Mind of a Monster: The Killer Nurse

Episode 3: Ward C

Host: Dr. Michelle Ward
Date: October 7, 2025

Episode Overview

In this gripping installment, Dr. Michelle Ward explores the escalating pattern of deaths and emergency codes in Ward C at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Massachusetts, zeroing in on nurse Kristen Gilbert's increasingly suspicious behavior. The episode delves into how staff members began to suspect Kristen, the forensic methods used to detect medical serial killers, and the chilling motives that drive such crimes. Personal accounts from families, nurses, and psychological experts bring fresh insight into the culture of cover-up and the bravery of whistleblowers who stepped forward.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Strange Patterns in Patient Decline (03:33–06:02)

• Francis Marier’s Close Call: WWII veteran Francis Marier suffers an unexplained cardiac arrest shortly after Kristen’s intervention, despite no prior heart issues.
  • “It is unheard of for a patient to encounter serious heart issues following an injection of glucose. What has gone wrong?” – Dr. Michelle Ward [03:58]
• Statistical anomalies:
  • In 1995 there were four times as many deaths on Kristen’s evening shift (nearly 40), compared to 10 or fewer on other shifts.
  • Kristen activated the emergency alarm 72 times from 1989–1995, matching the total by all other nurses combined.

2. Colleague Suspicion & Recognition (06:02–12:26)

• Nurse Awareness:
  • Beatrice Yorker (criminal justice professor and nurse) explains why nurses notice irregularities before doctors:
    • “Nurses know each other. They know patients. Nurses know how hospitals are run, where things are kept, who comes and goes. Doctors come and go.” – Nurse Kathy Ricks [09:31]
• Building a Pattern:
  • Nurses like Kathy Ricks become alert to recurring codes on Kristen’s shifts, despite initial reluctance to suspect a colleague:
    • “She didn’t want to think it, but it was just. It was happening too often.” – Nurse Kathy Ricks [11:31]
• Obstacles:
  • Medical records are withheld or sent out, further stoking suspicion among families and staff.

3. How Killer Nurses Operate (14:27–20:03)

• Medical Murder Methods:
  • Most common is lethal injection via IV lines, with the favored drugs being potassium chloride, insulin, epinephrine, and even air.
  • Potassium chloride and epinephrine are difficult to detect in autopsies, making them popular with medical murderers.
  • “If you draw up a syringe with 10cc’s of air and you inject that air into an IV line, you will cause a heart attack.” – Beatrice Yorker [15:08]
• Motives & Modus Operandi:
  • Many are motivated by drama and attention, not mercy.
  • Creating “codes” allows the nurse to stand in the spotlight—either as savior or as instigator of chaos.

4. Patterns Recognized in Kristen’s Conduct (23:01–30:52)

• Escalation:
  • Multiple suspicious deaths under Kristen’s care are recounted:
    • Thomas Callahan goes into cardiac arrest with no clear cause [23:01–25:09]
    • Kenneth Cutting, a stable patient, dies abruptly after Kristen expresses a wish to leave early if he dies [29:31–30:19]
      • “Can I go home early if Kenneth dies tonight?” – Dr. Michelle Ward recounts Kristen’s words [29:31]
    • Lax record-keeping and casual possession of epinephrine by Kristen raise alarms.
  • Kristen is described as showing chilling lack of empathy and immediacy to resume her social life after deaths [30:19–30:52].

5. Psychological Profile and Motives (33:10–41:22)

• Common Traits in Medical Serial Killers:
  • Lie frequently, keep medications at home, skip between jobs, crave attention, prefer late shifts.
  • “They want to be the center of attention. They want to demonstrate their skills. These are not people who are slackers.” – Dr. Katherine Ramsland [34:05]
• The Munchausen by Proxy Link:
  • Motive often tied to “hero syndrome” or Munchausen by proxy—causing harm to draw attention and validation.
  • “I’m like those firefighters who set fires. That is the essence of...the Munchausen by proxy crisis causer.” – Reference to Richard Angelo, quoted by Beatrice Yorker [41:08]

6. The Whistleblowers Step In (41:22–47:29)

• Tracking the Drugs:
  • Kathy Ricks tracks epinephrine vials, noticing alarming depletion corresponding with Kristen’s shifts.
  • “Before she left, there were 18 vials...She checks again. There are now three.” – Dr. Michelle Ward [42:00–42:53]
• Final Straw & Reporting:
  • After another code and empty epinephrine stores, Kathy and others report Kristen to the nurse manager [46:40].
  • Episode closes with a tense meeting:
    • “Who here thinks Kristen Gilbert murdered the patients?...And all the investigators raised their hand.” – Narrator/Host [47:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It is unheard of for a patient to encounter serious heart issues following an injection of glucose. What has gone wrong?”
  – Dr. Michelle Ward [03:58]

• “Nurses know how hospitals are run...the doctor typically isn’t as involved with hospital life as everybody thinks they are. We do everything that’s right, so we’re aware of everything. And when something is out of kilter...you know what became routine.”
  – Nurse Kathy Ricks [09:31–10:41]

• “If you draw up a syringe with 10cc’s of air and you inject that air into an IV line, you will cause a heart attack.”
  – Beatrice Yorker [15:08]

• “She didn’t want to think it, but it was just. It was happening too often. I mean, their unit started getting a reputation after a while. And she. She was curious.”
  – Nurse Kathy Ricks [11:31]

• “They want to be the center of attention. They want to demonstrate their skills...They are people who do, you know, overwork, who come in and take extra hours because they want to be around when these things happen.”
  – Dr. Katherine Ramsland [34:05]

• “Can I go home early if Kenneth dies tonight?”
  – Kristin Gilbert (recounted), [29:31]

• “I’m like those firefighters who set fires. That is the essence of...the Munchausen by proxy crisis causer.”
  – Beatrice Yorker, referencing Richard Angelo [41:08]

• “Who here thinks Kristen Gilbert murdered the patients?” — “And all the investigators raised their hand.”
  – Narrator/Host with Family Member/Relative [47:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:33 – Suspicious events with Francis Marier and sudden cardiac arrest
• 04:59 – Statistical overview: High death rate during Kristen’s shifts
• 06:02 – Nurse Beatrice Yorker describes resuscitation patterns as red flags in serial killings
• 09:31 – Insight into nurse awareness and hospital routines from Kathy Ricks
• 14:27 – Discussion about typical methods used by healthcare serial killers
• 23:01 – Case of Thomas Callahan and medication anomalies in the ICU
• 29:31 – The abrupt death of Kenneth Cutting and Kristen’s chilling request
• 33:10 – Dr. Katherine Ramsland on profiling medical serial killers
• 41:22 – Munchausen by proxy explained as a motive
• 42:00 – Depleting epinephrine supplies in the ICU linked to Kristen’s shifts
• 47:18 – Investigators collectively suspect Kristen following staff reporting

Tone & Style

The episode is methodical, clinical, and compassionate in tone, reflective of Dr. Ward’s background as a psychologist. The narrative alternates between deeply personal recollections of families, the chilling matter-of-fact observations of medical staff, and forensic-level analysis. The frustration, disbelief, and mounting courage of whistleblowers are palpable, underscoring the gravity of the crisis in Ward C.

This summary covers all critical developments in the episode—from the unraveling of Kristen Gilbert’s pattern of subterfuge, to the formation of a groundswell of suspicion and the brave, coordinated stand taken by staff to halt the killing spree. The expert interviews and personal stories combine to keep the listener riveted and deeply unsettled by the realities of medical serial killers.