Heather Pressdee: Nurse gets life over deaths of 17 patients, victim's family calls her 'pure evil'

BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA: Heather Pressdee, a former nurse in Pennsylvania, has been handed down three consecutive life sentences and an additional term of 380-760 years behind bars for her role in the deaths of at least 17 patients.

Pressdee, 41, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and 19 counts of attempted murder during a hearing in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Heather Pressdee gave excessive amounts of insulin to her patients

The victims, aged between 43 and 104, were residents of five health facilities across four counties, where Pressdee worked between 2020 and 2023.

Prosecutors revealed that Pressdee administered lethal or potentially lethal doses of insulin to her victims, some of whom were diabetic and some who were not. Her actions occurred during overnight shifts when staffing levels were low, allowing her to avoid immediate detection.

Colleagues reported concerns about Pressdee's conduct, stating that she often displayed disdain for her patients and made derogatory remarks about them.

Furthermore, court documents revealed a troubling history of disciplinary actions against the suspect for abusive behavior towards patients and staff, resulting in her resignation or termination from multiple facilities, reported NBC.

Insights into Heather Pressdee's sinister murder plot

Pressdee's guilty plea came after a lengthy investigation, during which she initially faced charges in May 2023 for the murder of two nursing home patients and the injury of a third. However, further scrutiny uncovered additional charges, totaling 17 counts of murder.

Notably, Pressdee took on various positions at nursing homes and facilities in western Pennsylvania for brief durations, starting in 2018.

In a disturbing revelation, court documents showed that the caretaker had sent texts to her mother between April 2022 and May 2023 expressing discontent with various patients and colleagues, and even discussing potential harm to them.

This pattern of behavior extended beyond her workplace, with Pressdee expressing similar grievances about individuals she encountered in public settings.

With her nursing license suspended early last year, Pressdee had a history of being “disciplined for abusive behavior towards patients and/or staff at each facility resulting in her resigning or being terminated,” prosecutors alleged in court documents.

Nick Cymbol was one of the patients Pressdee pleaded guilty to killing at Sunnyview Nursing Home in Butler, CBS News reported.

Melinda Brown, Cymbol's sister, called Pressdee "pure evil." 

"There's no justice for this. We'll get justice when she meets her maker," Brown said.