Lucy Letby: The Neonatal Nurse Behind Britain’s Most Disturbing Medical Murders
- D. Whitman
- Dec 1, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 17, 2025
Few cases in modern true crime are as chilling as the story of Lucy Letby, the neonatal nurse convicted of murdering infants under her care between 2015 and 2016.
This case file looks at who Lucy Letby was, when she was born, what happened on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and how her trial became one of the most shocking medical murder cases in British history.
She wasn’t a shadowy figure lurking in the night. She wasn’t a stranger, an intruder, or a monster with a mask.
She was a nurse — trusted, quiet, polite, and seemingly devoted to saving the most fragile lives.
Behind that mask was something far darker.
Welcome to Tales of the Twisted. This is the horrifying story of the nurse who was supposed to protect newborns…but instead became one of the most prolific medical killers in British history.
A Note That Shook the World
During a police search of Letby’s home, investigators found a single sheet of paper — covered with frantic handwriting.
In the middle, one line stood out:
“I am evil. I did this.”
To detectives, it was more than a note. It was a confession.
To Letby, it was “misunderstood.” To the families of her victims, it was confirmation of what they already feared.
Who Was Lucy Letby?
Born in 1990, Letby lived a seemingly ordinary life:
An only child
Loved by her parents
A graduate of the University of Chester
A neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital
She was described as:
“Quiet”
“Kind”
“Dedicated”
“A model employee”
No one suspected she was capable of harming anyone — especially not infants who weighed less than a bag of sugar.
And yet, that’s exactly what she did.
A Spike in Infant Collapses
Between June 2015 and June 2016, the neonatal unit experienced an unprecedented rise in catastrophic medical events:
Babies collapsing without explanation
Sudden drops in oxygen
Internal bleeding
Repeated collapses shortly after recovery
Multiple infant deaths
Doctors were alarmed.Parents were devastated.Nothing made sense.
Until they noticed a pattern.
Whenever a baby collapsed…Lucy Letby was there.
Not occasionally. Not by coincidence.Nearly every single time.
The Disturbing Methods
Investigators later revealed a horrifying series of methods Letby used to harm infants:
Injecting air into the bloodstream
Forcing air into the stomach
Overfeeding with milk
Adding insulin to IV bags
Tampering with breathing tubes
Each method caused traumatic, sudden medical crises that were difficult to detect.
These were not the actions of someone overwhelmed. They were the actions of someone intentional.
Doctors Sound the Alarm — and Are Ignored
Senior neonatologists noticed something impossible to ignore:
More collapses occurred when Letby was on shift than when she wasn’t.
They reported concerns to hospital administrators, urging them to remove her from the unit.
Instead, officials:
Defended Letby
Dismissed the warnings
Warned doctors not to pursue accusations
Told them to apologize to Letby
Allowed her to keep working with premature infants
This decision proved fatal.
The Victims
Letby was eventually convicted of:
7 murders
6 attempted murders
Her victims were premature, vulnerable newborns — some only hours or days old.
Some were:
Twins
Triplets
Babies who died after being attacked more than once
Infants who survived but suffered irreversible brain damage
Parents described watching a stable baby suddenly gasp for air or collapse moments after Letby entered the room.
One mother walked in on Letby standing over her child — an infant later found to have air injected into the bloodstream.
Letby calmly reassured her: “Trust me. I’m a nurse.”
The Investigation Finally Begins
After immense pressure, hospital staff finally removed Letby from the ward.
What happened next was the final clue investigators needed:
The collapses stopped.
Letby was moved to an administrative role. No infants died.None collapsed.
Eventually — and far too late — police were called.
What followed was one of the largest medical crime investigations in UK history:
22,000 pages of medical charts
Expert testimony from neonatology specialists
Forensic insulin testing
Interviews with parents and staff
Years of investigation
The case against Letby grew stronger with every file reviewed.
The Trial That Shocked the World
The trial lasted nearly a year.
Families sat through testimony describing unimaginable details of how their children were harmed. Letby’s emotions were sporadic:
Detached during medical testimony
Blank when accused
Tearful when discussing her pet cat, not the victims
The contrast was chilling.
In August 2023, Letby was found guilty on nearly every count.
She received a whole-life order, one of the rarest sentences in the UK — ensuring she will die behind bars.
Only a handful of criminals in the nation’s history have ever received such a punishment.
Why Did She Do It?
Letby has never given a clear explanation.
Psychologists and investigators propose several motives:
A need for control
A craving for attention from colleagues
A desire to appear as a “heroic” nurse in times of crisis
Emotional fixation on certain parents
Thrill-seeking behavior
A pattern of manipulation
One theory suggests she caused collapses so she could “save” the infants — basking in praise when she appeared to intervene.
But the truth may never fully be known.
Hospital Failures and Ongoing Inquiry
Letby’s case exposed catastrophic failures within the healthcare system:
Whistleblowers silenced
Concerns ignored
Doctors threatened
Administrators protecting reputation over safety
A full public inquiry is underway, examining how management enabled Letby to continue harming infants long after warning signs emerged.
For many families, that inquiry will determine not just how this happened…but how it was allowed to continue.
FAQ: Common Questions About the Lucy Letby Case
How many babies was Lucy Letby convicted of murdering?Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more while working as a neonatal nurse on the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. Her victims were premature and vulnerable infants, some of whom were attacked more than once.
Where did the Lucy Letby murders take place?The crimes linked to Lucy Letby took place at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, England. Investigators later reviewed her work at another hospital as well, but the main charges and trial focused on events in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester.
How did Lucy Letby harm the babies in her care?Investigators and medical experts testified that Lucy Letby used several methods to harm babies, including injecting air into their bloodstream, forcing air into their stomachs, overfeeding them with milk, adding insulin to IV bags, and tampering with breathing equipment. These methods created sudden, hard-to-explain collapses that initially looked like natural medical emergencies.
Why did doctors suspect Lucy Letby?Senior doctors noticed a disturbing pattern: a spike in unexplained collapses and deaths that clustered around Letby’s shifts. When she was on duty, more babies crashed; when she was moved off the ward, the events stopped. Repeated attempts by doctors to raise concerns with hospital management were initially dismissed.
What sentence did Lucy Letby receive?Lucy Letby received a rare whole-life sentence, meaning she is expected to spend the rest of her life in prison with no possibility of parole. Only a small number of offenders in the UK have ever been given this type of sentence.
Why is there a public inquiry into the Lucy Letby case?The case exposed serious failures in how the hospital handled whistleblower warnings and patient safety concerns. A public inquiry is examining why doctors’ alarms were ignored, how management decisions allowed Letby to keep working on the ward, and what changes are needed so similar warnings are never brushed aside again.
If you're drawn to cases where truth is more disturbing than fiction, explore these episodes:
A Final Note from the Case
Those infamous words found in Letby’s home still echo across the investigation:
“I am evil. I did this.”
A confession? A cry for help? A distorted reflection of guilt?
For the families…The meaning is painfully clear.
Listen to the full audio episode of Lucy Letby or choose to read the full episode transcript.
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