Elizabeth Wettlaufer, 50, a former nurse, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing eight elderly patients in her care, and for the attempted murder or assault of six others.

Wettlaufer turned herself in last year for crimes no one else had known were committed. Her victims were between the ages of 75 and 96. All patients given fatal doses of insulin, whether they were diabetic or not.

Family members tearfully spoke about learning, sometimes years later, that their loved one had not died peacefully.

“We all feel the same, and to know you’re not alone in how we feel, betrayed, angry, hurt, guilt.” said Laura Jackson.

They want the system to change.

The judge said that if she hadn’t turned herself in, no one would have ever known of Wettlaufer’s crimes, and she could still be killing people.

This is why she says she stopped herself from killing patients with insulin overdoses.

Wettlaufer said stopped herself from killing patients with insulin overdoses because “my supervisor came and said to me, ‘I’m really sorry, we wanted you for Woodstock but we have so many kids in schools from Ingersoll that need help with their insulin pumps that, you’re going to start working in Ingersoll.’ And I panicked. I panicked. I didn’t want to do that. because I felt, you know what if? Those are kids.”

Crown Fraser Kelly said Wettlaufer’s confession was played in court because there was no way to summarize her words.

“The content of her confession was not only very peculiar, but it was also factually extensive.”

Sentencing was a joint submission by the Crown and defence and the judge agreed, so Wettlaufer will get a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years, for eight murders, four attempted murders, and two aggravated assaults.

“I looked directly at her, because I really wanted to, and I saw, for the first time, fear. I think she understands the hatred I have for her.”

She was no angel of mercy for the suffering, the judge said. She was the shadow of death that passed over them at night.