Mann filed a notice of appeal that same month. On June 18, 2026, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence in a memorandum decision.¹

Where Hannah Pettey Is Now

Hannah spent roughly two months hospitalized at UAB. Doctors initially feared she would not survive or would suffer severe cognitive impairment, but she recovered. The lead exposure left permanent damage: she is no longer able to have children.²

She testified at Mann’s trial, finished her college education, earned a teaching degree, and began working as a teacher. She and her two children moved back into the Hartselle home she had shared with Mann. As of early 2026, divorce proceedings were still pending, with a court date set for December 2026; she and Mann remain legally married.²

After the verdict, Hannah spoke about the emotional weight of the outcome. “It’s not necessarily a win for either side,” she said. “We have children. It’s tough either way.” She said she had forgiven Mann: “I just wish that he could change someday to change his ways, for his family and children.”³

Mann, now 37, is serving his life sentence at Limestone Correctional Facility.¹

1
Hartselle Enquirer. Hartselle Man Loses Appeal in Lead Poisoning Attempted Murder Case
2
CBS News. Hannah Pettey Brian Mann Alabama Lead Poisoning Attempted Murder
3
WHNT. Jury Finds Brian Mann Guilty in Attempted Murder Trial
4
WHNT. Attempted Murder Conviction Upheld for Decatur Chiropractor Who Tried to Poison Wife
5
Fox 5 NY. Chiropractor Accused of Poisoning Wife With Lead Now Claims He Was Victim Too
6
Yahoo News. Judge Sentences Attempted Murderer to Life
7
AL.com. Victim From 48 Hours Poisoning Case Speaks
8
WAFF. Morgan County Chiropractor Convicted of Attempted Murder Trial for Poisoning Wife
9
WAFF. Judge Denies New Trial for Hartselle Man Sentenced to Life for Poisoning Wife