A nurse named Lucy Letby, aged 33, has been found guilty of the murder of seven babies at a hospital in the United Kingdom, making her the country’s most prolific child serial killer. The murders occurred during a one-year killing spree between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. Letby was also convicted of attempting to murder six other babies during the same period.
Throughout the trial, disturbing details emerged regarding Letby’s alleged actions. She was accused of injecting insulin, milk, or air into the infants’ bodies, leading to sudden collapses. She faced accusations of physically assaulting a baby and causing severe injuries, including a liver injury comparable to a road traffic collision.
The charges against Letby included seven counts of murder and fifteen counts of attempted murder. After more than 99 hours of deliberation, the jury convicted her on thirteen charges, while she was found not guilty of two attempted murder charges. The jury was undecided on additional attempted murder charges related to four babies.
During the trial, prosecutors depicted Letby as a “devious,” “calculating,” and “cold-blooded” killer who targeted vulnerable babies while she was alone with them. She was described as a “constant, malevolent presence” at the neonatal unit, and it was noted that the deaths of babies coincided with her shifts.
Letby’s method of injecting substances into the infants went undetected for some time due to colleagues not considering the possibility of a nurse committing such acts. The prosecution argued that Letby manipulated her colleagues into believing that the negative outcomes were merely a result of bad luck or normal incidents.
Following the verdict, the British government announced an independent inquiry into the case to ensure that lessons are learned from the circumstances surrounding the crimes. The inquiry is meant to provide answers and closure to the families impacted by Letby’s actions.