Police were first alerted to the alleged murders of eight nursing home patients in Woodstock and London after the nurse accused in the case had a discussion with someone at a Toronto psychiatric facility where she was being treated, sources told CTV Toronto.
The nurse – identified by police as 49-year-old Woodstock resident Elizabeth (Bethe) Tracey Mae Wettlaufer – was seeking treatment for substance abuse at the Toronto facility in September. Sources told CTV Toronto that she discussed something with someone at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) that prompted staff to call police.
Toronto’s homicide unit ultimately turned the information over to investigators in Woodstock, and Wettlaufer was arrested Monday night, the sources said.
On Tuesday, Wettlaufer was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of eight patients at two long-term care homes – Caressant Care long-term care home in Woodstock and Meadow Park long-term care facility in London.
Police allege that the eight nursing home residents were killed over a seven-year period spanning from 2007 to 2014.
During a news conference in Woodstock on Tuesday, police said the victims died after the nurse allegedly “administered a drug.”
Investigators refused to say what drug was used or provide a motive for the alleged killings.
Court records show Wettlaufer had signed a peace bond in early October. It reveals that she was seeking treatment at CAMH and was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The terms of the peace bond imposed a curfew on her and banned her from possessing any alcohol, weapons, insulin, medication or any drug unless they were specifically prescribed by a physician for her. The peace bond dictates that she not provide services as a caregiver and does not attend any kind of care facility unless for her own personal health issues.
Wettlaufer moved in with her parents recently after a second stint in rehab, a neighbour who didn’t want to be identified said. Wettlaufer told the neighbour she had a problem with drugs and she was now under a court-imposed curfew.
On Facebook, Wettlaufer had posted a poem about her sobriety, noting she had been clean for a year.
She also noted in November 2015 that she had become a pediatric nurse.
“Who’d have predicted that?” she wrote.
But a search on the College of Nurses of Ontario website shows a status of “resigned” as of Sept. 30, 2016. The CNO said they were looking into whether Wettlaufer resigned her registration or whether it was taken away from her.
Her father spoke to CTV Kitchener briefly Wednesday, describing his daughter as a kind, caring and considerate woman. He noted the family was going through a troubling time and that they had been advised not to speak to the media by their lawyer.
His wife refused to speak with the reporter at the scene.
You can read documents pertaining to Wettlaufer's charges and peace bond below:
