Heather Pressdee, a registered nurse from Pennsylvania, is facing new charges after confessing to attempting to kill 19 patients at different rehabilitation centers where she worked, prosecutors announced on Thursday. Pressdee, 41, allegedly administered excessive doses of insulin to these patients, some of whom were diabetic and others who were not, at five different care facilities between 2020 and this year. As a result, 17 patients have died under her care. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office has filed two counts of first-degree murder, 17 counts of attempted murder, and 19 counts of neglect of a care-dependent person against her. Prosecutors have charged Pressdee with first-degree murder in cases where physical evidence supports the cause of death and attempted murder in cases where the victims survived or the cause of death could not be determined.

Pressdee had already been charged in May for mistreating three patients, two of whom died, bringing the total number of mistreated patients to 22. She would typically administer insulin during overnight shifts when staffing was low, and emergencies would not immediately prompt hospitalization. If she sensed that a victim would survive, she would take additional measures to try to kill them, such as administering a second dose of insulin or using an air embolism. The victims ranged in age from 43 to 104. Pressdee's nursing license has been suspended, and she has been arraigned and remains in custody without bail.

Authorities started investigating Pressdee after a family member of a deceased patient reported her involvement in the improper administration of insulin at Quality Life Service - Chicora. An investigation revealed a pattern of Pressdee being investigated for abusive behavior towards patients and staff at her previous jobs, resulting in her resignation or termination. Former coworkers reported suspicions that she was intentionally harming patients, and she had been reprimanded for making up her own insulin doses. During her employment at Belair Healthcare and Rehabilitation, she was suspended pending an internal investigation into concerns about her care. However, the investigation did not find any identifiable evidence to support the allegations.

Pressdee's case is deeply disturbing, as she was entrusted with the care of her patients but deliberately and systematically harmed them, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry. The damage done to the victims and their families cannot be overstated, and the office will work tirelessly to hold Pressdee accountable and protect care-dependent individuals.

Information revealed in court documents shows that Pressdee sent texts to her mother discussing her unhappiness with patients and colleagues and spoke about potentially harming them. She also expressed similar complaints about people she encountered outside of healthcare facilities. Previous charging documents from May indicate that Pressdee has a history of disciplinary action for abusive behavior towards patients and staff.

The latest charges against Pressdee come after she was initially accused of killing two patients with insulin doses and injuring a third. The new charges include two additional counts of murder, 17 counts of attempted murder, and 19 counts of neglecting a care-dependent person. Pressdee's defense attorney, James DePasquale, stated that the new charges were expected, and they are cooperating with the government to avoid a potential death penalty. The defense attorney for Pressdee has not provided any further comments.

Robert Peirce, a personal injury attorney representing the family estate of one of Pressdee's victims, expressed hope that the charges would prompt employers to change the way they investigate potential employees. He pointed out that there were complaints from staff and nurses about Pressdee intentionally harming patients and that the investigation at Belair did not lead to her immediate termination.

Pressdee is currently held at Butler County Prison without bail. Anyone with information about incidents involving Pressdee is urged to contact the Office of the Attorney General's tipline.