Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer. Photo via Facebook
A Woodstock, Ontario, registered nurse has been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder, relating to elderly patients under her care, according to information released by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Tuesday.Forty-nine-year-old Elizabeth Tracy Mae Wettlaufer is accused by police of having fatally administered a drug to eight patients over the course of seven years, and is reportedly an employee of Caressant Care—a company that runs 15 nursing facilities, six of which are in southern Ontario.According to the police, the investigation began on September 29 in Woodstock, but eventually expanded to areas of London, Oxford, and Brant, Ontario. The victims ages range from 75 to 96 and were all in long-term care. A few of them had died in Caressant facilities outside of Woodstock.In order of the time of death, from 2007 to 2014, the victims have been identified as James Silcox, 84; Maurice Granat, 84; Gladys Millard 87; Helen Matheson, 95; Mary Zurawinski, 96; Helen Young, 90; Maureen Pickering, 79; and Arpad Horvath, 75.Caressant Care said in a news release that they are "cooperating fully" with police in the investigation, but were unable to respond immediately to VICE's request for comment. The OPP's Sgt. Dave Rektor, who is handling communications for the case, was also unable to be reached at time of publication.Updates to follow.Follow Jake Kivanc on Twitter.
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