An elderly Atlanta couple began getting sick after hiring caregivers in the late 1980s. James Crist Sr., 88, and his wife Elizabeth Betty Crist employed a woman identified as Patricia Vann Taylor Allanson, using the name Pat Taylor, and her daughter Debbie, a registered nurse. The family later suspected the caregivers were responsible for the couple’s deteriorating health.

James Crist Sr. died on December 28, 1988. A Fulton County investigation found Patricia had been giving unauthorized medications to both James and Elizabeth. On April 17, 1991, a grand jury indicted Patricia and Debbie on multiple counts, including aggravated assault with intent to murder, theft, and impersonating a registered nurse. On June 12, 1991, Patricia pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement, received an eight-year prison sentence and was not formally charged with murder as part of that bargain.