EASTON, Pa. – Investigators are digging into the past of a western Pennsylvania nursing home worker, who’s now facing two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder. One retired detective says aspects of that case are ominously similar to that of Charles Cullen, the nurse known for terrorizing eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey.
It wasn’t illness or age. Investigators say it was Heather Pressdee who killed two patients and tried to wipe out another at a Butler County nursing home.
“Instead of caring for them, she intentionally and maliciously injected them with insulin to kill them,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a Twitter video.
This case is particularly disturbing to Tim Braun, who is now retired in South Carolina.
He’s one of the detectives credited with getting the Lehigh Valley’s most notorious serial killer, Charles Cullen, behind bars. The nurse admitted to murdering 29 patients and is suspected of killing hundreds of others in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It’s all featured in a documentary and a film on Netflix.
Braun, who continues to consult law enforcement agencies on similar cases, pieced through Presdee’s criminal complaint.
“It’s filled with red flags,” said Braun.
Cullen worked at 11 facilities in 16 years. An affidavit shows Presdee worked at 11 within four and a half, all in western PA. Investigators say again and again, she was disciplined for abusive behavior, then resigned or was fired.
“I strongly believe there are more victims, and I do believe other people around her suspected or knew what she may have been up to also, and that needs to be explored further,” said Braun.
The PA Attorney General’s Office is now investigating, so it said it couldn’t do an interview, just yet.
Documents show it was victims’ families that brought the case to police’s attention.
Braun says all too often, workplaces stay silent, in fear of it damaging their reputations.
“From your experience with Cullen, a lot of the facilities in our area were more concerned with money and power, and you think that might be a theme that’s repeating itself here with her case?” 69 News Reporter Priscilla Liguori asked Braun.
“It does seem that way. The pattern is eerily similar,” said Braun. “Because her license appears to have been still active at the time of her arrest, it might indicate that she was not reported to the nursing board.”
Facilities accredited with what’s called the Joint Commission are required to report “sentinel events.” Those result in a patient’s death or harm.
69 News reached out to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Office about potential measures to stop bad seed caregivers from moving place to place but did not hear back.
In New Jersey, the Cullen Law now allows employers to give honest, negative references that reveal negligence and incompetence.
“You can write all the laws you want. People have to follow or not follow them,” said Braun.
Braun is doing his part to protect vulnerable victims by planning presentations to teach law enforcement and health care and nursing home workers what to look for.
The goal is to prevent criminal caregivers from killing.
“Hopefully, there aren’t too many,” said Braun.
