Colin Campbell Norris, a male nurse who worked in two hospitals in Leeds, UK in 2001 and 2002, was investigated for intentionally causing the death of four elderly patients, between June and December 2002. The patients had been admitted with broken bones in the none-emergency orthopaedic wards of two hospitals. None of the patients had any life-threatening condition. It was believed that Norris administered an excessive dose of the drug insulin to his patients even when they were not diabetic.
This drug may cause the blood sugar of a patient to drop to dangerously low levels, leading to a condition known as hypoglycaemic coma that can lead to death if not addressed urgently. The first three deaths did not raise any suspicions given that no blood tests for insulin were carried out on the collapsed patients. Norris probably did not expect a blood sample to be taken in fourth case. However, the patient’s blood sample was taken and sent to a specialised laboratory and it was found to have abnormally high amounts of insulin, up to 12 times the normal value.
Additionally, tests on the blood revealed that the insulin in the patient’s blood was not the type that the body naturally produces. Investigators ordered that the body of one of the victims be exhumed and tests revealed she had also been given large amounts of insulin. The bodies of two other patients were cremated and so could not be tested. Police detectives believed Norris had been responsible for six other deaths at the hospital.
He was the only nurse on duty when three other suspicious deaths occurred, but investigators felt there was not enough evidence to prosecute the cases. He had also been arrested for the death of another patient, but prosecution decided not to charge him in this case because of what was termed as “complicating factors”. In two other suspicious cases, the fact that there had been no post-mortem examination, prevented adequate evidence from being gathered to warrant his prosecution. On January 11, 2001, shortly before Norris qualified as a nurse, his personal tutor at university gave a specific talk to him and other students on the case of a one Jessie McTavish, a Scottish nurse, who worked in Glasgow in the 1970s and Norris was later asked to review the case.
In 1974, McTavish was tried for the murder of a patient who she was alleged to have injected with soluble insulin. Three other patients were also alleged to be victims of his actions when they received illegal injections. One patient had unexplained high blood levels of pethidine- an addictive narcotic analgesic, while other patients were injected with phenobarbitone, without any records being made.
Colleagues testified that McTavish had given these injections and failed to document the events properly. She was heard saying “Doctor likes them to go quietly” suggesting a potential motive for her actions. Despite compelling blood test evidence, he claimed she had only injected the patients with a placebo of sterile water. However, during police interrogations, McTavish admitted administering insulin to one patient without authorisation. In October 1974, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and assaults. However, an appeal in February 1975 resulted in the conviction being overturned.
The appeal court judges determined that while there was substantial evidence against her, the trial judge had inadvertently misled the jury by failing to clarify McTavish’s denial of committing mercy killing. The prosecution suggested that his actions were inspired by a movie, where one of the characters used insulin as an undetectable murder weapon. He had discussed with colleagues how the film had taught her that insulin was a perfect agent for homicide, since its effects would be difficult to trace.
There was evidence that Norris watched another movie in which a serial criminal nurse killed patients with insulin before being uncovered as a murderer. He experimented with his cat to which he gave an overdose of insulin to kill it before turning on his patients. When Norris was tasked with reviewing McTavish’s conduct, he learnt that insulin is the perfect weapon for murder, as it leaves the body very quickly. The latter had predicted the exact time when a healthy patient would die as would former later. Norris had also, notably, attended lectures in 1999 on diabetes and the treatment of patients with insulin, where he learnt about the consequences of blood sugars being too high or too low.
McTavish’s case has remained a point of reference in medical lectures, academic work related to forensic science and medical malpractice. It is often cited in discussions about the ethics and risks of the healthcare profession. It is believed that this case motivated Norris, who believed that insulin would be a perfect weapon for murder because it leaves the body without a trace. The police analysed medical staff rosters, phone records and personnel files to determine who had access to the wards and to insulin and who were on the wards when the patients’ conditions changed. It was found out that all staff members, except Norris could be ruled out as it was him who was on duty when all the mishaps occurred. He was also the only member of staff who worked on the two wards, where the deaths being investigated occurred. During the time the police questioned Norris, his answers were evasive and he denied injecting the patients with insulin.
He suggested that an intruder may have administered the injections. He often behaved bizarrely and sometimes aggressively and arrogantly, challenging detectives. He even became physically angry at times to the point where he had to be restrained. There is an incident recounted where Norris was violent and drunk and could not stop crying because he said he was scared of going to prison. Investigators stated that Norris did not seem to explicitly deny the murders, but insisted they could not be proved and he told the investigators that the facts the investigators had, were not good enough to prove that the patients had been killed. During the investigations Norris even walked to the offices of a newspaper and told reporters that the police had nothing on him.
Access to wards and insulin
Who did it? The police analysed medical staff rosters, phone records and personnel files to determine who had access to the wards and to insulin and who were on the wards when the patients’ conditions changed. It was found out that all staff members, except Norris could be ruled out as it was him who was on duty when all the mishaps occurred. He was also the only member of staff who worked on the two wards, where the deaths being investigated occurred.
To be continued...
