‘Sinister’ nurse who murdered seven babies in neonatal unit has no known motive

Lucy Letby He was found to have committed the crimes between 2015 and 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit in Chester, England.

Throughout the trial, Manchester Crown Court heard disturbing testimony describing methods and gruesome facts surrounding the killings. However, the Crown Prosecution Service is still puzzling over one of the key details of the case.

Investigators had identified the baby killer’s preferred method, the use of lethal air injections, and claimed it was “one of her preferred ways of killing or killing children in this case.”

But the question of why the 33-year-old committed the crimes is still being investigated.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Hughes spoke ahead of this week’s verdict People to explain the puzzling question underlying this case.

“Ultimately, the only person who can answer the question of why is Lucy Letby herself,” mused Hughes. “As [with] In any investigation, the Foundation aims to follow the evidence, not speculate on the motive. So if the subject is interesting, if you can find it, then we don’t put tons of resources into it because it’s more about the evidence.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll ever know unless she tells us,” the inspector said. “As for the interviews, I don’t think anything came out of the interviews.”

During the trial, a November 2020 interview was shared with Letby and an investigator, in which she explained why she photographed a letter of condolence she sent to the grieving parents of one of her little victims. The letter of condolence was sent a few weeks after the child’s death in 2015 (referred to as Child I in the trial) – after three previous attempts to kill her.

“I think it was nice to remember the kind words I shared with this family,” the nurse said at the time.

The Condolence card presented to the courtThe caption read: “Your loved one will be remembered with many smiles.”

“There are no words that can make this time easier,” the note began. “It was a real privilege to take care of it [Child I] and get to know each other as a family – a family that is always there [Child I] first and did everything possible for her. She will always be a part of your life and we will never forget her.

“I think of you today and always. Love Lucy x,” the message ended, while Letby expressed regret at not being able to attend the funeral.

At trial, the jury was told that a search of Letby’s home had found Post-It notes containing mixed messages about the murders. She wrote, “I’m a terribly bad person… I AM EVIL, I DID THIS”; “I don’t deserve to live. I killed her on purpose because I’m not good enough to take care of her”; while other news stated she was innocent.

Inspector Hughes believes there is enough evidence to establish that a “sinister spirit” is behind the crimes.

“But when you listen to the evidence and actually see how delicate these babies are in the situation they’re in, it makes you realize that it doesn’t take much at all, and it becomes very clear that someone with a dark spirit in this environment… I believe [can] “Create the opportunity to do harm,” he said.

Letby claimed in May, when she took the stand to defend herself, that she never intended to do anything bad while working in the neonatal unit.

When prosecutors delivered their closing arguments a month later, they asked the jury to “put all the pieces of the puzzle together” to form their own “cumulative picture.”