Heather Irene Pressdee (born August 28, 1982) is an American nurse and convicted serial killer. She is serving life imprisonment, having been convicted of murdering three patients by lethal injection, and is connected to the deaths of 17 in total, which took place in Western Pennsylvania.
Heather Pressdee | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 28, 1982 |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Criminal penalty | Three life sentences without parole and 380 to 760 years |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 confirmed up to 17 possible |
Span of crimes | 2022–2023 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Pennsylvania |
Date apprehended | May 25, 2023 |
Early life
editPressdee was born on August 28, 1982. From 2003 to 2004, she attended the Community College of Allegheny County, although she did not graduate.[1]
Crimes
editPressdee had intentionally administered lethal doses of insulin to nursing patients throughout five nursing homes in Pennsylvania. The first two victims she was charged with murdering were 55-year-old James Bartoe and 83-year-old Joseph Campbell, both of whom had died on December 4 and 25, 2022, respectively.[2] Her third victim was 43-year-old Nicholas Cymbol, who died on May 1, 2023.[3]
Pressdee claimed she believed she was ending the suffering of a lot of people by doing what she did.[4]
Arrest and trial
editPressdee was arrested in May 2023. She had been charged in relation to three murders and 19 attempts to commit murder.[5] In total, she is connected to the deaths of 17 patients.[6][7] In order to avoid the death penalty, Pressdee plead guilty on all counts.[1] The murders in which she ultimately plead guilty to were of James Bartoe, 55, Gerald Shrum, 90 and Nicholas Cymbol, 43.[8] On May 2, 2024, she was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment, as well as 380 to 760 additional years.[5] She is currently incarcerated at SCI Muncy.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Guza, Megan (2 May 2024). "'Killer nurse' Heather Pressdee pleads guilty in deaths of 17 Western Pa. nursing home patients". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Natalie Neysa Alund (May 26, 2023). "Pennsylvania nurse charged with homicide in patient deaths: 'Deliberate and intentional'". USA Today.
- ^ Bartos, Madeline; Guidotti, Ross (March 27, 2024). "Another Pittsburgh-area care facility hit with lawsuit for employing nurse accused of killing patients with insulin". CBS News.
- ^ Limehouse, Jonathan. "'Pure evil': Pennsylvania nurse connected to 17 patient deaths sentenced to hundreds of years". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ a b Balarajan, Brammhi; Sykes, Jillian; Alvarado, Caroll; Yan, Holly (3 May 2024). "'She's pure evil': Nurse gets life in prison after admitting she intentionally gave patients excess insulin, prosecutors say". CNN. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ Mayorquín, Orlando (2023-11-03). "Former Pennsylvania Nurse Is Linked to 17 Nursing Home Deaths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
- ^ "Western Pa. Nurse Charged with Additional Crimes for Administering Excessive Doses of Insulin to 19 More Patients". Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
- ^ Ward, Paula (May 2, 2024). "'She is evil personified': Victims' families face killer nurse Heather Pressdee in court". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- ^ "Inmate/Parolee Locator". inmatelocator.cor.pa.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-28.