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On Tuesday, May 2, a 33-year-old former nurse and alleged serial killer, Lucy Letby, denied allegations that she murdered multiple infants while working at a hospital in Chester, England. According to the Independent, she is suspected of murdering two boys and five girls, as well as attempting to murder another five boys and another five girls.
Though there is no hard evidence against Lucy Letby, one doctor testified that he had witnessed disturbing behavior from the nurse in the past. As per BBC, the doctor said that in one instance, he saw a premature baby whose blood levels had dropped while Letby was working in the neonatal intensive care unit. He told the doctors that this was unusual and that the child could die. Prosecutors claimed that this was an attempt by Letby to murder the infant.
Prosecutors claimed that Lucy Letby used several methods to kill the infants, including insulin poisoning or injecting air into their system. During a period of time when she worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital, the neonatal intensive care unit reportedly saw a disturbing rise in infant mortalities.
In a tearful statement, she told jurors that while she meant no harm, she had previously considered that the deaths of the children might be related to her incompetence.
Timeline of the investigation into Lucy Letby's alleged activities
The Hospital saw a spike in infant mortality deaths from 2015 to 2016. Lucy Letby worked at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital from 2011 to 2016 before being moved to work in clerical duties from 2016 to 2018.
The shift in departments was reportedly so that she would not be in contact with infants, as doctors had expressed concerns that she may have something to do with the series of deaths.
Due to this, the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health carried out an independent investigation, though they did not conclude upon a specific reason. In 2017, the Cheshire Police was called in to assist in the investigation. In 2018, Letby was arrested on the murder allegations.
Letby told the court that she received a letter informing her that she was a murder suspect in September 2016.
Letby said:
“It was sickening. I just could not believe it. It was devastating. I don’t think you could be accused of anything worse than that.”
She continued:
“It was life-changing, in that moment I was taken away from the support system I had on the unit, I was put in a role I did not enjoy and I had to pretend it was voluntary. It made me question everything about myself.”
On the fourth day of the trial, the prosecution displayed post-it notes in which Letby seemingly confessed to the murders. One of the notes read:
"How will things ever be like they were. They won't. I don't deserve to live. I DID THIS WHY ME. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough to care for them, and I am horrible and evil person. I don't deserve mum and dad. The world is better off without me."
Lucy Letby said this was not a confession but rather an expression of frustration. She claimed that she meant to say she was so incompetent in her duties that she may as well have committed the murders.
The case is currently ongoing.
