United States of America
JACKSON
Vickie Dawn
Active from 2000-2001 in Nocona, Texas
DID YOU KNOW...
Investigative Fact
Jackson was guilty of murder of all 10 exhumed patients
Separation Fact
The last victim was her estranged husband's grandfather
Litigious Fact
The hospital was sued for negligence before anyone was arrested
THE DISPATCH
The Beginning
Nocona was a small town in Texas, with 3,100 people in the year 2000. The Nocona General Hospital was the only medical facility and the second largest employer. It had 38 beds. It averaged 50-55 deaths a year.
Vickie Dawn Jackson was a vocational nurse at the Nocona General Hospital. A licensed vocational nurse in Texas needs 1-2 years of training. It gave her a chance to learn about paralytic drugs. Her drug of choice was mivacurium chloride (Mivacron), a powerful muscle relaxant normally kept on crash carts. Whenever the drug went missing from the cart, the hospital would replace it without asking too many questions. Mivacron is not a “controlled substance”. At a high enough dose in an elderly or fragile patient, the drug would cause the victim to stop breathing.
Jackson often targeted people who had slighted her. Orvel Moore called her a fat ass. She went after her estranged husband’s grandfather to get back at her husband.
One young woman who survived, Lydia Diane Weatherread, had rejected Jackson’s son’s advances. After Weatherread entered the hospital, Jackson gave Weatherread an injection of muscle relaxant. On January 28, 2001, the young woman almost died following the injection.
Between December 2000 and February 2001, Jackson murdered at least 10 patients at the Nocona General Hospital. Hospital staff gossiped, but as is often the case, the murders continued.
The Murders
Donna "Donnie" Alice Jennings
- December 11, 2000
Donna “Donnie” Alice Jennings, 100, died.
Sanford Ray Mitchell
- December 20, 2000
Sanford Ray Mitchell, 62, died.
James Wesley Gore
- December 29, 2000
James Wesley Gore, 80, died.
Jimmy "Jim" Ray Holder
- January 7, 2001
Jackson went to the bedside of 65-year-old Jimmy “Jim” Ray Holder on the night of January 7, 2001. She injected him with a muscle relaxant, and summoned other nurses to help. She stood by and watched him die.
Dorothy Jean Vanderburg
- January 7, 2001
Dorothy Jean Vanderburg, 78, died the same night as Jimmy Holder.
J. T. Nichols
- January 11, 2001
Eighty-year-old J. T. Nichols was in the hospital with pneumonia. It was his bad luck that it was the Nocona General Hospital during Jackson’s shift. She gave him an overdose of her drug of choice, Mivacron. He died on January 11, 2001.
John Walter Williams
- January 11, 2001
Like Nichols, John Walter Williams, 78 died on January 11, 2001. He also had Jackson as a nurse.
Omo Ovella Glenn Wyler
- January 24, 2001
On January 24, 2001, 95-year-old Omo Ovella Glenn Wyler was in the hospital. She suffered from congestive heart failure, but had been treated and was set to go home. Jackson gave her an injection of Mivacron. Wyler stopped breathing. It was the second time Jackson tried to kill her. This time, she succeeded.
Orvel Lee Moore Jr.
- January 30, 2001
On January 30, 2001, Orvel Lee Moore Jr. made the mistake of calling Jackson, a fat ass. She injected him with Mivacron. He died at age 82.
Everett E. "Preacher" Jackson
- February 4, 2001
On February 4, 2001, Everett E. “Preacher” Jackson was admitted to the Nocona General Hospital. He had cellulitis and a fever. Everett was the grandfather of Jackson’s estranged husband, Kirk Jackson. Jackson injected him with Mivacrone. She let the other staff know Everett was dead. One of the other staff was Kirk Jackson. He worked at the same hospital as a nurse’s aide.
Discovery, Arrest & Trial
Jackson Removed From Duties
- February 21, 2001
Between December 2000 and January 2001, Nocona General Hospital authorities saw a twofold increase in patient deaths. Jackson was removed from her duties on February 21, 2001, long before any charges were laid. Her nursing license was later revoked.
In April, the hospital brought in local, state and federal authorities to help them investigate. They investigated more than 20 deaths of patients given Mivacron.
Hospital Sued
- May, 2001
The families of Jackson’s patients alleged the hospital was negligent. Everyone except authorities blamed Jackson. In May, 2001, the families of many patients under Jackson’s care filed 2 different lawsuits against the hospital.
Jackson Arrested
- July 16, 2002
A Grand Jury was empaneled. They returned indictments of capital murder. On July 16, 2002, police arrested Jackson on 4 counts of murder. She was suspected of at least 16 more murders. Authorities continued exhuming bodies and performing autopsies.
More Murder Charges
- January 26, 2004
Jackson, who was awaiting trial in 2 deaths, is indicted for another 6 murders on January 26, 2004. She was eventually charged total of 10 murders (authorities had only exhumed 10), but initially goes to trial for just 2.
Murder Case Mistrial
- March 14, 2005
On March 14, 2005, the judge declared a mistrial due to a prosecutor’s comment during opening arguments. It was prejudicial. The prosecutor said that no one – not even Jackson herself – may ever be able to provide a motive. Jackson’s defense attorney objected, saying that indicated Jackson would testify. The objection was overruled, and the defense attorney objected a second time. The judge declared a mistrial. A new trial was set. Jackson pleaded no contest on October 3rd, 2006.
Jackson Pleads, Sentenced to Life
- October 3, 2006
On October 3, Jackson pleaded no contest to capital murder. On October 5, 2006, Jackson received an automatic life sentence with parole eligibility in 40 years. This sentence covers the deaths of 10 patients. Due to privacy laws, there is some question on who those 10 people are. It appears they are Everett Jackson, Nichols, Wyler, Holder, Jennings, Mitchell, Gore, Vanderburg, Williams and Moore. She was suspected by authorities of other similar murders that had gone undetected.
Vickie Dawn Jackson’s Location
Vickie Dawn Jackson is incarcerated in the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas. She is eligible for parole on July 16, 2042 at the earliest.
SIMILAR SERIAL KILLERS
Rodney Alcala
Alcala and Jackson were both 36 years old when arrested
Cecile Bombeek
Bombeek, aka Sister Godfrida, was also a medical serial killer
Daisuke Mori
Mori was a nurse in Japan who also killed 10 patients with muscle relaxants
BOOKS
Books about or including Vickie Dawn Jackson
Healthcare Crime: Investigating Abuse, Fraud, and Homicide by Caregivers by Kelly M. Pyrek
Publisher: CRC Press; 1st edition (Jan. 19 2011)
Language : English
Hardcover : 332 pages
ISBN-10 : 9781439820339
ISBN-13 : 978-1439820339
Crime perpetrated by healthcare professionals is increasingly pervasive in today’s hospitals and other healthcare settings. Patients, coworkers, and employers are vulnerable to exploitation, fraud, abuse, and even murder. Investigative journalist Kelly M. Pyrek interviews experts who provide accounts concerning the range of criminality lurking in the healthcare setting in Healthcare Crime: Investigating Abuse, Fraud, and Homicide by Caregivers.
Examines the root causes and the opportunities
The book begins by offering perspectives on how the stressors inherent in the healthcare profession can contribute to aberrant behavior by medical practitioners. It then examines breaches of patient privacy, which can easily occur in today’s age of technology. Highlighting appalling cases of exploitation, the book also suggests guidelines to safeguard patient privacy.
Identifies the victims most at risk, and those who are their greatest threats
In a chapter on abuse and assault, the book cites psychological studies that explain the root causes of victimization. It highlights the patient populations most at risk: disabled, psychiatric, and elderly, and identifies the chief victimizers: physicians, psychiatrists, dentists, pediatricians, and nursing assistants and aides. The book also examines the types of financial fraud and theft that can be perpetrated against not only patients but also employers and government agencies, and provides expert insight on how to take preventative measures.
Discusses notorious serial murders in the medical profession
Providing accounts of well-known healthcare-related homicides and suspicious deaths, the book also presents insights from forensic and serial murder experts as to why these incidents occur, warning signs to watch out for, and how to conduct a proper investigation. The final chapter examines simple, straightforward strategies for improving the level of quality of care and safety provided by healthcare institutions. With greater accountability and oversight, patients can once again feel secure that their providers are embracing the maxim “Above all, do no harm.”
Forensic Nursing Science by Virginia A. Lynch and Janet Barber Duval
Publisher : Elsevier Canada; 2 edition (July 23 2010)
Language : English
Hardcover : 704 pages
ISBN-10 : 0323066372
ISBN-13 : 978-0323066372
Written and edited by the most respected authorities in forensic nursing and forensic sciences, this new edition provides the tools and concepts you need to collect evidence that is admissible in court, determine the significance of that evidence, and provide accurate, reliable testimony while administering high-quality patient care. Now in full color throughout, it remains the most comprehensive, highly illustrated text of its kind.
Provides a comprehensive, updated guide to forensic nursing science, paying special attention to the International Association of Forensic Nurses’s (IAFN) goals for forensic nursing.
Retains a focus on assessment skills and the collection and preservation of evidence, following the established guidelines of the forensic sciences. Prepares you to provide testimony as a fact witness or a forensic nursing expert. Includes an illustrated case study in almost every chapter, helping you relate the information to clinical practice.
Highlights important recommendations for interventions in Best Practice boxes, including the evidence base for each.
Summarizes important points in Key Point boxes, so you can quickly review the most important concepts in each chapter.
Explores the evolving role of forensic nurses in today’s health care facilities and the community.
Edited by Virginia Lynch, founding member and first President of the International Association of Forensic Nurses and Janet Barber Duval, both well-respected pioneers and educators in the field.
Contains 300 full-color illustrations integrated throughout the text, so you can view evidence quickly and easily, as it is likely to appear in practice.
Presents information on courtroom testimony and depositions in one reorganized, streamlined chapter, giving you a full, organized treatment of this extremely important topic.
Includes twelve new chapters: Digital Evidence, Medical Evidence Recovery at the Death Scene, Asphyxia, Electrical and Thermal Injury, Intrafamilial Homicide and Unexplained Childhood Death, Human Trafficking, Credential Development for Forensic Nurses, Gangs and Hate Crimes, Ethics Issues in Forensic Nursing, Forensic Physics and Fracture Analysis, Sexual Deviant Behaviors and Crime and Forensic Epidemiology.
Contains heavily revised information on Prehospital Evidence, Forensic Investigation in the Hospital, and Human Abuse and Deaths in Custody.
Features critical thinking questions with every case study, so you can thoroughly consider the implications of each clinical scenario.
Evolve site will include appendices and additional documentation materials.
Inside the Minds of Healthcare Serial Killers: Why They Kill by Katherine M. Ramsland
Publisher : Praeger; 1st edition (Aug. 30 2007)
Language : English
Hardcover : 176 pages
ISBN-10 : 0275994228
ISBN-13 : 978-0275994228
In 2004, Charles Cullen was arrested and charged in the deaths of more than 30 patients in his care. Crossing several jurisdictions in seven counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he was stopped after a fifteen-year spree at ten institutions. While many people do not think of healthcare workers as serial killers, their profession is disproportionately represented among the serial killer population, and they tend to be more prolific than other serial killers, having more opportunities, better cover, and easy alibis. Healthcare professionals who kill have learned how to exploit the atmosphere of trust in the healthcare community and to hasten deaths that may go unnoticed in an already vulnerable arena. This book delves into the world of the healthcare serial killer, looking at the special characteristics of the different groups of murderers, the motives, the methods, and the outcomes.
Crime specialists have long suspected that many healthcare serial killers have gone undetected. Because it is easier to cover up their crimes, it is harder to uncover that a crime has even been committed. Here, Ramsland identifies some of the warning signs that a serial killer may be on the loose in a healthcare setting. Further, she offers suggestions for reform in the healthcare and criminal justice communities that would help identify potential killers before they have a chance to strike, or strike again. Using numerous real-life cases in every chapter, she provides a fuller picture of this most deadly type of serial killer and helps readers understand how they work, and how they can be stopped.
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
Vickie Dawn Jackson – Angel of Death by stewART & crime
Vickie Dawn Jackson by Gone Hunting
Vickie Dawn Jackson Part 1 by Unusually Absurd
Vickie Dawn Jackson Part 2 by Unusually Absurd
THE STATS
Killer in a Historical Timeline
Statistical table for Vickie Dawn Jackson
| Killer Name | Jackson, Vickie Dawn |
| Gender | F |
| Arrest Date | July 16, 2002 |
| Conviction Date | October 3, 2006 |
| Sentence | Life term |
| Birth Date | 1966 |
| Status | Alive or Unknown |
| School Other | Licensed nurse |
| Job Types | Vocational nurse |
| Labour Type | Blue |
| Killer Type | Medical/Angel of death, Stationary |
| Total Dead Victims | 10 |
| Victims (Convicted) | 10 |
| Victim Gender | Various |
| Victim Age | 100, 62, 80, 65, 78, 80, 95, 82 |
| Victim Type | Patients |
| Victim Type 2 | Patients she didn't like |
| Method of Killing | Drug overdose |
| Weapon | mivacurium chloride (Mivacron) |
| Body - Left, Not Hidden | Yes |
Killer Rating
RESOURCES
- The Tyler Courier-Times (Apr 08, 2001)
- Clarion-Ledger (May 04, 2001)
- The Monitor (May 12, 2001)
- El Paso Times (Jun 12, 2001)
- The Los Angeles Times Pt. 1 (Jun 27, 2001)
- The Los Angeles Times Pt. 2 (Jun 27, 2001)
- The Los Angeles Times (Jul 18, 2002)
- Southern Illinoisan (Jan 27, 2004)
- The Monitor (Mar 15, 2005)
- The Marshall News Messenger (Oct 06, 2006)
E. Kelly Hemingway | Last updated August 12, 2021