Eleanor Stoecker, a 60-year-old female, passed away on February 12, 2003, at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey. A retired medical assistant, she had recently moved to Bedminster, New Jersey, with her husband. Having grown up in Clifton and lived in Middletown for many years, she was a mother and grandmother.
Initially, her death may not have been considered suspicious. However, it was later discovered that Stoecker was a victim of the serial killer Charles Cullen, a registered nurse who was employed at Somerset Medical Center at the time of her death. Cullen murdered Stoecker by administering a lethal dose of the heart medication Digoxin. She was his first victim at this particular hospital.
While she was being treated for asthma, she was reportedly recovering and not in any pain when Cullen gave her the fatal injection.
Charles Cullen was eventually arrested in December 2003 after suspicions arose at the hospital. He later confessed to killing numerous patients at various medical facilities throughout his nursing career. In a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty, Cullen pleaded guilty to the murder of Eleanor Stoecker and many others. During his sentencing, family members, including one of Stoecker's sons, confronted him in court, expressing their grief and anger. Cullen was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison for his crimes.
