A Pennsylvania nurse has been charged in connection with the deaths of two patients and the attempted murder of a third. Heather Pressdee admitted to administering large dosages of insulin to patients in what she believed was an act of mercy.
Pressdee told authorities she felt the patients’ “quality of life was not good,” according to an affidavit obtained by CBS News on Friday (May 26). She worked at the Quality Life Services-Chicora care center from May 23, 2022, to November of last year. The medical professional, however, had a history of troubling workplace conduct. Dating back to 2018, she was employed at 11 different facilities and had been disciplined for exhibiting abusive behavior toward employees and patients. She either resigned or was terminated from each of the jobs.
She is now charged with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted murder, aggravated assault, three counts of neglect of a care-dependent person, and three counts of reckless endangerment. Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a video-recorded statement, “These charges stem from her conduct while working as a registered nurse at Quality Life Services, a skilled nursing facility.”
“This defendant was a medical professional charged with caring for these individuals; instead of caring for them, she intentionally and maliciously injected them with insulin to kill them. My office will prosecute her and seek to hold her accountable for her actions,” Henry continued.
Pressdee admitted to lethally dosing the men in hopes “they would slip into a coma and just pass away” while speaking with investigators on Monday (May 22). The first victim, a 55-year-old, passed away on Dec. 3, 2022; the second, an 83-year-old, died weeks later on Christmas Day; and the third, a 73-year-old, managed to survive after being found in his bed while having a seizure. Of the three men, CBS noted that one was diabetic but did not require insulin to treat the chronic disease.
The care facility provided CBS News Pittsburgh with the following statement: “As a family-owned organization that prides itself on providing safe and compassionate care, Quality Life Services is shocked and devastated to learn that the charges brought against Ms. Pressdee by the Attorney General’s Office include alleged illegal activity that occurred at our QLS-Chicora facility. We will continue to fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office as needed in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. We can assure our community, our residents, our families, and our staff that all residents of Quality Life Services-Chicora are safe and are receiving appropriate care and services.”
Pressdee is currently being held in the Butler County prison.