Pennsylvania nurse accused of killing two patients by ‘giving them lethal doses of insulin’
A Pennsylvania nurse has been accused of administering lethal doses of insulin that resulted in the death of two patients and the hospitalization of a third after she “felt bad about their quality of life.”
Heather Pressdee, 40, of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of murder on Wednesday, in connection with the deaths of two men, one 55 and another 83.
Pressdee was also charged with the attempted murder of a 73-year-old man, one count of aggravated assault and three counts of neglecting a dependent person and three counts of reckless endangerment.
The deranged murders took place at the Quality Life Services, a skilled nursing facility in Chicora where Pressdee worked as a licensed nurse.
Investigators said the victims had been in Pressdee’s care when they overdosed on insulin that caused medical emergencies for everyone and two deaths.
Heather Pressdee, 40, of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, was charged with two counts of murder on Wednesday, in connection with the deaths of two men, one 55 and another 83. She is also charged with the attempted murder of a third man 73
Pressdee had worked at numerous other health facilities but had to be fired or disciplined for abusive behavior before joining Quality of Life Services, pictured
Pressdee was also alleged to have been disciplined for abusive behavior towards patients and/or staff at 11 health centers since 2018, and she had either resigned or been fired.
The two men died on December 4, 2022 and December 25, 2022, and the victim who survived was administered a potentially fatal dose of insulin on August 31, 2022.
An affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com claims that Pressdee gave her victims lethal doses of insulin, a hormone used to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
The 55-year-old and the 83-year-old had fallen ill in November last year while at Pressdee.
According to the affidavit, the two men had been “suitemates,” and their rooms connected through a Jack and Jill bathroom.
That same night, both men had to be sent to the hospital within thirty minutes of each other for the same condition, hypoglycemia.
The two men later died as a result, and a nurse specialist interviewed by police said she had never seen anything like it in her thirty years of experience.
The nurse also said that Pressdee told her one of the men “would be better dead.”
The 73-year-old man who survived was also under Pressdee’s care at the care facility and is said to have overdosed on insulin despite not having diabetes.
According to the affidavit, the man began having seizures and suffered severe hypoglycemia shortly after Pressdee provided immediate care.
A typical room at the Quality of Life Services facility in Chicora, PA, where Pressdee had worked
The incidents took place at Quality Life Services in Chicora while Pressdee was tending to the men
After police arrived at her home on Wednesday evening, Pressdee seemingly admitted responsibility.
She told officers that the surviving victim, who had been in COVID isolation, had asked Pressdee to “kill” him.
Pressdee also told investigators she felt sorry for the two men who later died and that their “quality of life wasn’t good” before injecting them with insulin.
In a statement, Quality Life Services said: ‘Quality Life Services is shocked and devastated to learn that the charges against Ms. Pressdee by the Attorney General’s Office include alleged illegal activities that took place at our QLS – Chicora facility.
“We will continue to fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office in the investigation and prosecution of this case as appropriate.
“We can assure our community, our residents, our families and our staff that all residents of Quality Life Services – Chicora are safe and receive appropriate care and services.”