A Mother Accused of the Unthinkable: Patricia Stallings Fight for Justice

[00:00:00] Hey, it's Nikki. Wanted to let you know that I've launched an ad-free Serial Napper feed, so you can enjoy the podcast without interruptions. For just $2 a month, you can unlock ad-free episodes while still supporting the podcast. It's super easy. Just visit Serial Napper on your Spotify app and click the button at the top of the page that says, Exclusive Episodes for Subscribers. Don't use Spotify for your listening? No problem.

[00:00:26] Just visit patreon.com slash Serial Napper to get your episodes ad-free and enjoy uninterrupted storytelling while you get your naps in. Sweet dreams. The case featured in this episode has been researched using police records, court documents, witness statements, and the news. Listener discretion is advised. All parties mentioned are innocent until proven guilty, and all opinions are my own.

[00:00:52] Hey everyone, my name is Nikki Young, and this is Serial Napper, the true crime podcast for naps. I'm back with another true crime story to lull you to sleep, or perhaps to give you nightmares. On a hot summer day in 1989, a frantic mother rushed her critically ill baby boy to the hospital, desperate for answers. Patricia Stallings, only 24 years old, had no idea that this moment would set her on a

[00:01:41] devastating path. One that would lead her to a shocking accusation, a broken heart, any battle for her life. Three-month-old Ryan had been suffering for months from chronic gastric distress, but on that fateful day, his condition took a terrifying turn. He was rushed to the hospital, hooked up to a respirator, and given life-saving care. After days of uncertainty, doctors gave Patricia and her husband David a glimmer of

[00:02:11] hope. Ryan would recover. Ryan would recover. But the diagnosis that followed would shatter their world. According to the doctors, Ryan had been poisoned. In his blood, they found ethylene glycol, an ingredient in antifreeze, and the diagnosis was clear, but the questions were many. With no clear answers, Patricia found herself under suspicion.

[00:02:36] Just days after Ryan was released from the hospital, he was taken from his parents and placed into foster care. Then, only weeks later, he was back at the hospital, and this time, he wouldn't survive.

[00:02:50] What followed was a tragedy of unspeakable proportions. Police suspected Patricia of poisoning her child, but she insisted that she was innocent. As the investigation deepened, the nightmare only escalated. While awaiting trial, Patricia would soon give birth to another child who would display the same troubling symptoms as Ryan.

[00:03:15] Was history repeating itself? Was Patricia Stallings a cold-blooded killer, capable of infanticide? Or was there something else at play? This is the true story of a mother accused of poisoning her own child, and the shocking twist that could turn the case on its head.

[00:03:36] So, dim the lights, put your phone down, and listen as I unravel the chilling details of this real-life mystery, where the line between guilt and innocence becomes nearly impossible to see. So, let's jump right in.

[00:04:20] She had her first child out of wedlock, and with little support or stability, Patricia found it increasingly difficult to care for herself, let alone her son. When accusations of child abuse were leveled against her, claims that she wasn't properly caring for her child, Patricia made the heart-wrenching decision to give him up for adoption. It was a decision that would haunt her for years to come, but at the time, it felt like the only option.

[00:04:50] But by the summer of 1989, Patricia's life had finally taken a turn for the better. She had found love with David Stallings, a man who worked as a plate engraver. They met in 1986, when Patricia was working at a 7-Eleven convenience store in St. Louis. David frequently came in to buy snacks, and one day their casual conversations turned into something more.

[00:05:15] By 1988, they were married, and by April of 1989, they welcomed their first child together, Ryan. For the very first time, everything seemed to be falling into place for Patricia. She and David moved to a quaint, white-frame house in a quiet subdivision just outside of St. Louis. A home of their own, a fresh start, a new baby.

[00:05:42] They were finally living the life that they had always dreamed of. Ryan, born in April of 1989, had always been a beautiful baby. But from the very beginning, something just wasn't quite right. He couldn't hold down his formula, and he began vomiting weekly. His parents, Patricia and David, did what they could, adjusting to what they thought was just a typical newborn issue. Patricia would later say, quote,

[00:06:12] We kind of got used to it. He looked so normal. But all of that changed on July 7th, when Ryan was just three months old. Patricia found her son lethargic, his body limp in his crib, staring blankly at the ceiling. His breathing was heavy, his lips tightly shut. Alarmed, she immediately called St. Louis Children's Hospital, planning to bring Ryan in.

[00:06:38] But in the confusion of city traffic, she ended up at Cardinal Glennon Hospital, a few miles short of her destination. She thought it was still a children's hospital, so surely they'd know how to help him. Ryan was rushed into the pediatric intensive care unit. David and Patricia stayed close, renting a hospital room so that they could be near their son while he went through all of this pain.

[00:07:04] Three agonizing days passed, but finally, the doctors told the Stallings that Ryan would recover. But the diagnosis? It was nothing like they expected. The doctors were shocked. Tests revealed high levels of ethylene glycol in Ryan's blood, the deadly chemical found in antifreeze. That, combined with his symptoms, led the attending physicians to suspect poisoning.

[00:07:32] And that's when everything changed. Authorities were notified immediately. Ryan was placed into protective custody, and detectives they were called in to investigate. In a matter of hours, Patricia and David found themselves facing an accusation that they could have never imagined. Patricia and David, they'd be split up to be interviewed by detectives.

[00:07:57] They tried to get each to turn on the other, suggesting that the other parent may have poisoned baby Ryan. Patricia was devastated. She couldn't understand how or why the police would believe that she was poisoning her own child. As Patricia's emotions swirled, Ryan's condition actually began to improve. After 12 long days, he was finally released from the hospital.

[00:08:24] But Patricia and David's relief, it would be short-lived. Ryan was not returned to their care. Instead, he was placed into a foster home, and their visits? They were heavily restricted. The Stallings were only allowed one hour per week with their son, under the watchful eye of a social worker. Patricia couldn't accept the distance between them.

[00:08:45] She visited Ryan as often as possible, desperate to hold him, to reassure him, and to try to understand why this was happening. Then, on September 1st, during a routine visit, Patricia was left alone with Ryan for just a few minutes while she fed him from a bottle. It would be a short moment, but one that would change everything. Days later, Ryan would be rushed back to Cardinal Glennon Hospital.

[00:09:15] Once again, his health had deteriorated, this time more severely than ever before. The doctors would later confirm that his blood had shown even higher levels of ethylene glycol. And this time, the poisoning was too much for him to survive. Ryan would die before he reached six months old. And with that, the investigation into Patricia Stallings would take an even darker turn.

[00:09:43] When investigators searched the Stallings' home, they found a large bottle of antifreeze. They believed this to be the source of the antifreeze that Patricia had used to kill her baby. And Patricia, well, she was now the prime suspect in the death of her own son. She was charged with first-degree murder. She was held without bail, and she was now facing the death penalty. Patricia was not allowed to attend her own son's funeral.

[00:10:11] Despite the fact that she hadn't been convicted of anything yet, the authorities had decided that she was guilty. And in their eyes, that was punishment enough. A mother grieving the loss of her child was kept away from saying goodbye. She would never be able to hold her son one last time. Patricia was still in jail awaiting trial when she made a shocking discovery.

[00:10:38] In the midst of her grief, she realized something that she never expected. She was pregnant again. A total surprise to her, especially considering the nightmare that she had just been through. But life doesn't stop, and Patricia soon found herself not only mourning Ryan, but now facing the unknown of this new pregnancy. In February of 1990, while still incarcerated, Patricia gave birth to her second child.

[00:11:07] A boy she and David would name David Jr., or, as he would become to known, DJ. But the joy of welcoming her new son was short-lived. DJ was immediately taken from Patricia and placed in foster care, just like his older brother Ryan had been. But here's where things get even more complicated. Not only was Patricia kept from seeing her new baby, but David, her husband, he was also denied the right to visit his son.

[00:11:36] Despite the fact that David hadn't been charged with any crime, and he had no criminal record, he was still kept away from his child. The Stallings family seemed to be treated like criminals, even though neither Patricia nor David had been proven guilty of anything. A few weeks later, DJ began to show troubling signs. Signs that were eerily similar to what Ryan had gone through. The vomiting, the lethargy, the same mysterious symptoms.

[00:12:06] DJ was rushed to St. Louis Children's Hospital, the very hospital that Patricia had originally planned to take Ryan to before all of the chaos had begun. And it was there, after extensive tests, that DJ was diagnosed with a rare and serious condition called methylmalonic aciduria, or MMA. MMA is a rare hereditary disease. It means that the body can't properly break down certain nutrients,

[00:12:35] particularly the nutrients found in milk and food. For DJ, it was a problem with a missing protein that's essential for digestion. Without this protein, DJ's body couldn't process the milk that he was being fed, and toxic byproducts started building up in his bloodstream. But here's the twist. DJ's diagnosis came early enough that doctors were able to adjust his diet and prevent the toxic buildup from doing any lasting damage.

[00:13:05] DJ survived. And that raised an unsettling question. Could Ryan have died because he had the same genetic disorder as DJ? Could it be that Ryan's body, like DJ's, was unable to break down the nutrients from his formula, causing a buildup of toxins in his blood? Could the illness that claimed his life have been MMA and not antifreeze poisoning? Patricia had spent seven months in jail,

[00:13:34] accused of poisoning her son, when all along, the truth might have been something far more tragic. A genetic condition that she had unknowingly passed down to her son. A condition that was misdiagnosed, leading to the wrongful accusation that she had poisoned him. Had she been imprisoned for the crime of transmitting a defective gene? It's a chilling thought. Patricia, a mother already suffering from the loss of one child,

[00:14:04] now facing the injustice of being locked away for something that might not even be her fault. Ryan's death and the subsequent events, they left more questions and answers. What happened to this young family? Was there a deeper, more complex medical mystery that no one understood? Or was Patricia Stallings the victim of a flawed investigation, a rushed conclusion, and a system that couldn't or maybe wouldn't see the truth?

[00:14:33] After spending months in jail, accused of poisoning her own son, Patricia Stallings was released while this new potential evidence was evaluated. Patricia had thought that maybe the worst had passed. She thought maybe, just maybe, the truth would finally come to light. It's time for a quick break and a word from tonight's sponsors. Hang on, I'll be back before you know it.

[00:15:00] Are you feeling off-balance thanks to hormonal changes? You are not alone. Hormonal disruptions are happening all around us. Actually, there are over 1,000 hormone disruptors hiding in our food, water, air, clothes, and even skincare products. On top of that, we also go through natural changes like perimenopause and menopause, which can feel overwhelming and challenging,

[00:15:28] even though they're a normal part of life. But here's the good news. You don't have to suffer anymore. Introducing Hormone Harmony, a powerful herbal formula designed to support your hormones and help you feel like yourself again. Hormone Harmony is made with nature-inspired, plant-based ingredients that have been shown to reduce the symptoms of hormonal imbalance for women of all ages. It's not just a supplement. It's a movement. Women all over are raving about it,

[00:15:58] and a bottle of Hormone Harmony is sold every 24 seconds. What's the biggest benefit? Women are saying that they finally feel like themselves again. In fact, there are over 30,000 glowing reviews from women who have experienced real relief. So if you're ready to reclaim your balance and feel your best, Hormone Harmony is the natural solution that you've been waiting for. For a limited time,

[00:16:24] you can get 15% off on your entire first order at happymammoth.com. Just use the code CERIALNAPPER at checkout. That's happymammoth.com, and use the code CERIALNAPPER for 15% off today. Now back to our story. Even though she was now out of jail for a time, she was still denied visitation rights with her newborn son, DJ,

[00:16:53] a second child she was being kept from, all while she fought the accusations that had already torn her family apart. Patricia would later say, I thought it was over. As far as the nightmare of being accused of hurting Ryan, I was positive it was over. Even my lawyer said it was over. There's no way they could not see the truth right in front of their eyes. But the truth, it wasn't as clear to everyone as it seemed.

[00:17:23] Local officials, still determined to prove their case, refused to let go of their belief that Ryan's death was no accident. They insisted that Ryan had not died from MMA, the hereditary disease that DJ had, but rather from something far more sinister, antifreeze poisoning. Prosecuting attorney George B. McElroy, he was relentless. The evidence against Patricia, it seemed overwhelming to him.

[00:17:50] Two different diagnostic laboratories had found antifreeze in Ryan's blood on two separate occasions, using two distinct methods of analysis. But that wasn't all. Traces of antifreeze had also been found in the bottle that Patricia had used to give Ryan his last meal. And in the Stallings home, a gallon jug of antifreeze was found, just waiting to be linked to the case. But perhaps the most damning evidence of all

[00:18:19] was crystals of calcium oxalate discovered in Ryan's brain during the autopsy. According to medical professionals, this is a clear sign of ethylene glycol poisoning. Prosecutors were convinced they had their smoking gun. Still, something didn't sit right with Patricia's defense team. The evidence was undeniable, yes. There appeared to be antifreeze in Ryan's blood. Yes, it had been found in the home. But what about DJ?

[00:18:50] What about the diagnosis of MMA that had been made just weeks after his birth? Couldn't that be part of the equation? Could MMA, this rare disease, be confused with antifreeze poisoning? The question lingered. The prosecution consulted medical experts, but they were adamant. They said that this was impossible, that there was no way MMA could cause high levels of ethylene glycol in the blood. They conceded that

[00:19:19] maybe Ryan did have MMA, but they maintained that the antifreeze poisoning was the cause of death. Unfortunately, Patricia's defense team, they didn't call forward any medical experts of their own to testify. And without anyone to challenge the lab results, Patricia's defense, it seemed weak in comparison. The defense team had hoped to present a crucial piece of evidence, the MMA diagnosis

[00:19:47] of Patricia's second son, DJ. It was believed that this disease, when left untreated, it could cause symptoms similar to antifreeze poisoning, including vomiting and lethargy. It was a breakthrough that could potentially exonerate Patricia, showing that Ryan might have died from the very same condition. But the judge, he ruled that the diagnosis of DJ, it could not be presented to the jury.

[00:20:15] And without that key medical testimony, the case against Patricia, it seemed airtight. All the prosecution had to do now was focus on one key moment. August 31st, 1989. Patricia and David's sixth visit to see Ryan at the hospital. This would become a pivotal moment in the trial. During this visit, David's parents were invited for the very first time. David would take the stand, testifying, saying,

[00:20:45] quote, About 20 minutes into the visit, my mom and dad decided to leave. Patty and I had the rest of time with him. I escorted my mom and dad out, walked down the hall, and I was gone no more than 45 seconds. According to the prosecutor, this brief period alone with Ryan, it would become the cornerstone of his case. He would tell the jury that Patricia was alone with Ryan for anywhere between three to eight minutes,

[00:21:13] and it was during that time that she supposedly fed him a bottle laced with antifreeze. But David Stallings disagreed. He testified that, when he returned, he had found Ryan a little cranky. He reached for the bottle and began feeding him himself. According to David, he didn't see any signs of contamination in the bottle. There was no discoloration, no indication that anything was wrong. Yet the prosecution's argument

[00:21:42] remained clear. McElroy told the jury, quote, Don't try to understand why Patricia Stallings poisoned her child by feeding him a baby bottle laced with antifreeze. The point is, she did it. Only she could have done it. And with those words, the jury deliberated. It didn't take long for them to reach their verdict. On March 4th, 1991, Patricia Stallings was sentenced to life in prison

[00:22:11] without the possibility of parole. As she was led away in handcuffs, her friends and family sat in the gallery, heartbroken, wearing t-shirts that read, Please help us. Patricia Stallings is innocent. Patricia's husband, David, wasn't about to give up on his wife. He spent countless hours trying to get the case more attention, hoping that someone would take an interest and find a way to help. His persistence led to a breakthrough.

[00:22:41] David actually managed to get the producers of the popular TV show Unsolved Mysteries to cover Patricia's case. In May of 1991, an episode aired telling the story of Patricia, Ryan, and the puzzling death that had led her to a conviction. One of the people watching that episode was Dr. William Sly, a renowned expert in genetics and pediatric care. Dr. Sly, he had specialized knowledge of MMA,

[00:23:10] that rare metabolic disorder that had been diagnosed in Patty's second son, DJ. When Dr. Sly saw this story, he knew that something just didn't make sense. The symptoms and circumstances surrounding Ryan's death, he thought, they didn't add up. Dr. Sly learned that one of his colleagues, Dr. James Shoemaker, he had received a blood sample from Ryan. Shoemaker ran tests and found small traces of ethylene glycol. It was enough

[00:23:40] to raise an eyebrow, but not nearly enough to cause the severe symptoms that baby Ryan had shown. What was even more alarming was what else they found. A significant amount of propionic acid, a toxic byproduct that builds up in people with MMA. Propionic acid is strikingly similar to ethylene glycol, and that's when Dr. Sly started to wonder, could the lab results have been wrong? Could the high levels

[00:24:09] of propionic acid in Ryan's blood have been mistaken for antifreeze? Dr. Sly and Dr. Shoemaker checked the lab reports that had identified ethylene glycol in Ryan's blood. To their shock, they realized that the test results, they actually matched propionic acid, not antifreeze. This was a key piece of evidence that could clear Patricia's name, but they needed to get the information into the right hands. Dr. Sly wrote a letter

[00:24:38] to Prosecutor McElroy, urging him to reconsider the case against Patricia. He explained that Ryan's death was more likely due to MMA, not antifreeze poisoning. But McElroy, still holding on to his belief that Ryan had been poisoned, he wasn't ready to completely change course. He had questions. There were still traces of antifreeze found in a bottle that Patricia had used to feed Ryan, and there was

[00:25:08] a gallon of antifreeze that had been found in the Stallings' home. On top of that, there were those crystals in Ryan's brain which were typically linked to ethylene glycol poisoning. Meanwhile, Patricia and David, they were making their own moves. They had fired their original lawyer and they hired Robert Ritter, a new attorney, which makes sense because their first attorney completely failed them by not calling any medical experts to the stand to defend Patricia.

[00:25:37] Ritter went straight to McElroy and asked what it would take to prove Patricia's innocence. McElroy replied that he would need another expert, someone completely independent, to take a look at the evidence. That's when Robert Ritter reached out to a Dr. Piero Rinaldo, a respected expert in genetic diseases from Yale University. Dr. Rinaldo was skeptical of the lab results and he agreed with Dr. Sly's analysis.

[00:26:06] He called the lab results totally unacceptable and astonishing. The more he studied the case, the more he was convinced that Ryan's death had been misdiagnosed. Dr. Rinaldo's concerns didn't stop with the blood tests. He also addressed the issue of the traces of antifreeze found in the bottle that Patricia had used to feed Ryan. This baby bottle had been washed in a dishwasher and filled with infant formula before being tested.

[00:26:35] Rinaldo concluded that the compound identified as ethylene glycol, it literally could have been anything. It was just an artifact of the testing process. He called the approach unacceptable and he argued that it was unreasonable to label any chemical showing up as antifreeze. What about the crystals of calcium oxalate found in Ryan's brain? Dr. Rinaldo had a troubling conclusion for that as well. Those crystals,

[00:27:04] they were likely as a result of the ethanol drip that was used to treat Ryan for what doctors believed was ethylene glycol poisoning. And ironically, this treatment intended to save him, it might have actually hastened Ryan's death. For Dr. Rinaldo, this was the final piece of the puzzle. He suspected that Ryan had actually died from MMA, not poisoning. With this new evidence in hand, it seemed that the case

[00:27:33] against Patricia Stallings was beginning to fall apart. But the question remained, would anyone even listen? Would the system finally acknowledge the truth that had been hidden for so long? By this time, Patricia had already endured the unimaginable, mourning the death of her baby boy son, Ryan, time spent behind bars for a crime she didn't commit, and never once being allowed to hold her newborn son, DJ. Her life

[00:28:02] had been shattered, but the truth? It was finally beginning to emerge. Two years, two years of grief, imprisonment, and being wrongfully accused. Two years of longing for justice, but also for a chance to heal. Finally, on September 19, 1991, Patricia Stallings was about to hear the words that would change her life. Words she had been waiting for since the moment her world was turned upside down.

[00:28:31] On that day, after all the painful months, Prosecutor McElroy stood before reporters. With the new evidence about MMA, the mistaken diagnosis of antifreeze poisoning, and the undeniable mistakes made in the investigation, McElroy could no longer defend his earlier stance. He had no choice but to absolve Patricia of all charges. In front of a sea of cameras and reporters, McElroy offered

[00:29:01] a public apology to both Patricia and David Stallings. The words he spoke were both an acknowledgement of the damage done and an attempt to try to make things right, though the scars left by the system's failures, they could never be erased. After two years of torment, Patricia and David were finally free from the chains of a wrongful conviction. But while the apology was an important step, it was far too late to erase the pain that they had suffered.

[00:29:30] Their son Ryan, he was gone, and no apology could ever replace the time lost with him or the grief that they carried every day. Years later, the Stallings family received an out-of-court settlement for the wrongful death of Ryan. The settlements came from Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, the very institution that had been involved in misdiagnosing Ryan's condition, and from the laboratories whose erroneous tests had sent Patricia down the path

[00:30:00] of a wrongful conviction. Though the exact amount of settlement was never disclosed, the money could never bring back the son that they had lost or undo the trauma that Patricia had experienced. The journey was far from easy, but for Patricia Stallings, the truth had finally come to light, and with that truth came a chance to heal, to be a mother to her surviving son, and to reclaim the life that was once taken from her.

[00:30:29] As for the people who had failed her, the legal system that had imprisoned her for so long, they could never undo the damage that they caused. Patricia Stallings' case, it remains a powerful reminder of just how easily the truth can be buried and how crucial it is to never stop seeking justice. That's it for me tonight. If you want to reach out, you can find me on Facebook at Serial Napper. You can find my audio on Apple or Spotify

[00:30:58] or wherever you listen to podcasts. I post all of my episodes in video format over on YouTube, so go check it out. And if you're watching on YouTube, I would love if you can give me a thumbs up and subscribe. Every little bit helps. I'm also on Patreon if you'd like to get your Serial Napper episodes early and ad-free. Hop on over and check out all the details at patreon.com slash Serial Napper. Until next time, sweet dreams,

[00:31:28] stay kind, especially in the comments. Bye.