Alabama Man Found Guilty of Slowly Poisoning His Wife in Chilling Murder Plot

Brian Mann, 36, was found guilty in Morgan County Circuit Court following a weeklong trial that shed light on a disturbing and calculated plot to end the life of 25-year-old Hannah Pettey, with whom he shared several years of marriage.

The jury returned its verdict after less than three hours of deliberation, concluding that Mann had intentionally poisoned Pettey and simultaneously sought to profit from her death by taking out multiple high-value life insurance policies in her name.

The trial included chilling testimony from Pettey, who described in detail how her then-husband exploited her deteriorating health to conceal his crime, all while projecting concern and kindness.

According to Pettey’s testimony, she began experiencing severe physical symptoms in August 2021, including intense abdominal and back pain, dizziness, nausea and rapid weight loss.

Over the course of several months, she lost more than 40 pounds. During this time, she was unknowingly ingesting lead, which she believed was part of a regimen of multivitamins Mann had provided from his chiropractic practice.

As her condition worsened, Pettey said Mann discouraged her from seeking medical treatment, despite the alarming nature of her symptoms.

“He was probably the nicest he had ever been to me during those critical months,” she testified, recalling how he brought her water and so-called vitamins while she struggled to keep food down.

Mann’s alleged kindness masked a sinister intent. Without her knowledge, he had taken out multiple life insurance policies on her life, some valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He even went so far as to attempt to hide her physical decline from doctors by making her wear ankle weights during weigh-ins to conceal her weight loss, Pettey testified.

It wasn’t until Pettey’s mother intervened and brought her to a doctor that the full extent of the poisoning began to emerge. At the time, the doctor suspected she might have stomach cancer, which ultimately led to her hospitalization. Mann was reportedly unaware of the visit that led to her diagnosis.

While hospitalized, Pettey began to suffer from hallucinations, and her condition became critical. Investigators later determined she had been suffering from lead poisoning — and that the source was deliberate.

Once the truth came to light, Pettey’s family cut off all contact between her and Mann, a move that initially confused and distressed her. “I didn’t understand that at the time,” she told the jury, adding that Mann had pleaded with her to halt the investigation.

She also reflected on how isolated she had become during her marriage. Mann had discouraged her from working, deleted her social media accounts after they married in 2018, and increasingly separated her from her family.

“Looking back, I was isolated,” she said during her emotional testimony.

Pettey told the court that her body still carries the toxic burden of Mann’s actions. Lead remains embedded in her bones, leaving her with chronic pain in her hands and permanent infertility, a devastating consequence of the prolonged exposure.

The prosecution also presented evidence from insurance agent Chris Humphreys, who worked with Mann during the period in question.

Humphreys testified that Mann had aggressively pursued new life insurance policies on Pettey’s life, even after her illness began. He described the activity as highly suspicious, noting that Mann’s conduct resembled someone trying to “throw spaghetti at the wall” — applying for policies at multiple companies in hopes that some would stick.

Mann also tried to deflect suspicion by claiming he and his children were also being poisoned. He told a nurse practitioner that he had performed an X-ray on himself and suspected he had also ingested lead.

However, when the nurse suggested a follow-up X-ray to determine the duration of the poisoning, Mann reportedly became “visibly nervous” and abruptly left the facility.

Later imaging showed that there was, indeed, a substance in Mann’s stomach — but forensic experts concluded it had been ingested only recently, likely in an attempt to bolster his claim and mislead investigators.

The jury began deliberating Wednesday afternoon, spending about two hours reviewing the evidence before breaking for the evening. They reconvened Thursday morning and returned their guilty verdict after just 45 more minutes.

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Mann was formally convicted of attempted murder, a charge that carries serious penalties under Alabama law. He is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, when the court will determine the length of his prison term.

Pettey’s courage in taking the stand played a crucial role in securing the conviction, bringing justice to what authorities have described as an elaborate and malicious attempt at murder cloaked in manipulation and deceit.