Early Friday afternoon, Hall County Superior Court Judge Kathlene Gosselin handed Patricia Darlene Turpin a 25-year sentence to be served on probation.

For a woman facing 71 years of jail time, the ruling was a chance at redemption.

April 14, 2008

Left to her own devices, 2-year-old Gracie Turpin happened across a silver, flip-top lighter on April 14, 2008. Without adult supervision, the lighter, lacking a child-proof mechanism, became a weapon of destruction in the toddler's hands.

In the flash of an eye, Gracie sparked a flame on a nearby recliner, which grew and spread throughout the first floor of her family's apartment on Jesse Jewell Parkway.

As smoke filled the apartment, Gracie retreated to the corner of a sofa - fleeing flames that already had singed 60 percent of her body.

A passer-by saw Patricia Darlene Turpin hanging out of a second floor window, holding out her son Tyler Turpin.
"She yelled that it was smoky and that she couldn't find her daughter," Hall County Assistant District Attorney Vanessa Sykes said in court on Friday.

Turpin managed to throw her young son to safety and witnesses helped her escape.

Willie Miller, the children's grandfather, also managed to escape the flames and was heard outside saying "I can't find Gracie. I hope she hadn't got a hold of that lighter."

First responders arrived on the scene to find Gracie, still curled up on the sofa, with burns to her head, face, chest, arms, trachea and lungs. Ultimately, she would lose all of her fingers and her left leg.

When firefighters picked the frightened toddler up from the sofa, a patch of her scalp stuck to the upholstery.

The investigation

While trying to determine the cause of the fire, investigators took note of empty beer cans scattered throughout the apartment. They also found a pipe with methamphetamine residue and the remainder of a marijuana cigarette.

"Investigators' suspicions were aroused and they suspected there was more going on besides an accidental fire," Sykes said.

A blood test revealed Turpin had used methamphetamines within 24 hours of the fire and cocaine some time that week.

By the time the test results were available, Gracie had been transported from local facilities and flown to Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati. Turpin had also flown to the Ohio hospital to help care for her young daughter.

That July, Turpin was indicted on charges of second-degree cruelty to a child, reckless conduct and possession of cocaine and methamphetamines.

Authorities determined it was in Gracie's best interest if a familiar face was there to help her through the traumatic experience and Turpin was freed on a $20,000 bond.

Recovery process

"I was outraged when I found out that Gracie had been released from the hospital to (Turpin)," Sykes said. "I called a meeting with the (Hall County Department of Family and Children Services) and they said that the best place for Gracie to be was with (Turpin) because she needed around-the-clock care and there was nowhere else for her to go."

From September 2008 until graduating this May, Turpin was required to participate in Family Treatment Court, an intensive drug treatment and family reunification program. As a participant, Turpin was required to fulfill many requirements, including submitting to random drug testing, completing parenting courses and regularly attending meetings for those recovering from drug and alcohol addictions.

A day in court

During Friday's hearings, local first responders and law enforcement testified about the blaze at Turpin's apartment.

"There are some cases that hit us like a ton of bricks, and this was one of them," said Jon Canada, chief of the Gainesville Fire Department.

"From a personal standpoint, I'll never forget this case - I'll never forget the image of Gracie being taken from the scene to the ambulance."

As each of the witnesses shared their testimony, nearly every eye in the courtroom glistened with tears.

In an unusual turn of events, the same people who arrested her, who doused the flames of her burning apartment and those who were charged with prosecuting her, all came together to give Turpin a second chance at being a better mother.

Twelve witnesses took turns speaking to the court on Turpin's behalf, sharing how she's grown over the last two years.

Treatment court employees, Gracie's physical therapist and DFACS representatives testified. Even Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard testified how dedicated Turpin was to going above and beyond to satisfy her community service requirements.

In meeting with the people involved with Gracie's care, DFACS and local law enforcement, the district attorney's office recommended that Turpin be sentenced to 25 years of probation, which allows Turpin to continue caring for Gracie.

"I'm so impressed with the professionalism of everyone in this room," Gosselin said. "In many areas, people would've rushed to judgment, but you all looked at what was in the best interest of this child, instead of trying to satisfy your own need for vengeance."

Gosselin's ruling also came with a suspended five-year prison sentence if Turpin fails to satisfy all of the requirements of her probation. Failing a random drug or alcohol screening, not following order's for Gracie's care or showing any other signs of neglect would land Turpin directly in jail, authorities say.

"Gracie has a tough life ahead of her. We felt that 25 years with a five-year suspended sentence was a heavy hammer to hang over (Turpin's) head," Sykes said. "We felt like that will be sufficient motivation for (Turpin) to refrain from using drugs or alcohol.

"A lot of agencies came together to reach this resolution. This was a tough situation, but we all want to do what's best for Gracie."

One of the terms of Turpin's probation is that she participate in fire training presentations with the city fire department and share her story about what happened and how the tragedy could have been prevented.

"I wish her injuries would've happened to me," said a tearful Turpin, who admitted to abusing methamphetamines for the last 25 years. "It's hard being a mother and watching your baby girl go through what she's going through.

"It's difficult seeing what she was before and what she is now. I just want to be there to help her through those difficult days."