A MOTHER ACCUSED: THE PATRICIA STALLINGS CASE

A Mother Accused: The Patricia Stallings Case

In 1987, Patrcia Stallings was a new mother living in Arnold, Missouri, just outside of Saint Louis. She was in her twenties in the mid-eighties when she met David Stallings. David came into the gas station that Patricia worked at and was instantly attracted to the pretty woman. He asked her out numerous times, but she continually said no. Eventually, she agreed to go out with David around December of 1986. After that, they were instantly a couple and married in 1988.  Soon after marrying, the Stallings learned they were expecting their first child. What they were not expecting, however, was what happened next.

 Patricia, known as Patty, met metal engraver David Stallings in 1986. The two quickly became a couple, marrying in 1988. Their first child, a son, was born on April 4th, 1989. Ryan Patrick Stallings Ryan was the apple of his mother’s eye, and her main priority as she was now a stay-at-home mother. Ryan started having difficulty after feedings around two weeks old. His mother, Patty, was told he sensitive and a special formula was ordered. The mother continued to care for her son, stomach issues and all, enjoying every moment. 

 During the summer of 1989, three-month-old Ryan Stallings was taken to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother had noticed that the infant was listless, lethargic, and vomiting more than usual. She knew something was wrong. Her motherly instincts were correct. The baby was admitted to the pediatric ICU. At first, the doctors were not sure why the baby was sick. They tested the infant for known poisons, hoping to uncover the cause of illness.

  Much to the terror of the staff at Cardinal Glennon, Ryan’s tests came back showing the baby was positive for ethylene glycol, antifreeze. David and Patty were immediately separated and interrogated. The police asked Patty if she was having trouble at home, if she and David were arguing, if motherhood was hard for her. Puzzled, she didn’t understand the reasoning behind these questions. Finally, they told her that Ryan had been poisoned with antifreeze and would be placed in foster care upon discharge from the hospital.

 David and Patty were devastated. They brought their son to the hospital for help only to have him taken away from them. They both insisted that neither of them was capable of poisoning their son. The two were given a weekly visitation with their son that was to be supervised. No one was to be left alone with the baby. Ryan had gotten better with treatment and IV fluids and was released into a foster home. The Stallings continued to visit their son every Thursday per the court order, with hopes that eventually they could bring their son back home.

  In late August of 1989, David and Patty attended their sixth week of visitation with their son Ryan. Ryan was doing great, with no medical issues noted by the foster family. The couple and David’s parents visited with the baby, just the four of them. At some point, the grandparents were ready to leave, and David walked them out. According to David, he was only out of the room for two minutes or less. When he left, Patty was giving Ryan a bottle.

Four days later, authorities informed Patty and David that Ryan was back in the pediatric ICU. After their visit, the prosecutor said the baby went to a “respite” foster home for the weekend so that his regular foster family could get a break. The second foster family had noticed that weekend, after Patty and David’s visit, the baby had become more lethargic, was vomiting, and appeared to be really sick. The baby was rushed back to the hospital and testing was done immediately. Once again, Ryan’s test came back as positive for ethylene glycol.

 The investigators had put pieces together, stating that they believed Patty Stallings had put arsenic in the baby’s bottle when her husband stepped out with his parents that past Thursday. According to experts, it was possible that he developed symptoms 12-24 hours after the alleged poisoning. With this evidence, Patty was arrested and charged with assault on September 5th, 1989. “It infuriated me, and I was just… I was devastated. I was blown away. Ryan was my world. He was perfect” Patty would later state.

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