On November 23, 1984, Leathy McKnight, an 85-year-old African American woman, died under suspicious circumstances at the North Horizon Health Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her death was part of a disturbing pattern of fatalities at the facility, where twelve elderly patients died within a thirteen-day period. These deaths, initially attributed to natural causes, occurred predominantly during the overnight shifts, raising concerns among staff and prompting a police investigation.
Investigators discovered that Leathy McKnight had been administered a fatal dose of insulin, despite not being diabetic. This method of poisoning was consistent across several other victims, including 97-year-old Aggie Marsh, 85-year-old Stella Bradham, and 79-year-old Mary Rae Carter. A fifth patient, 94-year-old Anna Larson, survived an insulin overdose but died two months later from unrelated causes. The common denominator in these cases was the presence of Bobbie Sue Dudley, a 29-year-old registered nurse who worked the night shift during the time of the deaths.
Bobbie Sue Dudley, who later went by the name Bobbie Sue Terrell, had a documented history of mental illness, including diagnoses of schizophrenia and Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Her past included incidents of self-harm and fabricating illnesses, behaviors that extended into her professional life. At North Horizon, she was found to have exclusive access to the insulin supply and maintained detailed notes on patient deaths, which were later discovered under her mattress during a police search. Additionally, Dudley staged a stabbing incident, claiming to be attacked by a prowler, in an apparent attempt to divert suspicion.
Following a comprehensive investigation that included the exhumation and autopsy of several victims, Dudley was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. In 1988, she pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree murder, including the death of Leathy McKnight, and one count of attempted murder. She was sentenced to 65 years in prison, where she died in 2007. The case of Leathy McKnight and the other victims at North Horizon Health Center stands as a tragic example of medical malpractice and the vulnerabilities of elderly patients in care facilities.
