Patricia Allanson

Case record: Patricia Allanson

Other names

Patricia Taylor Allanson

Personal background

Patricia Allanson was born in 1937. She grew up as “Pat,” described as a beautiful child with big green eyes and blondish hair who was quick and clever.

She was spoiled by her mother, Margureitte, and stepfather, Colonel Clifford Radcliffe. She was described as an Army brat. She had a younger step-brother, Kent, whom she loved to bully and tease without mercy.

Pat married at the age of fifteen. Her husband was Gil Taylor, an Army sergeant. She had three children: Susan, Debbie and Ronnie. In 1971 they divorced.

In 1973, she met Tom Allanson, described as a tall, strong handsome man and the son of Walter and Carolyn (referred to as Little Carolyn and Big Carolyn). Pat and Tom purchased a heavily-mortgaged 52-acre farm in Zebulon, Georgia. They were married in May 1974 in a “Gone With The Wind” style ceremony, with Tom dressed as Rhett Butler and Pat as Scarlett O’Hara.

At the time of the 1999 release, she lived with her stepfather and his new wife.

Relationship to other people in the case

Patricia Allanson was married to Tom Allanson. Tom and Pat had been married less than two months at the time of the murders of Tom’s parents, Walter and Carolyn Allanson.

The case narrative described her as manipulating and “helping herself” to money and inheritance, including being named a primary beneficiary in a will.

Armed threats, complaints, and restraining order

Accusations and threats were described as occurring between Pat and Tom’s family.

Pat filed a complaint of sexual harassment against Walter Allanson, claiming he had exposed himself to her. Tom grew alarmed over threats he heard that his father was going to kill him, and he took out a restraining order. Walter believed his own son was out to kill him. Someone had stolen a pistol and rifle from Walter’s home, and Walter was convinced it was his son.

Police searched Tom’s home for the stolen weapons and came up empty-handed.

The events leading to the murders

On July 29, 1974, Walter and his wife Carolyn were shot at by someone while taking a trip in their car. They survived the attack and felt sure that Tom had been behind it.

On August 3, 1974, Tom dropped Pat off at the doctor and then walked over to see his mother when he was sure his father would not be home. Pat told him that someone had been calling their house all night long. Tom went to the basement to wait for his mother’s return. He found the basement switch box tampered with after his father returned.

Walter returned home after receiving a call from an unknown woman informing him that Tom was at his home. The electricity was off. Walter went into the basement, attempted to call the police, but the phone line had been cut. Walter used a neighbor’s home to use the phone to get the police out there.

When officers arrived, Walter said he’d take care of the situation himself, so they left. Walter returned to the basement and started shooting randomly.

Carolyn was home by that time. Walter called up to her that he had Tom cornered and needed the gun he had just purchased; Carolyn grabbed it to bring it to him.

When police officers arrived again in response to an emergency call, they found Carolyn Allanson sitting upright on the basement steps, shot dead. Through the basement window, officers could see Walter laying on the ground and shot numerous times. One narrative stated there were 20 separate entrance wounds.

The police immediately suspected Tom. Tom was seen at the scene, and a man matching his description was seen running from the crime scene.

Alleged role attributed to Patricia Allanson in relation to the murders

The narrative described that Pat told lies to an attorney in an alleged attempt to provide Tom with an alibi. It also described that she tried to talk Tom into a suicide pact, which Tom later felt sure was an attempt to get him to die so she would inherit everything.

After the murders, Pat had the farm to herself and later worked on Tom’s wealthy grandparents until she was named as the primary beneficiary in their will.

Post-murder inheritance actions and arsenic poisoning

Pat’s house and barns burned down, and she forged Tom’s signature to obtain insurance payments. She then fed arsenic-laced food to Tom’s wealthy grandparents.

When the grandparents grew ill, she was caught and ended up in prison for eight years.

Pat was sentenced to eight years in prison in relation to these events, after tests showed arsenic in the grandparents’ systems.

Employment as a nurse and later death of Mr. Crist

After her release, she persuaded a wealthy couple from Atlanta—Mr. and Mrs. James Crist—to hire her as a nurse. The narrative described her as posing as a registered nurse and also stated the couple got sick and that Mr. Crist died.

Plea bargain and sentencing terms for the Crist matter

In a “shrewd and controversial plea bargain,” Pat agreed to seven charges, including theft, attempted murder, and posing as a registered nurse.

The narrative included a proviso that she would never be charged with the murder of Mr. Crist or investigated for the murder of Tom’s parents. She was sentenced to eight years.

Another narrative stated that in June 1991 she “pled guilty” to charges connected to this matter and was served another stint of eight years in prison.

Release in 1999 and later living arrangements

Patricia Taylor Allanson was released from prison in 1999.

An update described her living with her stepfather and his new wife.

In one narrative, after release she opened a doll shop named Pat’s Pretty Play Things.

February 2008 arrest and charge details

In February 2008, Patricia Taylor Allanson, age 70, was arrested and charged with doctor shopping for thousands of pain pills over the past year.

It was believed she may have received over 3,700 pills in less than a year. Her bond was set at $22,500 for three felony counts of unauthorized distribution.

Quotes

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Legal outcomes and statuses mentioned for Patricia Allanson

She was never convicted of murder.

She was sentenced to eight years in prison for the arsenic-poisoning and inheritance-related events involving Tom’s wealthy grandparents, and later sentenced to eight years in prison again in connection with the plea bargain involving theft, attempted murder and posing as a registered nurse, with the proviso that she would not be charged with the murder of Mr. Crist and would not be investigated for the murder of Tom’s parents.

She was released from prison in 1999.

She was arrested in February 2008 and charged with doctor shopping for thousands of pain pills, with bond set at $22,500 for three felony counts of unauthorized distribution.