Genene Anne Jones

Serial Killer

Genene Anne Jones: The Texas Pediatric Nurse Who Murdered Children

Background and Nursing Career

Genene Anne Jones, commonly known as Genene Jones, is an American serial killer and former licensed vocational nurse whose victims were infants and young children placed under her care. Born on July 13, 1950, in Texas, Jones worked in hospitals and medical clinics during the 1970s and early 1980s. She became most closely associated with the pediatric intensive care unit at Bexar County Hospital in San Antonio, now known as University Hospital, and with a pediatric clinic in Kerrville, Texas. Jones was responsible for administering medication, monitoring critically ill children and responding to emergencies. Instead of protecting her vulnerable patients, prosecutors said she deliberately injected some children with dangerous or excessive amounts of medication. These injections caused sudden seizures, breathing difficulties, internal bleeding, heart failure and other medical crises. Jones would then remain nearby as doctors and nurses attempted to revive the children. Investigators and former colleagues believed that Jones sometimes created emergencies so she could participate in resuscitation efforts and appear heroic when a child survived. Prosecutors also suggested that she may have wanted to demonstrate the need for more advanced pediatric emergency facilities. Her precise motives have never been conclusively established, and different investigators have offered different explanations for her conduct.

The "Death Shift" at Bexar County Hospital

While working in the pediatric intensive care unit at Bexar County Hospital, Jones became connected to an alarming number of unexplained medical emergencies. Children who had appeared stable would suddenly suffer seizures, cardiac arrests, breathing problems or severe bleeding. Some recovered, while others died. The concentration of emergencies during Jones's working hours became so noticeable that members of the hospital staff reportedly referred to her shift as the "death shift." Statistical reviews later indicated that pediatric patients were considerably more likely to experience a crisis or die while Jones was on duty than during the shifts of other nurses. Although doctors and nurses became suspicious, proving deliberate poisoning was extremely difficult. Many of the children were already being treated for serious medical conditions, and some of the drugs involved left little evidence after death. Hospital administrators also failed to immediately bring the full pattern of suspicious incidents to law enforcement. When the pediatric intensive care unit was reorganized, numerous nurses were dismissed or reassigned rather than Jones being individually accused. Important hospital records were reportedly destroyed under routine record-retention practices, making later investigations more difficult. Jones subsequently obtained work at a pediatric clinic operated by physician Kathleen Holland in Kerrville. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Chelsea McClellan Age: (1), Date of Death: 1982-09-17

Survivors:

Rolando Santos , Date of Attack: 1982

Genene Jones - Wikipedia