Madison Meeks

Editor-in-Chief

Mvm7037@psu.edu

NATRONA HEIGHTS, PENNSLYVANIA – Heather Pressdee, a Pennsylvania Nurse that worked with nursing home patients, has allegedly admitted to trying to kill 19 additional patients after being arrested in May for the murder of two patients.

A press release from the Pennsylvania Attorney General stated that Pressdee is being accused of giving patients an excessive amount of insulin. Some of the patients did require to have insulin administered but others did not require it at all. She was giving them more than the required dosage, intending adverse effects.

A total of 17 patients in Pressdee’s care have died. Allegedly her victims ranged from ages 43 to 104.

Currently, she is being charged with two counts of first degree murder, 17 counts of attempted murder, and 19 counts of neglect of a care-dependent person over a five year period, as stated by Fox News.

Investigators have stated why she did what she did. They have stated that she claims to have felt bad for the victims lives or quality of life and hoped that they would slip into a coma and die.

Preedee was a former veterinary technician who used to put animals to sleep before working at the nursing home. She had often worked the night shift and used the medication carts.

The suspect claimed to authorities that if she thought a victim would pull through after receiving the insulin, she would then give them another dose or inject them with air, which was listed in her court papers.

According to Fox News, investigators were able to receive a search warrant for Pressdee’s phone. This search warrant was able to give them information that showed evidence that Pressdee was obsessed with murder and death. They found that she had threatened to kill three other people as well as the victims that were in her care.

An internal investigation happened after staff at Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation had told the director of operations that something was happening to cause patients to die during Pressdee’s shifts. This investigation did not find any evidence to support the claims that there was a pattern to these patients’ deaths even though 5 of them died in 10 months during Pressdee’s shifts.

She worked at Belair Health and Rehabilitation from April 2021 to February 2022 when she moved jobs. She then started working as a manager at Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in January 2023. Four patients at this nursing and rehab center died under her care.

One nursing assistant came forward to police about Pressdee’s behavior since she often said to staff that the patients needed to die. She resigned or was fired from 11 medical facilities due to complaints of abusive behavior towards the patients.

While the criminal investigation was pending, her nursing license was suspended in July 2023. Criminal profilers and Detectives who were following the case have stated that Pressdee could have been a budding serial killer even before she had received her nursing license.

Investigators have compared the case to that of Charles Cullen, who was a New Jersey nurse who would attack and kill patients with insulin. Authorities have claimed that the difference in the case is visible in the paper trail left behind by Pressdee. Cullen was claimed to have kept the murders a secret while Pressdee would talk about her desire to kill.

Pressdee is currently being held without bail at the Butler County Prison awaiting trial.