THE NEW JERSEY ANGEL OF DEATH

Rex Huermann, a Long Island husband and father, has been charged with the murders of at least three women, and has pleaded not guilty to a multitude of other connected killings. The murders come as a shock to the family and neighborhood, as most caught serial killers who live double lives tend to do.

In relation to last weeks newsletter highlighting the struggle of modern nurses, the news coverage of a new serial killer reminds us as to how a necessity for help may lead us to allowing bad nurses to slip into the system. It has happened once before in 1986, with New Jersey serial killer Charles Cullen.

Who is he?

Charles Cullen was born in West Orange, New Jersey in 1960 as the youngest of 8 siblings in a deeply religious household. His childhood was self described as “miserable”.

He first attempted suicide at the age of 9 years old due to constant bullying from classmates and his older siblings’ boyfriends. This showed a glimpse of what the rest of his life would contain as Cullen attempted suicide about 20 more times throughout it.

After the death of his mother at the age of 17, Cullen enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and after somehow passing the psychological test, was deployed into the submarine division. Cullen served here for 6 years, until being discharged in 1984 after a series of suicide attempts.

What did he do?

Charles Cullen's path into the healthcare profession began that same year when he enrolled in Mountainside School of Nursing. He pursued a nursing degree and started working in various hospitals in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania area. However, instead of becoming a guardian of health, he turned into an angel of death.

Cullen's dark descent began in the 1988, when he administered a lethal overdose to Municipal Court Judge John W. Yengo Sr., 72 causing his heart to stop. The reasons behind his malevolence remain elusive, with speculations ranging from a desire for control to a warped sense of mercy-killing.

Over the years, Charles Cullen continued his killing spree, moving from hospital to hospital, leaving a trail of death in his wake. Astonishingly, it wasn't until 2003, after a near-miss with law enforcement, that his horrifying deeds came to light.

Arrested in December of that year, he began to confess to the countless murders he had committed, leading investigators into a nightmarish labyrinth of destruction.

What Happened to him?

In 2006, Cullen was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences for his crimes, solidifying his place as one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. However, the true extent of his murderous spree may never be fully known, as some believe he may have taken the lives of hundreds of patients over his dark career.

The 16 year spree shows us what can happen when the wrong hands get a grip on an extraordinary amount of power, and shows us how malevolent one person could be.

Thank you to all the nurses that make this state a better place everyday, and overshadow the evil of one person. Keep up the good fight and s=continue to give the future role models to admire💃🏽.

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