Patricia Cornwell is a renowned American crime writer best known for her Kay Scarpetta series, which revolves around a medical examiner and emphasizes forensic science. Her work, often set in Richmond, Virginia, has significantly impacted the portrayal of police work in television. Cornwell has also conducted research into the Jack the Ripper case, controversially suggesting Walter Sickert as the perpetrator. Her books have achieved immense popularity, selling over 120 million copies worldwide.
In 1961, Patricia Cornwell's father left the family on Christmas Day, an event she attributes to emotional abuse she suffered.
In 1961, Patricia Cornwell's mother, Marilyn, moved with her three children to Montreat, North Carolina. The family was taken in by Ruth Bell Graham, who arranged for Cornwell to be raised by Lenore and Manfred Saunders.
In 1979, Patricia Cornwell began her career as a reporter for The Charlotte Observer, starting with TV listings, then features, and finally covering crime.
In 1979, Patricia Cornwell graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in English, after briefly attending King College and transferring to Davidson on a tennis scholarship.
On June 14, 1980, Patricia Cornwell married Charles L. Cornwell, one of her professors, shortly before her graduation.
In 1980, Patricia Cornwell received the North Carolina Press Association's Investigative Reporting Award for a series on prostitution.
In 1981, Patricia Cornwell moved to Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, Charles, and began working on the biography of Ruth Bell Graham.
In 1983, Patricia Cornwell's biography of Ruth Bell Graham, "A Time for Remembering: The Ruth Bell Graham Story" (later renamed "Ruth, A Portrait: The Story of Ruth Bell Graham"), was published.
In 1984, Patricia Cornwell started working on her first novel featuring a male detective and met Dr. Marcella Farinelli Fierro, who would later inspire the character of Dr. Kay Scarpetta.
In 1985, Patricia Cornwell began working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia, first as a technical writer and later as a computer analyst.
In 1985, Patricia Cornwell's biography of Ruth Bell Graham received the Gold Medallion Book Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
In the summer of 1987, real-life stranglings occurred in Richmond, inspiring Patricia Cornwell's first Scarpetta novel.
In 1989, Patricia Cornwell had a relationship with FBI agent Marguerite "Margo" Bennett, which gained media attention after Bennett's husband attempted to kidnap her.
In 1989, Patricia Cornwell separated from her husband, Charles Cornwell; she retained her married name after the divorce.
In 1990, Patricia Cornwell's first Scarpetta novel, Postmortem, was published, based on real-life stranglings. It won her various awards.
On January 10, 1993, Patricia Cornwell was convicted of drunk driving after crashing her Mercedes-Benz, and was sentenced to 28 days in a treatment center.
In 1998, Leslie Sachs published "The Virginia Ghost Murders".
Since 1998, Patricia Cornwell has donated at least $84,000 to the Republican Party and $78,800 to the Democratic Party, and made individual contributions to various Senate candidates.
In 1999, Patricia Cornwell received her private helicopter license.
In 2000, Leslie Sachs accused Patricia Cornwell of plagiarism, alleging similarities between his novel, "The Virginia Ghost Murders", and her novel, "The Last Precinct".
In 2000, starting with "The Last Precinct", Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels shifted in style from past tense to present tense.
In 2001, Patricia Cornwell was criticized for allegedly destroying one of Walter Sickert's paintings in pursuit of her theory that he was Jack the Ripper.
In 2002, Patricia Cornwell published "Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper—Case Closed", supporting her theory that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper.
In 2003, starting with "Blow Fly", the style of Patricia Cornwell's Scarpetta novels changed from a first-person to a third-person, omniscient, narrator.
In 2004, Patricia Cornwell assigned management of her financial matters to Anchin, Block & Anchin, managed by Evan Snapper, at a base rate of $40,000/month.
In 2006, Patricia Cornwell married Staci Gruber, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard University.
In 2007, Patricia Cornwell disclosed her marriage to Staci Gruber and spoke about the importance of advocating for equal rights.
In 2007, during her libel suit against Leslie Sachs, Patricia Cornwell testified that Sachs had accused her of various defamatory claims online. The court permanently stopped Sachs from making defamatory accusations and awarded Cornwell $37,780 in damages.
In 2008, Patricia Cornwell spoke openly about her struggle with bipolar disorder.
In July 2009, Patricia Cornwell fired Anchin, Block & Anchin after discovering financial mismanagement, leading to a lawsuit.
In 2010, Patricia Cornwell shifted back to a first-person perspective in the Scarpetta novel "Port Mortuary".
In January 2013, the court case opened, with Patricia Cornwell suing Anchin, Block & Anchin for $100 million due to financial mismanagement.
In 2015, Patricia Cornwell revealed that she had been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In 2017, Patricia Cornwell published "Ripper: The Secret Life Of Walter Sickert", furthering her quest to prove that Walter Sickert was Jack the Ripper.
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