Genene Jones

Genene Anne Jones, born on July 13th, 1950 is an American serial killer who killed somewhere between 11 and 46 children during the 1970s and 1980s. The exact number is still unknown because the hospital staff where she worked adapted destroyed records of evidence in light of upcoming litigation. Formerly a nurse, Jones used injections of digoxin, heparin, and later succinylcholine to induce medical crises in her patients to revive them afterward and receive attention and praise for doing so. 

Early life

Jones never had the luxury of getting to know her birth mother and was adopted by a nightclub owner and his wife. Eventually, Genene Jones worked as a beautician before attending nursing school in the late 1970s. In 1978 Genene Jones got married and shortly after had one child with her new husband. However, the relationship ended three years later when the couple decided to separate but remain friends. Three years later, Genene Jones and her previous husband reunited and had another child together in 1977. Just before she was indicted, Jones married a 19-year-old nursing assistant and the marriage ended a short time later when she filed for divorce. 

Career and Murders 

Genene Jones had an affinity with doctors because she viewed them as being mysterious and powerful; she wanted to get close to them, so she trained for a year to become a vocational nurse, which is a registered nursing license. She became obsessed with diagnosing people. In early 1982 after only eight months at her first job at San Antonio’s Methodist Hospital, she was fired for making rude demands on patients who subsequently complained about her.

When Genene Jones returned to the pediatric intensive care unit at the Bexar County Medical Center, she left behind a trail of carnage that would almost certainly have raised eyebrows—if not for one thing. She was never investigated by the hospital after a series of improbable child deaths during her tenure there because officials feared that they would be sued. The hospital simply asked all of their LVNs, including Jones, to resign and then they hired only registered nurses into this department. 

Genene Jones had been using succinylcholine to poison patients before being hired as a pediatric nurse at a Kerrville clinic. She was later charged with murdering one child and severely injuring several others. According to the doctors on staff, there were two puncture marks found in a filled vial of succinylcholine in the drug storage of the office and only she and Jones had access to the room. Jones insisted she was trying to help the development of an intensive care unit at her place of employment.

Prosecution

In 1985, Jones was sentenced to 99 years in prison for the murders of Chelsea McClellan and 60 years in prison for nearly killing Rolando Santos. She used succinylcholine and heparin respectively for the two crimes. 

Genene Jones was to be released in 2018 due to an old Texas law meant to prevent prison overcrowding, so she was indicted on May 25, 2017, for the murder of Joshua Sawyer. Jones was sentenced to life in prison on January 16, 2020, as part of a plea deal in which four other charges were dropped. She won’t be eligible for parole until she turns roughly 87 years old.