Heather Pressdee
American serial killer (born 1982)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heather Irene Pressdee (born August 28, 1982) is an American registered nurse and convicted serial killer.[1] She is serving life imprisonment after being convicted of murdering three patients by lethal injection. Investigators have linked her to a total of 17 deaths in Western Pennsylvania.
Attempted murder (19 counts)
Heather Pressdee | |
|---|---|
Pressdee in 2023 | |
| Born | August 28, 1982 |
Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Convictions | First degree murder (3 counts) Attempted murder (19 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | 3 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus 380 to 760 years |
| Details | |
| Victims | 3 confirmed; 17 linked |
Span of crimes | 2022–2023 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
Date apprehended | May 25, 2023 |
Early life
The daughter of Michael and Bonita Pressdee, she was born on August 28, 1982 and is the oldest of two children. From 2003 to 2004, she attended the Community College of Allegheny County but did not graduate. She later became a registered veterinary technician before returning to obtain a nursing degree.[2]
Crimes
Pressdee intentionally administered lethal doses of insulin to patients across five nursing homes in Pennsylvania. The first two victims she was charged with murdering were James Bartoe, 55, and Joseph Campbell, 83. They died on December 4 and 25, 2022, respectively.[3] Her third victim was Nicholas Cymbol, 43, who died on May 1, 2023.[4]
Pressdee told her attorney that she believed she was ending the suffering of her victims.[5]
Arrest and trial
Pressdee was arrested on May 25, 2023. She was charged with three counts of murder and 19 counts of attempted murder.[6]Authorities also linked her to the deaths of 17 patients.[7][8] To avoid the death penalty, Pressdee pleaded guilty to all charges.[2] She ultimately pleaded guilty to the murders of James Bartoe, 55; Gerald Shrum, 90; and Nicholas Cymbol, 43.[9] On May 2, 2024, she was sentenced to three consecutive life terms, along with 380 to 760 additional years.[6] She is incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution in Muncy, Pennsylvania.[10]