Nash County woman sentenced to life in prison after beating 8-year-old granddaughter to death

A Nash County woman on Friday pleaded guilty to the murder of her 8-year-old granddaughter.

Patricia Ann Ricks was charged in February 2023 with first-degree murder and felony child abuse after the death of her granddaughter, Christal Lane.

Arrest warrants show Lane died in 2023 of severe blunt force trauma to her head and body. She died before she got to the hospital.

The investigation found Christal was beaten with a plunger and had a Taser used on her. Ricks told the court it was an accident; her attorneys said she was off her medication when the murder occurred.

"It was determined that the 8-year-old [girl] was beaten so severely that she died as a result of her injuries," said Nash County Sheriff's Office Capt. Robert Bowen.

In court on Friday, Ricks, now 74, was told she faces a mandatory life-in-prison sentence. 

The grandmother was visibly emotional in court and struggled to accept the plea. More than once, the judge asked Ricks if she understood she was pleading guilty to first-degree murder. Several times, Ricks broke down and did not answer.

WRAL News spoke with Phil Lane, Ricks' attorney.

"It's emotionally troubling for her, but I have no doubt she knows what she is doing...it is just hard for her because this is the death of a child and the death of her grandchild," Lane said. 

"It was an accident when it happened, I love all of my grandkids," Ricks said in court on Friday. "I took those kids, their mama and daddy didn't want them."

Lane said Ricks began taking care of the children, ages 3 to 15, when she was 71. 

"She gave the kids a happy home so they wouldn't go in foster care," Phil Lane said. "Church members were so surprised when his happened because she was a wonderful grandma and mother her whole life."

In court on Friday, the prosecutor Clare Weddle provided disturbing details about the girl's death.

"This happened in the master bedroom and bathroom, there was lots of blood around," Weddle said. "She was cold, there were attempts to revive her, but [they] couldn't'."

Detective Sgt. Kevin Bissette said the case was so jarring, it led to changes within the Nash County Sheriff's Office and school system.

"These were heinous acts, but positives came out of them," Bissette said. "This did cause turmoil in the county but caused a lot of reflection internally in our agency as well as DSS and [the] school system."

Weddle said Christal Lane's siblings were interviewed and claimed their sister was abused and sexually assaulted.

Christal Lane and her four siblings lived with Ricks, who was her legal guardian. The sheriff's office said, weeks before her arrest, Ricks was reported to the Nash County Department of Social Services for suspected child abuse.

WRAL News later investigated why Lane was left in her grandmother's custody despite reports of abuse. 

Ricks' son, Fredrick Lane, and Christal's uncle also addressed the court, stating she "was a wonderful mom and grandmother, and this was out of character."

A staff member at Cooper's Elementary School previously told WRAL News that Christal Lane came to school beaten so badly one day she was almost unrecognizable. The staff member said Christal Lane claimed she had been beaten for refusing to put lotion on her skin.

Nash County Schools said a caseworker was assigned to visit Christal Lane and the school multiple times. Through it all, Christal Lane and her four siblings remained in their grandmother's custody.

Detective Macie Hasty said arriving at the home was disturbing, calling it, "the most horrific scene I've ever seen in law enforcement."

"This is a case that rocked Nash County," said Hasty. "Yes, it's sad this had to happen to rock Nash County. Child abuse happens everyday."

Ricks will be committed to a prison with a hospital due to her medical conditions. She will also undergo mental health evaluations.

Nash DSS: 'Things could have been done differently'

WRAL News was able to ask direct questions about the failures of the Nash County Department of Social Services regarding the case. 

Our investigation found a pattern of Nash DSS not responding to urgent cases like this after we learned of another child dying – despite prior warnings that the child should have been removed.

The state took over the agency after our findings and conducted its own investigation in September 2023. 

They let go of leadership and hired Denita DeVega as the director. 

"I think that there are things that could have been done differently," DeVega told WRAL News. "I feel for Christal. I feel for all of those involved. It was a tragic incident that still impacts the agency."

Nash DSS is now operating on its own. However, on Friday, DeVega told WRAL News the state still comes in twice a month and examines cases at random. DeVega said she's done a complete overhaul of the agency, including hiring a new team to oversee cases.

"Now, critical cases are totally being focused on," DeVega continued. "I implemented an escalation protocol so that cases, critical cases, are not just looked at by social workers and supervisors.

"They're going up the chain to the program manager, the deputy director, and they're also coming to my attention as well."