I remember the initial disbelief and great outrage from the public which occurred after the news accounts of these many “mercy” killings surfaced. Former nurse Charles Cullen, the so-called “Angel of Death,” murdered 29 patients in hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania over a 16-year-period, starting in 1987. There is speculation that Cullen may actually be responsible for over 400 deaths by injecting deadly medicines into patients’ IV fluid bags or by turning off their ventilators.
Cullen, who grew up in West Orange, NJ, later told authorities he thought the murders were actually mercy killings. “I thought that people weren’t suffering anymore,” Cullen said. “So in a sense, I thought I was helping.”
The convicted Cullen is serving 11 consecutive life sentences for 22 murders in New Jersey. Cullen is facing another 6 life sentences for his crimes in Pennsylvania. Cullen’s earliest possible parole date in New Jersey is June 10, 2388. He is currently incarcerated in New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, NJ.
The families of Charles Cullen’s many victims filed wrongful-death lawsuits against the hospitals where Cullen had worked. A confidential settlement was reached by the hospitals that continued to employ Charles Cullen over the years and the victims’ families.
The Netflix film based on this incident, “The Good Nurse,” starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain, was released yesterday. After following the news accounts of this macabre case, I look forward to seeing the film. If this ghastly crime had occurred back during DS’ original run, I wonder if Dan Curtis might have considering “borrowing” this lurid tale for a possible similar storyline at the Collinsport Hospital?
