The Pennsylvania Attorney General announced on November 2, 2023 dozens of new charges have been filed against Heather Pressdee, 41, a western Pennsylvania nurse, who was previously charged with homicide and attempted murder for patients in her care. Pressdee allegedly administered lethal doses of insulin to numerous patients at care facilities, beginning in 2020. Pressdee was previously charged in May 2023 for her mistreatment of three patients. The new charges filed against Pressdee allege mistreatment of 19 additional patients at five different care facilities, between 2020 and 2023.
Pressdee is accused of administering excessive amounts of insulin to these patients, some of whom were diabetic and required insulin, and some of whom were not. In total, seventeen patients died who had been cared for by Pressdee.
The new charges are for two counts of first-degree murder, seventeen counts of attempted murder, and nineteen counts of neglect of a care-dependent person. In announcing the new charges, the Pennsylvania Attorney General stated, “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. 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.”
It is alleged that Pressdee typically administered the insulin during overnight shifts when staffing was low and the emergencies would not prompt immediate hospitalization. In total, Pressdee is charged regarding her mistreatment of 22 patients. The victims ranged in age from 43 to 104.
Pressdee is charged with first-degree murder in the cases where physical evidence is available to support the cause of death. Attempted murder is charged in the cases where the victims either survived the excessive dosage of insulin, or the cause of death could not be determined.
The alleged crimes happened while Pressdee was employed as a registered nurse at the following facilities: Concordia at Rebecca Residence; Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation (Guardian); Quality Life Services Chicora; Premier Armstrong Rehabilitation and Nursing Center; and Sunnyview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General noted, “All charges are accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
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