GUILTY Canada - Registered nurse facing 8 murder charges, Woodstock, Ont, 25 Oct 2016

A Woodstock, Ont., nurse is responsible for eight deaths of elderly patients in southwestern Ontario nursing homes, Ontario Provincial Police allege.

The 49-year-old nurse is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in incidents spanning several years, police say.
She was in the employ of Caressant Care nursing facilities, which operates six care facilities in southwest Ontario.

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Police are tight-lipped on the details of the deaths, including just how many people have been killed, but a source told CityNews there are as many as eight victims. That number may rise as the investigation continues.

Caressant Care, a nursing and retirement home in Woodstock, confirmed a former employee is under investigation.
The registered nurse left Caressant Care more than two years ago, communications manager Lee Griffi said in a statement.
Griffi said Caressant Care is “cooperating fully” with the investigation and will not be releasing more information.

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Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, 49, has been charged with 8 counts of first-degree murder.

Seven of the victims are from Woodstock. The other died in London, Renton said.

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A source said Caressant is not the only chain police are looking at, adding that a nursing home in London is also part of the investigation. The OPP had told local media on Oct. 14 that it was conducting a multi-jurisdictional investigation and that the case began in Woodstock on Sept. 29, but it provided no further details at that time and did not say the case was related to a nursing home.

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Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer is pictured in this undated photo. (Facebook

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The victims, who ranged in age from 75 to 96, were killed after being administered a drug, police added.

It is unclear what drug was used.
Investigators would not comment on a possible motive for the murders.
The suspect, identified by police as 49-year-old Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, was scheduled to appear in court in Woodstock this morning.
The victims who resided at Caressant Care have been identified as James Silcox, 84, Maurice Granat, 84, Gladys Millard, 87, Helen Matheson, 95, Mary Zurawinski, 96, Helen Young, 90, and Maureen Pickering, 79. The Meadow Park resident has been identified as Arpad Horvath, 75.

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She worked as a charge nurse for Caressant Care Nursing Home from June 2007 to March 2014 and for less than a year in 2014 at Meadow Park in London, according to her LinkedIn account. "Administering medications," is one of her duties.

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Who is alleged serial killer Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer?

by News Staff & Alanna Kelly


Last Updated Oct 25, 2016 at 2:42 pm EDT

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Education:

• 1992 to 1995: Nursing at Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario
  “Learned all aspects of nursing care and duties,” as posted on Linkedin
• 1987 to 1991: Religious Education and counseling at London Baptist Bible College in London, Ontario
• Dates unknown: Huron Park Secondary School in Woodstock, Ontario

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Social media posts:

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Father's day is a great reminder of how blessed I am to still have my Dad alive and able to spend time with me.

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musicaljoke said:

My goodness! I feel as though I was hit with a hammer. Bethe is a really sweet person from a wonderful, caring family that I've known for 40 years. I just can't believe it! My head is spinning.

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Friends and neighbours of Elizabeth Wettlaufer are in in disbelief as they learn the Woodstock, Ont., woman has been charged with killing eight elderly people at the nursing homes where she worked as a registered nurse.

"We would chat and have laughs. She seemed like an everyday, normal kind of person," Derek Gilbert, who lives in the same apartment building as Wettlaufer, said in an interview.
"This is shocking."
People who know Wettlaufer describe a friendly, unassuming woman. Known as "Beth" around the apartment complex, neighbours say Wettlaufer lived alone with her small dog, Nashville

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sillybilly said:

Obviously we're short on detail right now, but as EW was a caregiver, I'm wondering if we may have a self-appointed Angel of Mercy / Angel of Death here. Was her assistance possibly requested by the victims due to Canada's legislation on medically assisted suicide?

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meanmaryjean said:

I am horrified. Reminds me of Orville Lynn Majors- a local case.

I'm interested in nurse-killers as a group. Anyone know a book or source to read further?

*hopes FBI is not reading this...

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For victims and their families this is an unimaginable crime. The so called ‘angel of death’ nurse is a nurse who has taken it upon themselves to kill their patients. While thankfully quite rare, serial killer nurses can go undetected for many years, exerting their power and control over the vulnerable, often telling themselves they are delivering an act of mercy.
Nurses train for many years as a healthcare professional in order treat and support patients within their care. They have a level of responsibility to their patients and a level of trust which is seen in few other relationships between individuals. In the early years, such cases were often referred to as ‘angel of mercy’ killings. This comes from the notion that some of those responsible carry out their crimes to, in their eyes, relieve the patient of their suffering.

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Ontario Mom said:

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever been mutual friends with someone charged with something so unthinkable.

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Ontario Mom said:

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've ever been mutual friends with someone charged with something so unthinkable.

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kritafo said:

So there are two people on WS that know BW wow.

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