(Image source from: Nbcnews.com)
A US nurse who administered lethal doses of insulin over three years to several patients with the intent to kill them was sentenced to 380 to 760 years in prison on Saturday. She has been responsible for the deaths of at least 17 patients at five medical centers between 2020 and 2023, the court said. Heather Presdy, 41, a nurse from Pennsylvania, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of murder and 19 counts of attempted murder. Presdy was accused of administering too much insulin to 22 patients, some of whom were not diabetic, during empty night shifts. Most patients died immediately or some time after administration. Their victims were between 43 and 104 years old. Too much insulin can cause hypoglycemia, increase heart rate, and even cause a heart attack. She was first charged with murdering two patients in May last year, and a subsequent police investigation led to several further charges.
The victim's family told a court the murderous nurse was "trying to play God" with sick and elderly patients who were not ready to die. Her colleagues in the past have criticized her behavior, saying she showed hatred toward her patients and often made derogatory comments. In a text message to her mother, Presdy also spoke of her frustrations with her patients, her co-workers, and even people she met at the restaurant. She often spoke of wanting to harm them. In court she pleaded guilty. When one of her lawyers asked why she had pleaded guilty, Ms. Presdy replied, "Because I am guilty," and "She is not sick." She is evil incarnate. "When she killed her father, I myself had a devilish face," one of the victim's family members told the court. Although Presdy was punished for his actions, he worked at numerous nursing homes from 2018 to 2023, and his license was revoked after the initial charges were filed, and Presdy was convicted of killing a patient, among others. He is one of several medical workers in the hospital.
Charles Cullen killed at least 29 nursing home patients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania by administering lethal doses of insulin. Texas nurse William Davis injected air into the arteries of four patients undergoing heart surgery.
