Blog #3

"Angel of Death"

Beverley Allitt

Beverley Allitt, one of Britain's most notorious female serial killers, became known as the "Angel of Death" due to her position as a State Enrolled Nurse. Allitt used her occupation as a lethal practice; she was convicted of murdering four children, attempting to murder three other children, and causing "grievous bodily harm" to a further six. 

Victims:

As listed in biography.com, her victims go as follow:

7-month-old Liam Taylor, was admitted to Ward 4 with a chest infection

Timothy Hardwick, an 11-year-old with cerebral palsy who was admitted to Ward 4 following an epileptic fit on March 5, 1991

1-year-old Kayley Desmond, was admitted to Ward 4 on March 3, 1991, with a chest infection, from which she seemed to be recovering well

Five-month-old Paul Crampton became Allit's next victim, placed in Ward 4 on March 20, 1991, as a result of a non-serious bronchial infection

 5-year-old Bradley Gibson, a pneumonia sufferer, went into unexpected cardiac arrest, but was saved by the resuscitation team

2-year-old victim Yik Hung Chan turned blue and appeared in considerable distress when Allitt raised the alarm, but he responded well to oxygen

 Twins Katie and Becky Phillips, just 2 months old, who were kept in for observation as a result of their premature delivery. A bout of gastro-enteritis brought Becky into Ward 4 on April 1, 1991, when Allitt took over her care

Modus Operandi

Attention: Beverly Allitt had Munchausen's syndrome and, when this behavior failed to elicit the desired reactions in others, she began to harm others in order to satisfy her desire to be noticed.

Her Capture:

By July 26, 1991, police felt that they had enough evidence to charge Allitt with murder, but it wasn't until November 1991 that she was formally charged.Allitt showed calm and restraint under interrogation, denying any part in the attacks, insisting she had merely been caring for the victims. A search of her home revealed parts of the missing nursing log. Further extensive background checks by the police indicated a pattern of behavior that pointed to a very serious personality disorder, and Allitt exhibited symptoms of both Munchausen's syndrome and Munchausen's syndrome by Proxy, which are both characterized by getting attention through illness.