A young mother-of-two who was rushed to hospital and given just hours to live made a shocking discovery: her seemingly caring husband had been deliberately poisoning her.
A Rapid Decline and a Race Against Time
Hannah Pettey, from Alabama, had been unwell for six months. By January 2022, the 25-year-old was largely bedridden. Sensing something was critically wrong, her mother, Nicole, drove her to see doctors. Initially, medics found nothing amiss and prepared to send her home, but Hannah insisted she "would die" if they did.
Her premonition proved terrifyingly accurate. On January 18, 2022, Hannah suffered a seizure and fell unconscious for two days. Doctors placed her in an induced coma, running urgent tests. Nicole recounted the devastating prognosis to CBS News: "She was skin and bones… they told me that she was actually starving to death when we got there, they said she had hours to live."
The Harrowing Truth Behind the Illness
After eight days, the results revealed the cause. Hannah's body contained an "astronomical amount of lead." Her mother described the horrifying extent: "There was no room in her stomach to hold anything. It was just completely lead, plus there was lead in her bones, just everywhere."
Medical professionals were certain such extreme poisoning could not be accidental. Police launched an investigation, focusing on Hannah's husband, Brian Mann, a chiropractor. Hannah had believed Mann was being "the sweetest" as her health deteriorated, unaware he was the source of her agony.
Police discovered Mann had been giving his wife vitamins that were likely tampered with. Hannah recalled one night of extreme pain and nausea: "Brian was like 'I put your vitamins on your nightstand. You need to take 'em.'... He was freaking out about it. He was like, 'You gotta take it.'"
Life Insurance Motive and a Life Sentence
As Hannah recovered, she initially considered returning home. However, she changed her mind after police asked her to sign a document halting the investigation. She proceeded with a divorce and assisted the probe.
Authorities uncovered a chilling financial motive. Mann had taken out life insurance policies on Hannah worth around £3 million. Some policies dated from before their marriage, and he had taken out additional ones while she fought for her life in hospital.
The investigation also revealed Mann had paid a contractor, Danny Hill, to build an X-ray machine with lead in his surgery. After completion, Mann insisted on disposing of the leftover lead himself.
In August 2025, Brian Mann was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to life in prison. He continues to maintain his innocence, bizarrely blaming Nicole for the poisoning—a claim both women vehemently deny.
