Patience Pittman: Husband Accused in Winfield, Alabama Killing

Patience Pittman, 21, was shot and killed at her home in Winfield, Alabama, early on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Police say her husband, 22-year-old Mason Thomas Parnell, then left the state with two young children and was arrested later that day in North Carolina, more than 550 miles away.

Parnell is being held without bond in Robeson County, North Carolina. Winfield's police chief says prosecutors plan to charge him with capital murder once he is back in Alabama. The two children and a relative who police say was forced to drive them are safe.

Who Was Patience Pittman?

WBRC, a Birmingham television station, reported that the woman killed has been identified as 21-year-old Patience Pittman. According to the station, both she and Parnell were from North Carolina.

Pittman worked as a nail technician at The Sanctuary Spa in Winfield. She joined the spa in April, WBRC reported.

Linda Silas, the mother of the spa's owner, spoke to the station about the loss. "We were totally shocked," she said. Of Pittman, she said: "She loved her clients and she did beautiful work, all of her clients loved her as well."

Two children, ages 1 and 6, were inside the home when Pittman was killed, Winfield investigators told WBRC.

What Happened in Winfield, Alabama?

The case began with a phone call hundreds of miles from Winfield. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina said one of its captains was contacted at about 5:30 a.m. on October 3, and that Parnell told the captain he had killed his wife and left Alabama with two children.

The sheriff's office said the captain, who is trained in crisis communication and negotiation, kept Parnell talking while passing information to other agencies. Columbus County Sheriff Bill Rogers said afterward: "This is exactly why training matters."

Winfield police said they received a call from the North Carolina sheriff's office at 4:34 a.m. about a possible homicide near Tahoe Road. The two states are in different time zones. Officers went to a home in the 600 block of Tahoe Road and found a woman who had been shot and had died.

"North Carolina investigators spoke with our officers and stated that a subject had called in and admitted to killing his wife," Winfield Police Chief Brett Burleson told WBRC.

Burleson told the station that Parnell's parents contacted authorities in North Carolina after he told them what he had done. The Columbus County Sheriff's Office has not said exactly how its captain came to be in contact with him.

How Did the Children Get to North Carolina?

Investigators say Parnell left the home with the two children and forced another family member, at gunpoint, to drive them to North Carolina. Burleson described that relative to WBRC as a cousin who had been living with the family.

According to the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, the relative got away safely before reaching Parnell's destination and gave investigators an account of what happened.

Both the relative and the children are safe, authorities in both states said.

Has Anyone Been Arrested?

Yes. Robeson County sheriff's deputies arrested Parnell on Harrington Road in Fairmont, North Carolina, on October 3. He is held in Robeson County on a fugitive from justice charge while Alabama seeks his return.

WBTV reported that Parnell appeared in a Robeson County court on Monday, October 5, and waived his right to an extradition hearing, which clears the way for his transfer to Alabama.

No murder charge had been reported as filed at the time of the most recent coverage. Burleson told WBRC that prosecutors intend to charge Parnell with capital murder when he is returned to the state. Parnell has not been convicted of any crime in this case and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What Police Have Said

Police have not given a motive. "It's still early in the investigation. It would be hard to speculate right now," Burleson said. He also told WBRC that he could not recall another case like it in his years in law enforcement.

In an earlier statement, Winfield police said that "the shooting appears to be an isolated incident and there is no known threat to the community."

Five agencies have worked on the case: the Winfield Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff's Office, investigators with the 25th Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office in Alabama, and the Columbus County and Robeson County sheriff's offices in North Carolina.

What Happens Next

Parnell is expected to be brought back to Alabama, where the capital murder charge described by the police chief would be filed. No date for his return or for a first court appearance in Marion County has been reported.

Burleson said on Tuesday, October 6, that Winfield investigators would stay in North Carolina until Wednesday to interview people who knew both Parnell and Pittman. Alabama authorities are leading the investigation, which remains open.

Anyone affected by domestic violence can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 at any hour.

Timeline of the Patience Pittman Case

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is accused in the death of Patience Pittman?

Her husband, Mason Thomas Parnell, 22, of Winfield. Authorities say he told a North Carolina sheriff's captain that he had killed his wife. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

What is Mason Parnell charged with?

He is held in North Carolina on a fugitive from justice charge. Winfield's police chief says Alabama prosecutors plan to charge him with capital murder after extradition.

Are the children safe?

Yes. Authorities in Alabama and North Carolina said the two children, ages 1 and 6, and the relative who was made to drive are safe.

Do police know the motive?

No motive has been released. Chief Burleson said it is too early in the investigation to speculate.

MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.

Sources

• WBRC FOX6 News: Winfield police chief on the investigation and the victim's identity (October 6, 2026)
• WBRC FOX6 News: first Winfield Police Department statement on the case (October 4, 2026)
• WECT News: Columbus County Sheriff's Office account of the arrest (October 5, 2026)
• WWAY-TV: report on the sheriff's captain and the Robeson County arrest (October 5, 2026)
• WBTV News: report on the extradition hearing in Robeson County (October 5, 2026)
• ABC 33/40: report on the multi-agency investigation (October 5, 2026)