NASHVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina grandmother was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the brutal beating death of her 8-year-old granddaughter in 2023, a crime that left investigators searching for a motive.
Patricia Ann Ricks was convicted of first-degree murder and felony child abuse with serious injury. Authorities said the child, who lived with Ricks as her legal guardian, suffered “severe injuries throughout her entire body and head” before being brought to Nash UNC Healthcare on Feb. 7, 2023, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Deputies and detectives launched an investigation that led them to Ricks’ home on Dutchman Road in Nashville, where the child had been living with several siblings.
Authorities determined that Ricks inflicted the fatal injuries, though she provided no statement to law enforcement.
Ricks was arrested and held without bond at the Nash County Detention Center.
The surviving siblings were placed in the custody of Nash County Department of Social Services.
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With teachers and family members present in the courtroom, Ricks received a life sentence, bringing closure to a case that shocked the community.