Ep 5. Bad Medicine

In Deadly Women season 2 episode 5, titled Bad Medicine, viewers are taken on a journey into the twisted minds of female killers who used medicine as a deadly weapon. The episode delves into the stories of four women who were trusted with the care of others, but instead used their position to commit heinous crimes.

The first story is that of nurse Kristen Gilbert, who was convicted of murdering four patients and attempting to murder two others by administering lethal doses of epinephrine while working at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Massachusetts. Gilbert's motive for the murders is believed to be her desire for attention and excitement, as she showed signs of Munchausen syndrome.

Next up is nurse Orville Lynn Majors, who was convicted of killing six patients by injecting them with potassium chloride while working at a hospital in Indiana. Majors had a history of lying and stealing, and it is believed that the power of life and death that she held over her patients gave her a sense of control that she craved.

The third story focuses on nurse Jane Toppan, who was known as "Jolly Jane" for her cheerful demeanor while working at a hospital in Massachusetts in the late 1800s. However, Toppan had a dark side, and she would use her position to slowly poison her patients with a lethal combination of drugs. Toppan's motive for the murders is believed to be her desire for sexual gratification, as she admitted to deriving pleasure from watching her victims die.

Finally, the episode examines the case of Dr. Kristen Heather Gilbert, a dermatologist who used her medical expertise to manipulate and abuse her patients, including injecting them with drugs and performing unnecessary surgeries. Gilbert's motive for her crimes is believed to be her desire for money and power.

Throughout the episode, experts provide insight into what could drive someone to commit such horrific acts, and how healthcare systems can work to prevent such crimes from happening in the future. Viewers are left with a chilling reminder that the people we trust with our health and well-being can sometimes be the ones who pose the greatest threat.