How ‘Argentina's Lucy Letby' murdered 5 newborns & tried to kill 8 more in chillingly similar case to UK's baby killer
The case bears chilling similarities to that of Brit baby murderer Lucy Letby, the nurse who is serving 15 whole-life sentences for killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven more.
9
9
Brenda Cecilia Aguero, 29, stole deadly doses of potassium and insulin before injecting them into newborn babies between March and June of 2022, prosecutors said.
Similarly, Letby was accused of injecting air and insulin into the babies, as well as overfeeding them milk - but has always maintained her innocence.
Many have cast doubt over Letby's convictions and others suggest she was targeted in a 'witch hunt'.
In the chilling Argentine case, newborns tragically died initially under unexplained circumstances in a maternity hospital in Cordoba province, north-west of Buenos Aires.
Baby killer Aguero tried to murder eight other babies between March and June of 2022, but they managed to receive rapid, live-saving medical intervention, local media reports.
The 29-year-old will serve at least 35 years in prison before being eligible for parole, under Argentine law.
Aguero's mum, Cristina Nobile, mainains her daughter's innocence and told reporters she would continue to press to have her conviction overturned.
She added: "My daughter is innocent, and I will continue fighting."
Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Aguero's motivation behind the wicked killings was to further her career.
They say that she attacked the newborns in order to be the first to notice their symptoms and consequently impress her bosses.
But with five newborns dying within such a short space of time, the country's Health Ministry launched a probe.
An alarming pattern was noticed, with babies having unexplained puncture marks in areas where injections weren't typically administered.
Toxicology reports revealed that several of the babies had potassium or insulin levels that they couldn't have produced naturally.
And prosecutors argued that Aguero was the only person present during all the harrowing incidents and has "exclusive proximity" to the mums and their babies.
Aguero denied the charges and told the court "they have no evidence".
She also accused the media of portraying her as a "serial killer".
Ten other defendants, including the former health minister in Cordoba as well as the former hospital director, were accused of attempting to cover up the incidents and destroy evidence.
Five were found guilty but received shorter sentences, and the five others were acquitted - including the former provincial officials, local media reported.
9
9
9
The case bears chilling similarities to that of Brit Letby, now 34, who was last year given a whole life order in prison for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven more at Countess of Chester Hospital.
During her ten-month trial, which ended last August when she received a whole life sentence, it was revealed she injected her victims with air or insulin, overfed them and physically abused them with medical tools.
An application to appeal against her sentence was rejected in February of this year.
She was convicted across two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.
The 35-year-old from Hereford is serving 15 whole-life orders.
She lost two attempts to challenged her convictions at the Court of Appeal last year.
Separately, Dutch nurse Lucia de Berk was found guilty of killing seven and attempting to kill three of her young patients in 2003 and 2004.
Just like Letby's case, prosecutors claimed the smoking gun evidence came from a string of 'sinister' diary entries — and hospital shift patterns which revealed she had been present at all of the deaths.
9
9
9
De Berk spent five years behind bars at Scheveningen prison before the case went to the appeal court and was acquitted in 2010.
During police raids on Brit Letby's home after her arrest, officers took a specific interest in her diary, as well as other notes found in her bedroom.
One such scrawling, which went on to form a key part of the case against her, said: 'I am evil, I did this.'
It was emblazoned on a bright Post-It, alongside another saying: 'I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough.'
Her diary, meanwhile, found in a bedside drawer, was thought to have contained a sadistic trail of breadcrumbs.
These included coloured asterisks, as well as initials and words added to days that occasionally coincided with the dates of deaths or attacks she was later found guilty of.
Timeline of horror - how Letby targeted babies
LUCY Letby carried out her horrific crimes over a 12-month period at Countess of Chester Hospital.
She used insulin and air to inject newborns while working on the neo-natal ward.
The collapses and deaths of the children were not 'naturally-occurring tragedies' and instead the gruesome work of 'poisoner' Letby.
Her rampage was finally uncovered after staff grew suspicious of the "significant rise" in the number of babies dying or suffering "catastrophic" collapses.
Letby was found to be the "common denominator" among the horrifying incidents.
Officers then searched her three-bedroom home in Chester and discovered a chilling cache of evidence.
The nurse had scribbled haunting notes in diaries and on Post-It notes, including one that read: "I am evil I did this."
The note added: "I don't deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough to care for them.
"I am a horrible person."
A probe into whether Letby harmed any other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital is ongoing.
A corporate manslaughter investigation is also ongoing, as is now a gross negligence manslaughter one.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment gunmen flee London millionaire's enclave after assassinating Kurdish working men's club owner in 'gang-related shooting'
New video shows the moments after a father of three was gunned down on the street in a 'gang-related murder' in a wealthy north London neighbourhood - as new information emerged about his criminal past. Erdal Ozmen, a 45-year-old Kurdish social club owner, was shot dead on Dynevor Road in the millionaires' enclave of Stoke Newington, north London, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. CCTV obtained by the Daily Mail shows the suspected gunmen calmly fleeing the scene in a black Kia sport's car seconds after the shooting. The car is seen turning right out of Dynevor Road onto Stoke Newington High Street before stopping at the traffic lights. Moments later, the car speeds off. A friend of Mr Ozlem told the Mail: 'They were waiting outside. They were in a black Kia 2024. Someone shot him in the back then came back and kicked him and shot him another two times. 'There was one person and another waiting in the car. When they left, they waited 25 seconds at the traffic lights, that's how confident. They didn't hide their face, no masks, nothing.' Mr Ozmen was part of a group of men who were jailed in 2006 for trying to shoot dead a Turkish man outside a petrol station in Tottenham three years earlier, the friend confirmed. He and another man, Ibrahim Aslan, opened fire on the man but only wounded his right arm. Police were called at 0.18am on Tuesday and Mr Ozmen was pronounced dead at the scene, with a murder investigation then launched. No arrests have been made at this stage. Detectives believe the murder - which was the sixth fatal shooting in London so far this year - was an 'isolated incident' with 'no wider risk to the general public'. Residents claimed it was 'gang related', and police acknowledged it would 'concern within the Stoke Newington community' but have not given any indication of a motive. Witness Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives in the area, said: 'My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was "how do you know?" 'We both got up and had a look. A police officer was doing CPR where the person fell. It seemed like they were going forever.' Mr Ozmen has three brothers, who are set to join other members of his family to celebrate his life at a social club in Tottenham. Neighbours recalled seeing Mr Ozmen regularly hanging around the street he was gunned down on and going in and out of a 'sketchy' basement opposite where he was shot dead. Residents claimed the shooting was 'gang related', and police acknowledged it would 'concern within the Stoke Newington community' but have not given any indication of a motive Mr Ozmen's friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV that he was a 'very good guy, always helping people' Sandy Fabiszewska, 28, who has lived in a flat above the shooting scene for three years, said: 'I was in my bed and then I heard gunshots, it was like four gunshots. It was really loud. 'I was too scared to look out the window. When I finally came out my flatmate said don't look, don't look. 'There was just a dead man there. They tried to resuscitate him for quite a long time.' She added: 'My flatmate was outside and heard a car fleeing and someone saying 'Go, go, go'. There was definitely a car and that's why the Lime bike fell over. 'It was a car and 100 per cent more than one person. I heard screaming and a few people around. 'I think a few people came out of the basement wondering what happened.' Ms Fabiszewska said the victim would often go in and out of the basement below their flat where there was 'suspicious' activity and that it had been raided by police in the past. She explained: The flat below us is always suspicious to be honest. You can smell weed, I think they were dealing drugs. 'Then they got raided quite a while ago. I don't know what happened then. But the door was always open a few days before the shooting. People were in and out and I don't know what happened there. 'I definitely saw the victim walking around here before. He would just be going in and out of the suspicious basement below us with quite a lot of people, like five or six people.' Another local, who asked to remain anonymous, added: 'We were out when it happened so we didn't hear or see anything. 'But when we came back at around 1am, the whole area was cordoned off and the police officers told us that it will be a crime scene for a couple of days.' Mr Ozmen's friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV News: 'I've known him maybe more than 20 years. He is a very good guy, always helping people, he has two kids and family.' Four forensic officers in scrubs and masks were at the scene yesterday afternoon, alongside several police officers. A Lime bike was lying flat in the cordoned area. The forensic officers used torches to investigate underneath the nine cars parked on the street. Scotland Yard said the man's next of kin have been told and a post-mortem examination will take place. Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing for the area, said: 'Our team of detectives and forensic specialists are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to the tragic death of this man. 'We understand this incident will cause concern within the Stoke Newington community, however we do believe this to be an isolated incident at this stage of the investigation with no wider risk to the general public. 'Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out our enquiries. We thank them for their patience and co-operation at this time. 'We urge anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could assist us, to come forward as soon as possible.' A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 12.18am [on Tuesday] to reports of a shooting at the junction of Stoke Newington High Street and Dynevor Road, Hackney. 'We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, a paramedic from our tactical response unit and an incident response officer. 'We also dispatched a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in car. 'Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.' Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 108/5AUG. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Wealthy student charged with killing four sorority sisters hires top lawyer
The young BMW driver accused of mowing down and killing four sorority sisters in a horrific Malibu car crash pleaded not guilty as he appeared in court with his new hot-shot defense attorney Wednesday. Fraser Bohm, 23, was arraigned on murder and vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with the October 2023 deaths of Pepperdine University students Asha Weir, Peyton Stewart, Deslyn Williams, all 21, and 20-year-old Niamh Rolston. Dressed in a dark gray suit and tie, he did not speak as his new lawyer, Alan Jackson, entered the not-guilty pleas to four counts each of charge on his behalf at a courthouse in Van Nuys, California. The hearing lasted only a few minutes, during which Judge Thomas Rubinson granted the defense's request for a postponement to September 5. Wednesday's arraignment follows a delay granted last month, when newly-hired Jackson, who represented recently-acquitted murder suspect Karen Read, requested a continuance. Outside the courtroom, Jackson explained that he plans to raise 'several issues' at the next hearing, including filing a motion to reduce Bohm's $4million bail package that was granted after his arrest in 2023. Asked when he expects Bohm's jury trial to start, the renowned lawyer told Daily Mail: 'The prosecution has a head start on us and we have a lot of work to do to catch up. So I can't see trial starting before the end of 2025.' The prominent criminal defense attorney, who replaces Bohm's original lawyer Michael Kraut, is a former LA County Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted several high-profile cases, including the murder conviction of music producer Phil Spector. Since going into private practice, he's made a name for himself as a top defense attorney. Most recently, he successfully got Karen Read acquitted of murder charges in the widely-covered trial related to the death of her Boston Police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe. All four of the young women killed in the Malibu crash were seniors at Pepperdine's Seaver College of Liberal Arts where they were members of the Alpha Phi Sorority. They were due to graduate with the class of 2024 and later were awarded their Pepperdine degrees posthumously. They died when Bohm – driving allegedly at 104mph – crashed into three parked vehicles in the parking lane next to where the girls were walking after getting out of a car on Pacific Coast Highway where the speed limit is 45mph. 'They were killed because of the driving of the defendant,' Deputy District Attorney Nathan Bartos told an April preliminary hearing where Bohm was ordered to stand trial. Bartos pointed out that data retrieved from the 'black box' in the BMW showed that the vehicle accelerated from 93mph to 104mph just two and a half seconds before the crash. 'He consciously decided to get that vehicle up to the speed of 104 miles an hour,' the prosecutor added. 'And he lost control of his vehicle….. This was not an accident.' Bohm – who lives in Malibu – has maintained that the deadly crash was an accident that happened when 'some guy' in a white car swerved into his lane, hitting his driver's side mirror, causing him to slam into the three parked cars. The deadly crash sparked outrage from Malibu residents who have for years been calling for safety improvements to this stretch of PCH between Carbon Canyon and Las Flores Canyon where 53 deaths and 92 serious injuries between 2013 and 2023 earned it the nickname 'Dead Man's Curve.' On the one-year anniversary of the girls' deaths, Malibu officials met to discuss ways to improve safety and creating a California Highway Patrol Task Force to crack down on speeders and traffic offenders on the famous coastal highway. And recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill authorizing the installation of speed cameras on the 21-mile strip all the way through the ritzy, celebrity-filled enclave.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Suspect in shooting of Israel embassy couple faces hate crime and murder charges
Prosecutors have formally charged a suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC in May with hate crimes and first-degree murder. Along with the nine-count indictment against Elias Rodriguez, 31, the US Department of Justice filed legal findings that could allow the death penalty to be pursued in the case. Prosecutors say Mr Rodriguez opened fire on couple Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, outside the Capital Jewish Museum before shouting "Free Palestine" during his arrest. The defendant - who has been held in federal custody since he was arrested - has yet to enter a plea in court. Prosecutors say Mr Rodriguez, who is from Chicago, had expressed support for violence against Israelis, including in social media posts where he allegedly wrote: "Death to Israel."Prosecutors say he travelled from Chicago to the Washington DC area on 20 May with a handgun. They say Mr Rodriguez researched an event on 21 May at the Capital Jewish Museum. Prosecutors allege he bought a ticket to the event, which was sponsored by the American Jewish Committee and attended by both of the victims. The event was described as a networking opportunity to bring Jewish young professionals and the diplomatic community Mr Lischinsky and Ms Milgrim left the museum, the assailant allegedly fired 20 shots and told police at the scene: "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza." The Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said that Mr Lischinsky had just bought an engagement ring and was planning to propose to Ms Milgrim next week in say Mr Rodriguez wrote a document called "explication" in which he expressed his support for Palestine and claimed Israel was trying to exterminate Palestinians. In the charging documents, prosecutors also detailed Mr Rodriguez's eligibility for the death penalty, including that he was older than 18 years of age at the time of the shooting, that he allegedly intentionally killed the victims and did so after substantial planning.
