Tampa woman sentenced to 30 years in neighbor's poisoning

By Jessica Vander Velde - Tampa Bay Times

April 10, 2013

TAMPA — Jana Porter Mallory was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday for slowly poisoning a 79-year-old woman over four months in 2007 and 2008.

Authorities say Mallory, now 48, took advantage of her neighbor who needed care. That woman, Peggy Mehrman, did not have use of her legs and could barely use her arms. Also, home renovations were affecting Mehrman in late 2007, so she moved in with Mallory, who lived a few doors down at 6311 S Adelia Ave.

There, police say, over the course of several months, Mallory stole money and jewelry and poisoned Mehrman by giving her medications that exceeded 10 times her prescribed amount.

A report from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office showed the following painkillers and antidepressants in Mehrman's system: fluoxetine, cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone and hydrocodone.

Mallory was unable to explain the high dosages of drugs and the spending, police said.

Mehrman's family didn't realize what had happened until after Mallory called in March 2008 to say the woman had died. It devastated Mehrman's daughter, Janice Roberts, who became suspicious after not being able to withdraw money for funeral expenses from her mother's account.

One bank said the account was closed, and another bank was $2,000 or $3,000 overdrawn, Roberts said.

Police arrested Mallory on charges of second-degree murder and aggravated abuse of the elderly.

On Wednesday, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation on the murder charge and five years in prison on the abuse charge, to be served concurrently.

Police Say Elderly Tampa Woman Poisoned By Caregiver

By Robbyn Mitchell - St. Petersburg Times

Friday, September 25, 2009

TAMPA - When Peggy Mehrman needed help, a neighbor took her in and cared for her.

But Tampa police say Jana Porter Mallory stole money and jewelry from the 79-year-old woman in a wheelchair and eventually poisoned her to death with her own medications. She's charged with second-degree murder and aggravated abuse of the elderly, arrest records say.

Mehrman's bathroom and kitchen at her home, 6306 S Adelia Ave., were being remodeled in November 2007, said her daughter, Janice Roberts, who lives in rural Hernando County.

"My mother didn't have use of her legs and could barely use her arms," she explained. "So the renovations were major and they were life-interfering."

Roberts said she is ill herself and unable to care for her mother. So Mehrman went to stay with Mallory and her husband, Donald, at 6311 S Adelia Ave.

"It was supposed to be only a couple of days, but she ended up staying," said Laura McElroy, a spokeswoman for the Tampa Police.

Mehrman was expecting a roommate to arrive after the renovations, Roberts said. But that woman never showed up.

"My mother still thought that the woman was coming to live with her," she said. "We didn't even know she had been turned away."

She said Mallory did that without her mother's knowledge.

Mallory, 44, cared for Mehrman by feeding her, bathing her and administering medications, McElroy said.

Roberts said Mallory even brought her mother to Hernando County during the holidays, but things started to sour in 2008.

"Jana told me my mother wasn't paying her right, and my mother said, 'They're getting plenty out of me,' " Roberts said.

According to Tampa Police:

Mallory wrote checks and made ATM withdrawals from all of Mehrman's bank accounts. She also charged things on the Mehr­man's credit cards and pawned her jewelry. The thefts totaled more than $50,000 for the four months Mehrman was in Mallory's care.

Roberts said she used to talk to her mother every day, but the three weeks before her mother died in March 2008 she only got "mom reports" from Mallory. Her mother was always sleeping.

Then she got the news one Friday morning in March that her mother had died.

"I fell to the floor," she said. "My mother was my best friend, so the day she left this earth, my best friend left this earth."

And something felt wrong, she said.

"I went to go withdraw money for funeral expenses from her accounts, and one bank said they had closed the account and would not give me any more information, and another bank was $2,000 or $3,000 overdrawn," Roberts said.

Economic crimes detectives started to piece together what happened with the finances, McElroy said.

An investigation of Mehrman's financial records and a toxicology report revealed that Mallory had poisoned her over four months, which eventually led to her death, McElroy said.

The toxicology report found the following prescribed painkillers and antidepressants in Mehrman's system: fluoxetine, cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone and hydrocodone. The drugs exceeded 10 times her prescribed amount. Zolpidem, which was not prescribed her, was also found in her system, McElroy said in a news release.

When interviewed by detectives, Mallory was unable to explain the high dosages of drugs and the spending, McElroy said.

Regarding the legal status of Mallory's husband, Donald, McElroy said it is an ongoing investigation.

Jana Mallory previously received 18 months' probation after pleading guilty to fraudulent use of personal information in 2005.

Roberts said hearing Mallory was charged with her mother's murder didn't bring a sense of relief like she thought it would.

"I'm glad that justice is happening," she said. "But it feels like the day she passed. It hurts."

Caregiver Faces Murder Charges for Poisoning Elderly Woman

Tampa, FL September 24, 2009

SUSPECT: Jana Porter Mallory, 01/08/65, W/F, 6311 Adelia Ave., Tampa

CHARGES: 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Abuse of the Elderly

VICTIM: Peggy Albury Mehrman, 11/29/29, W/F, 6303 Adelia Ave., Tampa

DATE: March 28, 2008

DETAILS:

The suspect began caring for the victim in November 2007 as result of the victim's declining health. The victim was wheelchair bound and had a debilitating muscular disease that required round the clock care. The suspect called 911 and reported the victim deceased in March 2008.

After a toxicology report and detailed analysis of the victim's financial records, detectives determined the suspect poisoned the victim over four months, which eventually led to her death. The suspect also stole more than $50,000 from the victim and pawned the victim's jewelry. One day after the victim's death her account was overdrawn.

The toxicology report found the following prescribed pain fillers and anti depressants in her system: Fluoxbtine, Cyclobenzaprine, Oxycodone and Hydrocodone. In the toxicology report, these drugs exceeded 10 times her prescribed amount. Zolpidem, which was not prescribed to the victim, was also found in her system.

Tampagov.net

Jana Porter Mallory

Jana Porter Mallory

The victim

Peggy Albury Mehrman, 79.