4 cases tagged “nurse”
Convicted: Felícitas Sánchez Aguillón
Felícitas Sánchez Aguillón, also known as Sánchez Neyra, was a notorious Mexican nurse, midwife, baby farmer, and serial killer who operated in Mexico City during the 1930s. She became infamous for killing babies under her care, with a total of 40 to 50 murders attributed to her. Sánchez Aguillón was also referred to as 'The Ogress of Colonia Roma,' 'The Female Ripper of Colonia Roma,' and 'The Human Crusher of Little Angels.'
Convicted: Daisy Louisa C. de Melker
Daisy Louisa C. de Melker, commonly known as Daisy de Melker, was a South African nurse accused of poisoning two of her husbands with strychnine to claim their life insurance. However, she was only found guilty of poisoning her only son with arsenic, the reason for which remains unclear. De Melker was the second woman in South African criminal history to be executed.
Convicted: Jane Toppan
Jane Toppan, better recognized by her chilling alias 'Jolly Jane', is infamous for her role as a serial killer in the annals of American crime history. As a nurse, she exploited her position of trust to commit heinous acts, targeting primarily her patients and their relatives in Massachusetts between 1895 and 1901. Toppan's case is particularly notorious as she is believed to have taken the lives of over 100 individuals, though she confessed to 31 murders. Her motivation was rooted in a perverse sexual fetish that drove her to attain a grim satisfaction from the act of murder. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Toppan's life was marked by early trauma. Following the death of her mother, she and her sister were given up for adoption by their father. The Toppan family took her in, leading to her adopting their surname. Despite the hardships of her past, Toppan managed to maintain a facade of normalcy. Her cheerful demeanor earned her the nickname 'Jolly Jane', a stark contrast to her sinister actions. Her killing spree finally came to an end when an autopsy on one of her victims revealed lethal doses of poison, leading to her arrest and subsequent conviction. Her case serves as a grim reminder of the potential for evil that can lurk beneath the surface, even in those entrusted with the care of others.
Convicted: Genene Anne Jones
Genene Anne Jones was a licensed vocational nurse who is responsible for the deaths of up to 60 infants and children during the 1970s and 1980s. She used injections of digoxin, heparin, and later succinylcholine to induce medical crises in her patients, leading to numerous fatalities. Convicted in 1984 for murder and injury to a child, the exact number of her victims remains uncertain due to missing and destroyed hospital records.
