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Thread: In Canada, Ex-Nurse Pleads Guilty To Murdering 8 Nursing Home Patients

  1. #1
    Most awesome Member emmy_dreamy's Avatar
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    In Canada, Ex-Nurse Pleads Guilty To Murdering 8 Nursing Home Patients

    http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...-home-patients

    In Canada, Ex-Nurse Pleads Guilty To Murdering 8 Nursing Home Patients

    June 1, 20175:10 PM ET
    MERRIT KENNEDY
    A Canadian former nurse has pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of eight elderly nursing home patients in Ontario, making her one of the deadliest serial killers in the country's history.

    Elizabeth Wettlaufer also pleaded guilty to four separate counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault, according to Canadian media reports.

    The CBC describes her exchange with Justice Bruce Thomas in Superior Court in Woodstock, Ontario, on Thursday:

    "Wettlaufer stood up straight and spoke clearly and concisely as she pleaded guilty to the charges.
    "She confirmed that she was not intoxicated by drugs or alcohol while injecting the victims with insulin with the intent to kill.
    " 'You knew this could be fatal?' Thomas asked Wettlaufer.
    " 'Yes, your honour,' she answered."
    Police arrested Wettlaufer and formally charged her last October for the murders over a span of seven years. As we reported at the time, the string of murders shocked the Woodstock community:

    "Wettlaufer lived in the town of Woodstock, Ontario. Seven of the patients also lived there, at the Caressant Care long-term home, according to police. The eighth patient was a resident at the Meadow Park nursing home in nearby London.
    "The first victim, 84-year-old James Silcox, died in August 2007, while the most recent victim, 75-year-old Arpad Horvath, died in August 2014. The three men and five women ranged in age from 75 to 96."

    The Globe and Mail published short biographies of each victim:

    "James Silcox, 84, a Second World War veteran, who died on Aug. 12, 2007.
    "Maurice (Moe) Granat, 84, a tinkerer and handyman, who died in December, 2007.
    "Gladys Millard, 87, who died on Oct. 14, 2011. She was a long-time member of Knox Presbyterian Church in Woodstock as well as other community groups.
    "Former schoolteacher Helen Matheson, 95, who died on Oct. 27, 2011.
    "Mary Zurawinski, who died on Nov. 7, 2011, was the oldest victim. She was 96.
    "Edinburgh-born Helen Young, was 90 when she died on Sunday, July 14, 2013. She had served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War then came to Canada as a war bride.
    "Maureen Pickering, 78, who had been a dedicated caregiver for her ailing husband, died on March 28, 2014.
    "Arpad Horvath, 75, who died Aug. 31, 2014, came to Canada after the Hungarian revolution and ran a tool and die company in London."
    Wettlaufer has struggled with addiction and mental health issues, the Globe and Mail reported. And the Toronto Star reports that testimony in court described how Wettlaufer "felt 'anger and pressure' building inside her" before she injected Silcox with insulin. She told the court about how she felt "overwhelmingly angry" about her life.

    Some of the victims' families, such as Silcox's daughter Andrea, said that they were relieved that Wettlaufer's guilty plea would likely speed up the trial. "I will forgive her, I have to forgive her ... my father would want that," Silcox told The Associated Press. "Forget? I'll never forget what happened."

    The Star reports that "convictions for first degree murder carry an automatic life sentence, with no parole eligibility for 25 years."
    I find Angel of Death cases very interesting. I often wonder if these people truly believe they are ending suffering or if they get addicted to killing.
    http://mydeathspace.com/vb/signaturepics/sigpic8247_1.gif

  2. #2
    Senior Member bermstalker's Avatar
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    WOODSTOCK, Ontario -- A Canadian former nurse convicted of killing eight elderly people in her care was sentenced Monday to life imprisonment without possibility of parole for 25 years.

    Elizabeth Wettlaufer pleaded guilty last month to eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the notorious serial killings. The 50-year-old told the court on Monday that she is truly sorry and hopes her victims' families can find peace and healing.

    "I caused tremendous pain and suffering and death. Sorry is much too small a word. I am extremely sorry," she said in court, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

    Authorities have said the 14 assaults on patients took place over the last decade in three Ontario long-term care facilities where Wettlaufer worked as a registered nurse, and at a private home. Wettlaufer admitted to using insulin in all of the cases from 2007-2016.

    "It is a complete betrayal of trust when a caregiver does not prolong life, but terminates it," Justice Bruce Thomas said. "She was the shadow of death that passed over them on the night shift where she supervised."

    Susan Horvath, a daughter of victim Arpad Horvath, said she did not read her victim impact statement because she couldn't trust herself being too physically close to Wettlaufer in the courtroom.

    "I am too angry," she said. "I didn't trust myself up there."

    Laura Jackson, the friend of one of the victims, said Wettlaufer "should spend the rest of her life in a small box contemplating what she's done. It wasn't rash. It was thought out. It was calculated."

    Shannon Emmerton, the granddaughter of another victim, said other nurses could potentially commit the same crime. The Ontario government launched a public inquiry soon after the sentence was announced.

    "We want to assure the public that Ontario's 78,000 long-term care residents are safe in their homes," Ontario's attorney general said in a statement. "It is our hope that through the inquiry process, we will get the answers we need to help ensure that a tragedy such as this does not happen again."
    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/elizabet...ling-patients/

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