Even though David Sr. He became a ward of the state and was placed in foster care. Ironically, this devastating blow would turn out to be a stroke of good fortune. Without it, David and Patty might have been accused of poisoning their second son. When DJ was two weeks old, he was rushed to St. Louis Children's Hospital after he began to exhibit symptoms identical to the ones that had plagued Ryan. Within a month, the hospital diagnosed his illness as a rare genetic disorder, methylmalonic acidemia, or MMA.
This inhibits the body's ability to process food, especially proteins. It also causes the body to produce chemical byproducts that may be remarkably similar to the ethylene glycol found in antifreeze. According to him, it would be very simple to confuse the diagnosis of MMA with multiple poisonings because the symptoms are very similar. More importantly, MMA and other similar disorders are very rare, and the majority of doctors either have never seen a case, or if they have seen one, they did not know it and actually confused it for something else such as ethylene glycol.
While prosecutors re-evaluated the medical evidence, Patty was released from jail on a recognizance bond. Pending the outcome of the investigation, she was denied visitation rights with DJ. She was certain that, in regards to being accused of killing Ryan, their nightmare was over. Even her lawyer, Eric Rathbone, said that it was over. However, Jefferson County officials continued to pursue the case.
The prosecution's position was that Ryan had not died from MMA. In the judge's chambers, they cited four expert witnesses. They noted that two separate labs identified ethylene glycol in his blood. Also, at his autopsy, calcium oxalate crystals were found in his brain, consistent with ethylene glycol poisoning. Rathbone presented no expert opinions; he claimed that he could not find a medical expert to testify that MMA caused Ryan's death.
The judge agreed with the prosecution. Neither DJ, nor the symptoms he shared with Ryan, were allowed to be presented as evidence at Patty's trial. Cederbaum noted that first cases of MMA in a family are often missed. It is only when it occurs again that medical practitioners are tipped off to the fact that it may be a genetic disorder and that the first child may have had it as well. In January , Patty's trial began.
Without the medical testimony, the case against her seemed virtually airtight. Police and social workers testified that she showed little emotion upon learning of Ryan's death.
Two bottles of antifreeze were found in the Stallings home; one was half-empty. Another son of Patty's was in her sister's custody because of allegations of abuse. The prosecution focused on the events of Thursday, August 31, , her and David's sixth parental visit with Ryan. On that visit, David's parents were invited for the first time. About twenty minutes into it, his parents decided to leave and let him and Patty spend the rest of the time with Ryan.
He then escorted them out of the room and down the hall. He was gone for no more than forty-five seconds. However, McElroy claims that during the visit, Patty was left alone with Ryan between three and eight minutes. During that time, she fed him a bottle. After he was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with poisoning again, several bottles were examined for possible traces of poison.
All of the bottles tested negative except for one. This was the one that she fed Ryan with. It contained trace amounts of ethylene glycol. It had actually been prepared by the foster mother and retrieved from the baby bag during the visit. McElroy believes, and circumstantial evidence suggests, that she slipped ethylene glycol or antifreeze into the bottle during that feeding.
McElroy claims that Patty started feeding Ryan at the beginning of the visit. David, however, states that she did not feed him until about halfway into the visit when he started getting fussy. David claims to have gotten the bottle from the bag. He did not smell anything or see any discoloration in it. It was clear to him that nothing had been done to the bottle. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole. But there was still some doubt in this case.
On May 8, , Unsolved Mysteries aired a segment on the case. You can watch it here. After the episode aired, lots of doctors called into the show saying they knew about MMA. One person watching was William S. Sly, head of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at St.
Louis University. Sly, along with physician and biochemist Dr. Sly sent the samples to several other labs that used the same procedure that was used as evidence to convict Patricia. A lot of them gave incorrect results. George B. He consulted with Dr. Piero Rinaldo, a biochemical geneticist at Yale University.
Similar to William Sly, Rinaldo also believed the ethanol drip doctors used to treat Ryan might have actually contributed to his death. After these revelations, McElroy ordered a new trial. Patricia Stallings was released from jail on July 30, and put on house arrest while waiting on a new trial.
According to Patty, detectives interviewed her husband in a separate room:. Are you and David fighting? It infuriated me, and I was just… I was devastated. I was blown away… Ryan was my world… He was perfect.
After twelve days, he was released from the hospital, but not to the custody of his parents. According to Patty, they were allowed only a one-hour visit each week on Thursdays:. I would tell everybody over and over and over how last Thursday went.
The parental visits continued for five weeks. During the sixth visit, Patty was left alone with Ryan a short time. Three days later, Ryan suffered another severe attack of vomiting. Once again, he was rushed to the hospital. Once again, the diagnosis was poisoning. Patty Stallings was arrested and charged with assault. While Patty languished in jail, her son was dying. Ryan was placed on life support systems. David Stallings found himself trapped in a private hell:.
On September 7, , Ryan Stallings died. He was not yet six months old. His mother, Patty, was now charged with first-degree murder and held without bail. A few weeks later, Patty discovered she was pregnant again. Six months later, David Stallings Jr. Even though David Sr.
The baby was placed in foster care. Ironically, this devastating blow would turn out to be a stroke of good luck.
Without it, Patty and David Stallings might have been accused of poisoning their second son. When David Stallings Jr. This time, the diagnosis was different. David Jr. Unsolved Mysteries contacted an independent medical expert about MMA:. While prosecutors evaluated the medical evidence, Patty Stallings was released from jail.
However, Patty was still denied visitation rights with her new born son:. I was positive because even my lawyer said it was over. There was no way that they could not see the truth right in front of their eyes.
The judge refused to allow the diagnosis of David Jr. George McElroy was the prosecuting attorney on the case:. Without the medical testimony, the case against Patty seemed airtight. Patty and I had the rest of the time with him. I escorted my mom and dad out and walked down to the hall. I was out of the room no more than forty-five seconds at the most.
According to George McElroy, Patty was alone with David anywhere from three minutes to eight minutes:. The child again got the same symptoms it had before, came back into the hospital, was diagnosed with ethylene glycol poisoning.
But the state believes, and certainly circumstantial evidence suggests, that she slipped ethylene glycol, or antifreeze, into the bottle during that feeding. However, David Stallings disagreed that his wife fed their newborn son while she was alone:. What happened was, I walked back to the cubbyhole where Patty was with Ryan. He started getting a little cranky, so I reached into the bag, took the bottle out, and started feeding him.
I saw the bottle… I did not see any discoloration in the bottle whatsoever. There was nothing done to that bottle. Absolutely nothing. But the jury sided with the prosecution and on March 4, , Patty Stallings was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Each visit with her son was limited to one hour. David Stallings Sr. If Ryan would have been correctly diagnosed with MMA, none of this would have happened. None of these series of events in the last two years would have happened.
It all depended on whether he was correctly diagnosed, which he was not. Shortly after this story aired, doctors from all over the county called to say there were familiar with MMA.
Consequently, the prosecuting attorney dropped all charges against Patty Stallings. After a biochemist became interested in the case, he and others were able to show that Ryan also had MMA, and the compound identified as ethylene glycol was shown to be propionic acid instead.
This case shows that private citizens can make a difference, but only when they are in possession of the facts. Sunday, November 14, Injustice Anywhere. Home The Exonerated: Patricia Stallings.
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