Killer Nurse (26 page)

Last, Herrington credited one man in particular above all the others: Sergeant Stephen Abbott of the Lufkin Police Department.

On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, there was a real conspiracy carried out in Lufkin. The week before, Herrington had been informed that the city was going to give Sergeant Abbott an award for his role in the Saenz investigation. Herrington never doubted that he deserved it. When they asked him if he would be there, he told them he wouldn't miss it.

When Herrington arrived, somebody congratulated him and he became suspicious, but after looking at the program that only listed Abbott, he relaxed—until he looked around and noticed his wife. At that moment, he realized that he'd been duped.

He wasn't the only one. It seemed that Abbott had shown up to support Herrington.

However, once there, the two men had no choice but to sit and take their medicine, as Mayor Bob Brown awarded them both Lufkin's meritorious service award.

The DaVita Lufkin Dialysis Center in Lufkin, Texas. In April of 2008, thirty-four patients were rushed to the emergency room.

(John Foxjohn)

Downtown Lufkin, Texas—no one believed that such a heinous series of crimes could have occurred in this nice East Texas town.

(Beth Folsom)

Opal Few. At ninety-one, she was the oldest alleged murder victim, but had been in excellent spirits right up until her death.

(Linda Few James)

Clara Strange. Marisa Fernandez, her granddaughter, kept her grandmother's number in her cell phone, wishing she could still call her.

(Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Cora Bryant. She left her family with the will to never give up.

(Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Garlin Kelley Jr. Mr. Kelley, here with his wife, LaFrancis, at a Lufkin Dunbar High School reunion, was an inspiration to all who knew him.

(LaFrancis Kelley)

Thelma Metcalf. Ms. Metcalf's death on April 1, 2008 was one of two that sparked the initial DaVita investigation.

(Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Marva Rhone. Ms. Rhone was one of the patients whom witnesses saw Saenz inject with bleach on April 28, 2008.

(Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Carolyn Risinger. Ms. Risinger was the second patient whom witnesses saw Saenz inject with bleach on April 28, 2008.

(Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Inside the DaVita Lufkin Dialysis Center.

(Lufkin Police Department)

A typical four-chair DaVita care station, with TV hanging over chair, dialysis machine, sharps container in front of chair, and caregiver's computer.

(Lufkin Police Department)

Kimberly Clark Saenz had only gotten her nursing license two and a half years earlier, but had already gone through five jobs by the time she landed the position at DaVita Lufkin.

(Angelina County Sheriff's Department)