A 33-year-old British nurse was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill another six at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. The verdict, delivered after a 10-month trial at Manchester Crown Court, ranks Lucy Letby as one of the UK’s most heinous child serial killers.
The infants, five boys and two girls, were killed during 2015 and 2016, typically during Letby’s night shifts. The jury learned that she used various methods, including insulin injections, injecting air, and force-feeding milk, sometimes attacking her victims multiple times before they succumbed.
A note discovered at Letby’s home read, “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them… I AM EVIL I DID THIS.” Several of her victims were twins, with Letby murdering both siblings in one instance.
While Letby’s social media showcased a jovial woman, the trial painted a contrasting picture of her as a persistent killer. In a chilling incident, after one mother caught her attacking her twins, Letby remarked, “Trust me, I’m a nurse”.
Though Letby tearfully denied the accusations in court, citing possible ward issues and alleged conspiracy among doctors to frame her, the prosecution labeled her as a calculating liar. Letby’s handwritten notes were treated as a confession.
While detectives found no apparent motive, the ongoing investigation is now focusing on all of Letby’s tenure as a nurse, including her training period in Liverpool, to determine if more victims exist.
Letby is expected to receive a lengthy prison sentence, potentially a rare full life term, during her sentencing on Monday.