A nurse in the US who intentionally administered lethal doses of insulin to multiple patients over a three-year period, aiming to kill them, has been sentenced to 380-760 years in prison. Heather Pressdee, 41, from Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and 19 counts of attempted murder, receiving a life sentence.
Pressdee was found responsible for the deaths of at least 17 patients in five healthcare facilities between 2020 and 2023. She was charged with giving excessive insulin to 22 patients, including some non-diabetics, during overnight shifts when fewer staff were present. Most victims died shortly after receiving the dose or later. The victims ranged in age from 43 to 104 years.
An insulin overdose can cause hypoglycemia, increased heart rate, and potentially heart attacks.
Initially charged in May of the previous year for two deaths, further investigation led to additional charges. Victims’ families described her as someone who “tried to play God” with vulnerable patients who were not ready to die. Colleagues had previously raised concerns about her behavior, noting her disdain for patients and derogatory comments.
In text messages to her mother, Pressdee expressed discontent with patients, colleagues, and others she encountered, often mentioning a desire to harm them.
During the court proceedings, she willingly pleaded guilty, stating, “Because I am guilty,” when asked by her lawyer.
One family member of a victim described her as “evil personified,” stating, “She is not sick. She is not insane. I looked into the face of Satan myself the morning she killed my father.”
Pressdee had a history of disciplinary actions but continued to work in nursing homes from 2018 until her license was suspended in 2023 after the initial charges.
Pressdee is among several healthcare workers convicted of patient killings. Charles Cullen killed at least 29 nursing home patients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania using deadly insulin doses, while William Davis, a Texas nurse, injected air into the arteries of four post-heart surgery patients.