Motive Monday: The Angel of Death
They called her The Angel of Death, but Beverly Allitt wasn’t delivering mercy, she was manufacturing tragedy.
In 1991 during a 3 month period, this British pediatric nurse abused her position of trust at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital, deliberately harming, and in some cases killing, the very children she was supposed to protect. Her weapons? Insulin overdoses, air embolisms, and deliberate tampering with medical equipment.
Four children died. Three more narrowly escaped with their lives after Allitt’s murder attempts failed. Six others suffered grievous bodily harm; injuries that ranged from seizures to collapsed lungs, cardiac arrests, and brain damage. In some cases, children who survived were left with lifelong disabilities.
Her Motive? Allitt’s suspected driving force: Munchausen syndrome by proxy; a rare psychological disorder where a caregiver fabricates or causes illness in others to gain attention, sympathy, or a sense of power. In Allitt’s case, investigators believe she thrived on the chaos, the admiration from colleagues, and the emotional high of being at the center of medical emergencies… emergencies she orchestrated.
Her Fate? Convicted on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, Allitt is serving thirteen life sentences in a high-security psychiatric facility and remains one of Britain’s most notorious healthcare killers.
Let’s Talk About It:
How do you think trust in medical professionals affects cases like this?
Do media nicknames like “Angel of Death” soften the horror of what these killers do?
Can motive ever be fully understood in crimes involving Munchausen by proxy?
Drop your thoughts below, this one cuts deep.
