John Walter Williams, a 78-year-old white male, died on January 11, 2001, at Nocona General Hospital in Nocona, Texas. His death was later determined to be a homicide committed by Vickie Dawn Jackson, a licensed vocational nurse employed at the hospital. Jackson used mivacurium chloride, a powerful muscle relaxant, to fatally paralyze patients by stopping their breathing. Williams was one of at least 10 confirmed victims in a series of murders that occurred between December 2000 and February 2001.
The sudden increase in patient deaths during Jackson's shifts raised suspicions among hospital administrators. An internal investigation revealed that vials of Mivacron were missing, and all the deaths occurred during Jackson's shifts. This led to a joint investigation by local police, the Texas Rangers, and the FBI. Jackson was arrested on July 16, 2002, and initially charged with four counts of capital murder. In January 2004, she was indicted for six additional murders, bringing the total to ten.
Jackson pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 40 years. She is currently incarcerated at the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas.
