A Pennsylvania nurse who prosecutors say gave overdoses of insulin to nursing home patients, killing 17 of them, pleaded guilty Thursday.
Nurse Heather Presdy was charged with killing two patients and injuring a third at Quality Life Services, a skilled nursing facility in Chicora, last May. Months later, she faced new charges after her prosecutor said she had confessed to trying to kill 19 other people at another facility where she worked.
According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, from 2020 to 2023, Mr. Presdy administered dangerously high concentrations of insulin to a total of 22 patients, some diabetic and non-diabetic, at various facilities. ) was allegedly abused.
Her charges include first-degree murder, attempted murder and neglect of a person in need of care.
Several family members of the victims have filed wrongful death lawsuits.
“On behalf of all of our clients, we are optimistic that the resolution of the criminal cases will help alleviate some of their suffering,” Robert N. Peirce, an attorney representing the five families, said in a statement Thursday. “
The probable cause affidavit outlines disturbing details of the incident, including that Presdy allegedly sent text messages to her mother discussing a time when she said she wanted to “kill someone.”
The text, which was allegedly written on April 6, 2022, allegedly read, “Can I kill this guy at Taco Bell?”
Another article, dated June 10, 2022, read, “I’m about to kill you.”
Other text messages discussed her patients and colleagues.
In a text message dated September 2, 2022, Presdy allegedly told her mother that she was going to kill her aide. In a message a few days later, she mentioned her complaints about screaming patients, according to her affidavit.
“I already gave him medicine and I don’t know how he’s awake,” the message read.
On May 12, 2023, Presdy complained to his mother that a patient was following him and that he was “going crazy,” according to the affidavit.
“But I might kill this resident,” the text message said. “I need to set some kind of boundaries with him.”
Presdy was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to Pittsburgh’s NBC affiliate WPXI.
