The commonwealth of Pennsylvania announced on Thursday that they have an “angel of death” serial killer in custody. While that’s not a good announcement to make, at least they have their killer on ice. West Virginia took forever to identify the one they had.
Angel of death arrested
Nurses who murder their patients are common enough that there’s a term for it, “angel of death.” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued a statement on May 25 regarding the “western PA nurse charged in deaths of patients.” She filed charges against registered nurse Heather Pressdee, of Natrona Heights, which is near Pittsburgh.
The 40-year-old is accused of “administering lethal doses of unnecessary medication that resulted in the death of two patients and the hospitalization of a third.” The medication was insulin and one would think after what happened at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, there would be tighter controls on it at her facility.
Ms. Pressdee was charged with two counts of homicide, a count of attempted murder, a count of aggravated assault, three counts of neglect of a care-dependent person, and three counts of reckless endangerment.
My office has arrested a western Pa. nurse, charged in the deaths of two vulnerable patients and the hospitalization of a third.
Heather Pressdee, of Natrona Heights, is accused of administering lethal doses of insulin while working at a skilled nursing facility. pic.twitter.com/FnZoj1CTIY
— Michelle Henry (@PAAttorneyGen) May 25, 2023
All of the alleged crimes happened at “Quality Life Services, a skilled nursing facility in Chicora where Pressdee worked as a registered nurse.” The angel of death helped two patients meet their maker, “a 55-year-old man and an 83-year-old man.” She tried it a third time but a 73-year-old man “survived after emergency hospitalization.”
Because the investigation is only in the beginning stages, authorities aren’t certain there weren’t more victims. They urge anyone “with concerns about care their loved one received involving Pressdee” to call their tipline at 888-538-8541.
Facilities are always on the lookout for angel of death type incidents but aren’t always as diligent as they should be. The facility may end up with some legal exposure when all is said and done.
Deliberate and intentional acts
Officials aren’t revealing many of the details because they don’t want to influence the pending case but it’s easy to see how vulnerable a patient is while under confinement in the hospital. The caregivers clearly have the upper hand and know a thing or two about toxicology. It certainly doesn’t pay to complain a lot or be heavy handed with the call button. That sort of behavior could result in a treatment to end the aggravation for good.
As with most angel of death incidents, “the allegations in this case outline the callous abuse of incredibly vulnerable patients by a professional nurse,” Attorney General Henry points out.
“As the charges indicate, these were deliberate and intentional acts perpetrated by a care-giver who was trusted to care for these victims.” That’s something the general public really frowns on.
Some colleagues who worked with Harrison nurse Heather Pressdee referred to her as the “Angel of Death,” according to one former co-worker. https://t.co/aTIJm2rGGY
— ValleyNewsDispatch (@VNDNews) May 26, 2023
“Be assured, my office will zealously pursue justice for the families of those who were killed, as well as the third victim who is fortunate to have survived.” They arrested the suspected death angel on Wednesday, at home. She’s being “held at Butler County Prison without bail.”
In all three of the cases, “investigators determined that the victims were under Pressdee’s care when they received overdoses of insulin that caused medical emergencies, and in two cases, death.”
As with the case of Reta Mays, the death angel in West Virginia, “Two of the three men were not diabetic.” That means it was intentional murder, not an accidental overdose.
