In late spring of 2015, then 25-year-old British nurse Lucy Letby, decided to destroy the lives of 13 families. Through a course of unthinkable actions, Neonatal Nurse Letby poisoned newborns by injecting some with insulin, air or force-feeding milk. After heinously committing these crimes, she would mourn with the parents of the 7 babies she killed, including preparing the babies for burial. Had she not been stopped in June of 2016, 6 more babies would have succumbed to her devious plan.
The English Courts have sentenced her to multiple sentences of life in prison with no chance of release.
But is Lucy Letby the first to do such horrendous things to babies? Unfortunately, not.
During the months of February, March and April of 1991, British Nurse Beverley Allitt, now known as “the angel of death” murdered 4 infants, attempted to kill 3 others and caused serious physical harm to 6 more infants during that short time. This British nurse was also given 13 life sentences but was eligible for parole in 2021 but remains incarcerated. It is noted that Allitt apparently suffers from Munchausen’s syndrome which is a desire to kill to get attention. Nurse Allitt was 23 years of age when she committed the murders. Her methods of injecting babies with insulin and air were the same as those used by Lucy Letby.
Herman Andaya, who until recently was the head of Maui Emergency Management Services, failed to sound the alarm to alert residents of raging fires. Had the sirens been used it is possible dozens, if not hundreds of citizens may have survived the disaster. The sirens, which are typically used for hurricanes or tsunamis, are located throughout the area.
Mr. Andaya defended his actions by stating that emergency text alerts and media (news and radio) should have been enough, what he failed to account for was the loss of power that meant no text or media was available.
Mr. Andaya had previously worked in the Department of Housing and lacked qualifications for his role as head of Emergency Services. He claimed to have received some training. Apparently when he was hired there were over 30 applicants more qualified.
In the six-mile area of devastation over 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, including many children. Currently there are over 100 confirmed dead. DNA samples are being collected from family members of the missing, but there is a fear that bodies may have burned up in the extensive heat of the fires.
With wind gusts between 67 and 80 mph, at its peak it is estimated that the fire moved at over a mile a minute.
Remember knowledge is power, monsters do exist, and human actions may have deadly consequences.