Pennsylvania Nurse Found Responsible for 17 Patient Deaths and Given Hundreds of Years’ Sentence

Heather Pressdee, a former Pennsylvanian nurse, has been sentenced to hundreds of years in prison for her role in the deaths of seventeen patients in a case that has shocked the medical community. According to Attorney General Michelle Henry’s office, the 41-year-old Natrona Heights nurse entered a guilty plea to three counts of first-degree murder and nineteen counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors said that Pressdee’s crimes included giving at least 22 patients—distressing amounts of insulin—across several facilities in the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, and Westmoreland. Tragically, the repercussions of the insulin overdoses claimed the lives of seventeen people.

Attorney General Michelle Henry said, “This plea and life sentence will ensure Heather Pressdee never has another opportunity to inflict further harm, but it won’t bring back the lives lost.” During Pressdee’s sentence hearing, the family of the victims voiced intense pain and rage; some even referred to her as “pure evil.”

When authorities got a reference about a patient in Pressdee’s care around the end of 2022, they launched an investigation into her activities. After more investigations revealed the severity of Pressdee’s offenses, she was taken into custody in May 2023.

Phil DiLucente and James DePasquale, Pressdee’s attorneys, put in a lot of effort to keep their client from receiving the death penalty. DiLucente acknowledged the grief shared by the relatives of the victims and called the sentencing day “very emotional.” Pressdee apologized and cried during the proceedings, despite the seriousness of her offenses.

Pressdee, who had previously worked at a veterinary facility, felt that her acts were easing suffering, according to her counsel. She has, nevertheless, now expressed regret for her acts and admitted the seriousness of her transgressions.

The episode has brought attention to the vulnerability of patients in the hands of medical experts and prompted inquiries on the supervision and responsibility of healthcare facilities.