Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, a former nurse, was arrested Monday night and charged with eight counts of first-degree murder. She's accused of killing eight patients who were in her care at two Canadian nursing homes over a seven-year period.
The patients Ms. Wettlaufer is accused of killing ranged in age from 75 to 96. She killed seven patients at a nursing home in Woodstock, Ontario, between 2007 and 2014, according to Ontario Provincial Police. She reportedly killed the eighth and final patient in August 2014 at a nursing home in London, Ontario.
During a news conference this week, police said the investigation is ongoing, according to The New York Times. Although the motive in the cases is unclear, police confirmed all of the victims were killed using the same method.
"The victims were administered a drug," said Dave Truax, detective superintendent of the Ontario Provincial Police, according to New York Times. "We're not in a position at this time to comment further on the specifics of the drug, as it forms part of the evidence that is now before the courts."
Ms. Wettlaufer gave up her nursing license Sept. 30, the day after the police investigation into the deaths began, according to the report.
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