Kristen Heather Gilbert

Serial Killer

Kristen Heather Gilbert: The Veterans Affairs Hospital Serial Killer

Kristen Heather Gilbert was an American registered nurse who became one of the most notorious medical serial killers in United States history. While working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Leeds section of Northampton, Massachusetts, Gilbert used the trust and access associated with her profession to deliberately create life-threatening medical emergencies among patients under her care. Gilbert was ultimately convicted of murdering four veterans and attempting to murder additional patients. Prosecutors established that she administered excessive amounts of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, to patients who had no medical reason to receive such doses. In sufficiently large amounts, epinephrine can cause severe disturbances in the heart's rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest. The crimes were particularly disturbing because Gilbert was a trained medical professional whose patients depended on her for protection and treatment. Instead, prosecutors argued, she deliberately caused some of the emergencies she was then expected to help manage.

Early Life and Nursing Career

Kristen Heather Gilbert was born Kristen Heather Strickland on November 13, 1967, in Fall River, Massachusetts. She later trained as a nurse and developed a reputation as an intelligent and capable medical professional. Gilbert began working as a registered nurse at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center near Northampton in 1989. The sprawling federal medical facility treated military veterans suffering from numerous physical and psychiatric conditions. Gilbert primarily worked the evening shift on Ward C, which included an intensive-care area. She initially appeared to be a dependable employee. She received positive evaluations and demonstrated considerable competence when responding to medical emergencies. Over time, however, some coworkers noticed something unsettling. An unusually large number of medical emergencies, known in hospital terminology as "codes," seemed to occur when Gilbert was working.

A Disturbing Pattern on Ward C

When a hospital patient suddenly suffers cardiac or respiratory failure, medical personnel announce a code and immediately begin emergency treatment. Gilbert became remarkably familiar with these crises. Patients would suddenly develop dangerously rapid or irregular heart rhythms. Some went into cardiac arrest without an obvious explanation. Gilbert frequently participated in the emergency response. At first, coworkers treated the pattern as an unfortunate coincidence. Some jokingly referred to Gilbert as an "Angel of Death" because patients seemed to die so frequently during her shifts. What began as dark workplace humor eventually became genuine suspicion. Nurses began noticing another important detail: supplies of epinephrine were disappearing from the ward without proper documentation. Epinephrine is an important emergency medication. It can stimulate the heart and is commonly administered during certain forms of cardiac arrest. However, giving a large dose to someone who does not medically require it can produce a dangerous increase in heart rate and blood pressure, severe cardiac arrhythmias and potentially fatal cardiac arrest. Investigators would later argue that this was exactly what Gilbert was doing. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Stanley Jagodowski Age: (66), Date of Death: 1995-08-21

Kristen Gilbert - Wikipedia