(Scypre.com) – A former nurse from Pennsylvania, Heather Pressdee, who was arrested in May on charges of murdering two patients, has reportedly confessed to attempting to kill over a dozen more individuals, according to authorities.
Pressdee, 41, from Natrona Heights, is said to have admitted to trying to end the lives of 19 additional patients by administering toxic doses of insulin at five different nursing homes, as outlined in a complaint.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s press release states, “Pressdee is accused of administering excessive amounts of insulin to these patients, some of whom were diabetic and required insulin, some of whom were not. In total, 17 patients died who had been cared for by Pressdee.”
She faces 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. The alleged victims range in age from 43 to 104. Investigators noted in the complaint that “[Pressdee] stated that she felt bad for their quality of life, and she had hoped that they would just slip into a coma and pass away.”
Pressdee, previously a veterinary technician involved in euthanizing animals, is accused of working the medication carts during night shifts, when staffing was minimal. The police document claims she often ensured her victims would pass away before shift changes to avoid detection.
“If Pressdee suspected the victim would ‘pull through’ after receiving a megadose of insulin, she would allegedly administer a second dose or inject the patient with air to ensure their death,” court papers allege.
A search warrant for Pressdee’s cellphone revealed a disturbing preoccupation with murder and death. In text messages to her mother, she allegedly expressed frustration with a resident, saying, “I can’t with this lady. She’s going to get pillow therapy.” She also reportedly threatened to kill individuals such as a “man at Taco Bell,” a “pizza man,” and an “Arbys guy.”
Concerns were raised by staff at the Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation facility about a pattern of patient deaths during Pressdee’s shifts. An internal investigation, however, found no evidence to support the claims, despite five patients dying under her direct care in 10 months. She worked there from April 2021 to February 2022. At Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, where Pressdee became a manager in January 2023, four patients allegedly died under her watch. A nursing assistant informed the police that Pressdee often remarked that patients “just needed to die.”
Pressdee’s nursing license was suspended in July 2023 amid the ongoing criminal investigation. Attorney General Michelle Henry expressed the difficulty in comprehending how a nurse entrusted with patient care could deliberately and systematically harm them, emphasizing the significant damage done to the victims and their loved ones.