SAN ANTONIO – The tragic case of the so-called Killer Nurse began with the conviction of Genene Jones in 1984 for the murder of a 15-month-old Kerrville baby.
The case that spanned nearly four decades finally ended last week when Jones pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for the 1981 death of an infant under her care when she worked at a local hospital.
Genene Jones’ Bible returned in accordance with plea agreement
In each case, and in at least 40 other infant-death cases in which she is a suspect, the infants died from a lethal dose of a muscle relaxant or pain medication, officials said.
"For her to decide, on her watch, who lived and who died is nothing short of evil," Bexar County District Attorney Major Crimes Chief Catherine Babbitt said after the sentencing.
Babbitt took over the investigation that began two years earlier under Nicholas "Nico" LaHood, who was the district attorney at the time.
"It was bittersweet," LaHood said Tuesday as he discussed the resolution of the case. "We wanted to finish it out, but the fact that it was finished out to some degree was victory for us."
‘Killer Nurse’ Genene Jones pleads guilty, gets life in prison
Politics and personalities aside, LaHood said the priorities have always been to get justice for the families of the babies.
"Regardless of how we would've handled the case, in the end, the fact that she pled was a victory for the families," LaHood said.
“This has been one of the most challenging cases,” Babbitt said. “But it is also a great lesson on perseverance.”