Doctors said her lead levels were “astronomical,” launching a criminal probe that led to her husband’s conviction.
DECATUR, Ala. — A 26-year-old Alabama mother nearly died after doctors found extreme lead levels in her body, a discovery that turned a baffling illness into a criminal investigation and, later, an attempted murder case against her husband, a Morgan County chiropractor.
Investigators say the medical mystery began months before the hospital alarm. The woman, identified as Hannah Pettey, lost more than 45 pounds, suffered severe pain and grew too weak to care for her child. When she was finally admitted to a Birmingham hospital, clinicians reported an “astronomical” amount of lead and moved quickly to stabilize her. Police in Hartselle and Morgan County opened an investigation that soon focused on her home and the people closest to her. The case culminated in the 2025 conviction of her husband, Brian Mann, who was later sentenced to life in prison and is now appealing.
As her condition worsened in 2021, relatives urged Pettey to seek care. She was transferred to specialists who placed her on chelation therapy and other measures to draw the metal from her system. The treatment was urgent; staff warned that any movement could affect pressure in her brain, and her colon required irrigation to remove lead. In court testimony later, a University of Alabama at Birmingham physician said Pettey’s lead levels were in the 80s — far beyond normal — and that the volume pointed to ingestion rather than environmental exposure. “Astronomical,” the care team described it, a word that stayed with detectives as they turned from diagnosis to source.
Investigators interviewed family, searched locations tied to the couple and collected medications and supplements Pettey had been taking. They learned that Mann had access to lead through construction connected to his chiropractic practice and that he had encouraged Pettey to continue taking pills he supplied. Detectives also examined insurance records and financial paperwork after learning multiple policies named Mann as beneficiary, worth more than $1 million if Pettey died. Prosecutors said those documents, paired with medical findings and witness accounts, formed the backbone of the case that reached a Morgan County courtroom in 2025.
Jurors convicted Mann of attempted murder in June 2025 after deliberating across two days. In August, a judge imposed a life sentence. Defense attorneys argued that gaps remained about where and how the lead was introduced and contended Mann himself later sought treatment, claiming exposure. Prosecutors countered that the sequence of events, alleged efforts to mislead investigators and the volume of lead in Pettey’s system showed intent. The court rejected motions for acquittal and a new trial that fall. An appeal is pending; filings have drawn additional orders from the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals directing the lower court to rule on certain record motions.
The case drew new attention this month when “48 Hours” aired an hour-long report featuring interviews with Pettey, her mother, detectives and both sides of the courtroom. The broadcast retraced the early months of pain and confusion — weight loss, headaches, gut problems — and the urgent hospital turn that followed. It also detailed investigative steps police said were necessary: documenting supplements, reviewing medical logs, and canvassing construction work that could explain lead access. The episode included an interview with Mann recorded during the long-running court process and laid out what each side claimed in filings and testimony.
Morgan County residents followed the trial closely, with neighbors recalling ambulance runs and the confusion that trailed Pettey’s illness before the diagnosis. In brief comments at the courthouse, relatives described gratitude for her recovery and the medical teams that stabilized her. “I’ve forgiven him,” Pettey said after the verdict, adding that she still lives with health effects but is focused on raising her child and moving forward. Prosecutors said the case showed how a medical alert can become a criminal lead; defense lawyers maintained they will keep challenging the evidence on appeal.
As of Monday, the conviction and life sentence remain in effect while the appeal continues in Alabama’s courts. Further rulings on appellate motions are expected in the coming weeks, with any larger arguments to be scheduled after the record is finalized.
Author note: Last updated January 12, 2026.