A former nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit in Chester, United Kingdom was convicted on August 23 for the murders of seven babies and attempts on six others between 2015 and 2016.
Dr. Dewi Evans, the chief medical expert at Lucy Letby’s trial, shed light on the heinous techniques Letby employed during her five-year career.
Letby’s methods, as described by Evans, included displacing breathing tubes and injecting air, which can lead to fatal air embolisms in infants. These techniques are deemed challenging to detect, making it difficult for hospital staff to immediately suspect foul play.
Dr. Evans reviewed the notes of 48 babies not included in the trial and found 18 concerning cases. In many of these cases from 2014, breathing tubes were either removed or displaced, which he believes was Letby’s initial method of causing harm.
Furthermore, one of the cases under Evans’ scrutiny revealed an insulin poisoning death. He expressed concerns about potential additional insulin poisoning cases that might have gone undetected. Insulin levels in post-mortem examinations can highlight foul play, but without such assessments, it becomes nearly impossible to determine wrongdoing.
Another significant revelation was made after Letby attended a training course on the dangers of air embolism, where air is introduced into blood vessels leading to severe or fatal conditions like strokes or heart attacks. The number of murders in the neonatal unit surged following this course. Dr. Evans said that, to his knowledge, there weren’t any air embolism-related deaths before Letby took that course.
The Guardian reported a suspicious spike in deaths at the neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016, which coincided with times when Letby was often the sole nurse on duty. Her trial also revealed that two babies survived her insulin poisoning attempts, and confessional notes detailing her crimes were discovered in her bedroom.
While Letby’s conviction has brought a measure of justice to the affected families, the looming question remains: are there other victims not yet identified? The answer may become clearer as prosecutors decide whether to proceed with a new trial for the six outstanding attempted murder charges, where the jury had previously failed to deliver a verdict.
