A former nurse in Pennsylvania, Heather Pressdee, has pleaded guilty to killing three patients at skilled nursing facilities and attempting to murder 19 others. The case concluded with Pressdee being sentenced to life in prison by Attorney General Michelle Henry.
Pressdee's sentence includes three consecutive life terms for the first-degree murders and 380 to 760 years of consecutive incarceration for the attempted murders. The Attorney General emphasized that Pressdee abused her position of trust to harm vulnerable patients who relied on her for care.
In order to avoid the death penalty, Pressdee chose to plead guilty. Victims' families expressed their anger and sorrow over the betrayal by someone they trusted to provide care. The daughter of one victim stated that she would never forgive Pressdee for her actions.
The court heard impact statements from relatives of the victims, detailing the pain and suffering caused by the realization that their loved ones' deaths were not natural but the result of criminal acts committed by Pressdee.
Pressdee was charged with intentionally administering lethal doses of medication, particularly insulin, to patients at multiple care facilities across several counties. The criminal complaint revealed that she admitted to harming the patients with the intent to kill them.
Pressdee's method involved administering insulin during night shifts when staffing levels were low, ensuring that her victims would not survive until the next shift change. This allowed her to avoid detection through medical testing that could reveal her actions.
The Attorney General's office highlighted the severity of Pressdee's crimes, describing her as 'pure evil.' The life sentence imposed on Pressdee aims to prevent her from causing further harm and to serve as a form of justice for the lives lost.
