Nearly Killed by Lead: How a Young Mother Survived an Attempted Poisoning and Helped Convict Her Husband

In January 2022, 22-year-old Hannah Pettey was admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham in critical condition after six months of worsening pain, weakness and cognitive decline. Doctors quickly discovered an extraordinary and alarming fact: Hannah's body contained extremely high levels of lead — in her colon, bones and bloodstream — consistent with repeated deliberate ingestion.

The Collapse

Hannah's mother, Nicole, drove her to the hospital after a phone call left Nicole frightened for her daughter's life. Hannah suffered a seizure at the ER, became unconscious for nearly 48 hours, and later required a medically induced coma to relieve life-threatening brain swelling. Medical teams described Hannah as "skin and bones" and said she had been close to starving to death.

Diagnosis And Early Investigation

Eight days into Hannah's hospital stay, a neurologist told Nicole the patient had an "astronomical" amount of lead. Clinicians concluded such heavy contamination — including lead packed in the colon — could not be accidental and strongly suspected deliberate poisoning by ingestion. Hospital staff alerted the Department of Human Resources and limited visitors while investigators gathered information.

Suspicions, Access And Motive

Investigators focused on people with access to Hannah. Attention settled on her husband, chiropractor Brian Mann, because he had daily access to his wife's supplements and household routine and because he maintained chiropractic X-ray facilities that used soft lead sheeting. Prosecutors also found that Mann had taken out life insurance policies on Hannah and attempted to secure additional coverage while she was hospitalized — policies that could have paid out more than $5 million if approved, giving investigators a clear financial motive.

Key Tip And Forensic Leads

Initial searches of the couple's home and possessions turned up no capsules, no tainted supplements and no direct physical evidence of lead having been ground into a dosing medium. The breakthrough came when contractor Danny Hill — who had installed thin, soft lead rolls in Mann's chiropractic X-ray room — recognized Mann from news reports and told police the leftover lead could be easily shaved into small particles. That information gave detectives probable cause to search the office; police recovered a section of the lead sheeting that prosecutors said could be converted into shavings small enough to fit into capsules.

Trial And Verdict

A grand jury indicted Mann in September 2022 on attempted murder charges. After years of investigation and pretrial proceedings, Mann stood trial in June 2025. Prosecutors argued Hannah was slowly poisoned via capsules that Mann supplied and that life insurance and opportunity provided motive. The defense stressed the lack of direct physical evidence tying Mann to lead-filled capsules and questioned alternative suspects. The jury convicted Mann; in August 2025 he was sentenced to life in prison.

Aftermath And Recovery

Hannah survived the poisoning but suffered lasting harm; doctors informed her she could no longer have children. Despite that devastating diagnosis, she recovered sufficiently to testify at trial, completed a college degree in education, and returned to the family home with her children. Although legally still married, Hannah filed for divorce and the divorce proceedings were set to continue into December 2026.

Why This Case Mattered

This case drew attention because it combined a rare form of intentional poisoning, an initially elusive physical trail of evidence, and questions about motive and access. It also became a high-profile example of how collaboration between medical teams, relatives, contractors and law enforcement can uncover a hidden source of poisoning.

Support: If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.