Local nurse accused of killing patients with intentional doses of insulin facing more charges

CHICORA, Pa. — A local nurse previously charged for allegedly killing two patients and hurting another with intentional doses of insulin is facing more accusations of mistreatment.

According to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Heather Pressdee, 41, is facing dozens of new charges for allegedly administering lethal doses of insulin to 19 additional patients at five different care facilities between 2020 and 2023.

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Seventeen patients died under Pressdee’s care, the attorney general said. Some were diabetic and required insulin but some were not.

Officials said Pressdee would administer the insulin during overnight shifts when staffing was low.

She is accused of mistreating 22 patients in total, including the three involved in the previous charges. The victims were ranged in age from 43 to 104.

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“The allegations against Ms. Pressdee are disturbing. It is hard to comprehend how a nurse, trusted to care for her patients, could choose to deliberately and systematically harm them,” said Attorney General Michelle Henry. “The damage done to the victims and their loved ones cannot be overstated. Every person in a medical or care facility should feel safe and cared for, and my office will work tirelessly to hold the defendant accountable for her crimes and protect care-dependent Pennsylvanians from future harm.”

Pressdee was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder, 17 counts of attempted murder and 19 counts of neglect of a care-dependent person. The first-degree murder charges pertain to the cases where physical evidence is available to support the cause of death whereas the attempted murder charges pertain to the cases where the victims either survived the excessive dosage of insulin or the cause of death couldn’t be determined.

Pressdee is currently being held in the Butler County Prison.

Anyone with information about these incidents or Heather Pressdee is asked to contact the Office of Attorney General’s tipline at 888-538-8541.

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