Remembering Paula Pitts

 

A Loving Mother and Dedicated Caregiver

Paula Pitts loved her children and had a passion to help those in need. She devoted her time between her four daughters and her job, working in a nursing home where she helped the disabled and elderly. Family at the nursing home surrounded Paula, as she worked alongside her two sisters, a sister-in-law and her grandmother, who resided in a room beside the nurse’s station. Paula was a small town girl and was known by all as a hard worker, a great friend and an excellent mother. Life was good for Paula until she married Charles Price, an abusive con artist. In the three months they were married, Price would control and torment Paula, stating that if he could not have her, no one would. On February 3, 1989, Price would make good on that promise and commit a horrific murder that shocked an entire small town community.

Three months into her marriage with Charles Price, Paula Pitts had enough of the abuse. Price would constantly monitor and control Paula, stating that he would never allow her to leave him. His jealousy would often lead to fits of rage and violence. Paula’s furniture was covered in blankets because Price had cut all the furniture with a knife during a jealous rampage. In January 1989, Paula finally made the decision to leave him for good. She left the home and went to live with her family.

Jealousy Leads To Murder

Price immediately began stalking Paula, determined to make good on his promise that no one would have her except him. On February 2, 1989, Price realized Paula was not coming back. That night, Price stole $2,800 in cash from his job at the Thornton Oil Station and then went out drinking until about 3AM. The next morning, Price, armed with a gun in his pocket, went to car lot and purchased a used Cadillac with $1,200 of the stolen money. Price left his van at the car lot and drove his new car to the Union Manor nursing home, where Paula and her sisters were working.

Upon walking into the nursing home, Price went up to Paula’s sister Goldie and asked to see his “beautiful wife.” Goldie told him “Paula was with her sister Mary preparing the food cart.” Goldie then went to a fellow coworker at the nurse’s station and expressed her concern about how Price was abusive and should be watched.

When Paula saw Price approach her, she stopped and said, “You know you’re not suppose to be here.” Then a call came for Paula. On the other end of the phone was Paula’s father, who told her that Price had been seen the night before with a weapon, that he was looking for her and that the Sheriff was looking for him, because he had not made the nightly deposit for his job. Paula said, “Yeah, I know, he’s here,” and hung up the phone.

Price accused Paula of living with a younger man. Paula denied the accusations, and told Price, “You need to leave.” Price then said, “Walk with me to my car then,” and Paula’s response was, “Do you think I’m crazy or something?” She then turned around, with Price following her. Price pulled the gun out of his pocket. Paula yelled for her sister Goldie who was only a few feet away. Price proceeded to fire the first shot in her back and then followed with more shots. In Price’s own words, he said, “She slid down the wall kicking her legs at me.”

Paula’s sister Goldie then began to yell, “He shot my sister, help us, God, help us.” Down the hall in direct eyesight was Paula’s sister-in-law, Vickie, who witnessed the first shot, followed by him emptying his gun into Paula. Vickie was then pulled out of the hallway and dragged out a window to safety. Price turned around and saw the nursing home residents staring at him. Price calmly walked down the hallway, went to the parking lot and drove away in his newly purchased Cadillac.

Police and paramedics arrived and rushed Paula to the hospital. She had been shot twice in the back, twice in the head, once in the center of her chest and once in the knee. She was pronounced dead at 12:48 PM on February 3, 1989. For the next several hours, the nursing home would be a crime scene and all 36 residents were traumatized by what they had just seen and by the aftermath of the shooting. Paula’s three family members were so traumatized that they all sought employment elsewhere.

A Captured Killer Threatens To Hurt Others

Police immediately began looking for Price. Authorities would get their first lead when he sent flowers to the funeral home. His card read, “I’ll love you forever and ever Amen.” Paula’s 11-year-old daughter found the flowers and card. Four days after the shooting, Price would be arrested in Citrus County, Florida where police believed he might have gone to visit family.

After his arrest, Price openly admitted all he had done and was extradited back to Ohio. While in police custody on March 1st, 1989, just shy of a month after Price murdered Paula, Price would show absolutely no remorse.

Price also sent several disturbing letters to friends and family. In a letter Price sent to Paula’s mother while on the run, he stated, “The sooner I die, the sooner I’ll get to see my baby again in hell.” He also wrote, “I always wanted to see Mardi Gras” referring to his plan to stop in New Orleans on his way to Florida. In another letter he sent to friends while he was in jail, Price listed the return address as “Marysville Hilton,” and talked about playing cards and learning to relax. He also states, “I want to live long enough to get back on the streets one more time. There’s a couple people I would like to aggravate a little bit more.”

Price’s most disturbing statement came on March 1, 1989, while being evaluated by a nurse while he was in jail. Price asked the nurse “if he was going to live” and her response was “she thought he was going to live for a while.” Price laughed and then stated “that if he lived through all this, there are a couple of others who deserve the same.” In addition to this, Price also wrote a letter to Paula’s mother explaining himself with the following words. “I know your Faith in God will pull you through, and the sooner I die, I will see my baby in hell.”

A Life Sentence and Poor Rehabilitation

Facing overwhelming evidence and a multitude of evidence, Charles Price pled guilty to murder. Price was sentenced from 18 years to life in prison. The plea deal allowed Paula’s family and the nursing home residents to avoid the trauma of a jury trial.

Although Price has spent 28 years in prison, he still expressed no remorse for what he did to Paula and has taken no interest in addressing his criminal behavior. In 2006, the parole board records state, “Inmate could not articulate and to why he would go to her [Paula’s] job and murder her.” In regards to a 2008 parole hearing, the parole board stated, “At that time, he [Price] showed no insight into his offense, lacked remorse and had refused to participate in any programming to abate his risk to reoffend.” In 2012, the records state, “He has failed to complete recommended programs to assist with insight and remorse.”