Haralson County Caregiver Sentenced to 10 Years After Elderly Woman’s Death

On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, Angela Nicole Patton was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Neglect of an Elder Person in the Superior Court of Haralson County, Georgia. Patton entered a blind plea, leading the prosecutor to drop a Murder charge while requesting a 15-20 year sentence. The defense argued for a reduced term, resulting in the court imposing a 10-year sentence.

Last month, David Glyn Smith pled guilty for his role in the case and received a five-year prison sentence for Exploitation of an Elder Person.

The case originated in September 2021, when Sheriff Stacy Williams conducted a welfare check at a residence and heard a faint cry for help. Upon entering the home, he discovered 93-year-old Dora Jordan in her bedroom, lying on the floor in a weakened state. Investigators determined she had been without food or water for an extended period. Jordan was transported to a hospital but passed away a month later due to infection-related complications.

Patton, identified as Jordan’s caregiver, and her boyfriend, Smith, were arrested upon returning home and initially charged with Cruelty to a Person 65 Years or Older. In March 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Jordan’s death a homicide, leading to a renewed investigation. In December 2023, a Haralson County Grand Jury indicted Patton and Smith on charges of Murder and Cruelty to a Person 65 Years or Older.

Sheriff Stacy Williams commended the investigators and attorneys involved in the case, stating, “This was an exceptionally heavy case because the one person this elderly person should have been able to rely on denied her important health care and left her alone for days without a phone or any way to communicate with the outside world. We hope that the remaining family and friends of Dora can be relieved that this case is finally over and that justice has been served.”