Convicted of murder as a teen and now a nurse

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I know of someone who was convicted of murder as a teen. I won't go into details because the case is somewhat famous due to the fact there was a made-for-tv movie. The person in question did their time and is now in their 40's and is a RN. They legally changed their name but because some website had this information posted the new name has been discovered.

My question is how does someone who has a murder conviction become an RN. I know that the person was tried as a juvenile and sentenced as one but don't they have to disclose this information to the BON?

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
If a convicted of that king is an RN the're shouldn't be any problem to stop people from received their license from BON.best of luck.

Um, Huh?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Um, Huh?

Double umm, huh?

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In my world, there IS no forgiveness for murder, as the person she murdered cannot possibly forgive her.....and as the victim is the person harmed, it's not up to ME to forgive her. Don't live my life by what Jesus would or wouldn't do; it's irrelevant IMHO.

I don't care if this happened when she was 16 or 22. She killed someone in cold blood for nothing more than her own selfish desires. So yes, I think I would be allowed my opinion that I wouldn't want her anywhere near helpless patients, lest one of them decide to call her "weird"! :cyclops:

Agree. Killing people directly relates to the qualifications for nursing. If that isn't moral turpitude, I don't know what is. This particular killing was not justified.

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Most murderers actually "only" kill once.

Once is more than too much.

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I wish TheGooch would weigh in. I guess she is working, or hopefully enjoying Memorial Day weekend!

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Macawake said:

It's been more than twenty years since she was released. If she hasn't committed a violent crime since, I doubt that she will now. If you don't believe me, do some research on recidivism among homicide offenders and the particular circumstances of her case. From what I understand she has now become a functioning member of society, who works/supports herself and has a family.

What possible good can come from stirring this particular pot?

I have to wonder 'what good, indeed' too.

No doubt whatsoever this is a disgusting crime and the loss of the murdered girl's life is beyond inexcusable.

But do we really want to be a society that draconian, to lock up a sixteen year old to rot in jail for life, with no chance for redemption (not the religious kind)? Is being that harsh really the best thing for everyone? That's what I'd like to know.

Stirring this pot again, to me, is more about the people stirring it and their issues than anything else. What do we (including myself here!) think we are accomplishing by participating in this public shaming? It's nothing respectable, and no good for anyone will come of it, except for indulging in that old, old human instinct to grab a pitchfork and chase the village pariah out of town.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

Maybe it's possible that becoming a nurse was a way of paying a penance so to speak. (I may not be using that phrase correctly). I took a life now I am helping preserve/improve lives.

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My opinion on this is that she should NOT be a nurse. From the case facts this was definitely premeditated and she went on for some time living her life as normal before she was caught. One of her parole board members stated that he felt she had not be rehabilitated and showed anger and aggressive tendencies up to the date of her parole at what would be considered an adult age. So in this case I definitely see red flags with her being licensed in the care of others.

I follow along with the opinion of some others here that agree that even if she has served the time she was given (it wasn't enough IMO), I don't believe that she should regain all the privileges of non murderous people.

I would not want this person working along side of me, let alone treating me or my loved ones.

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Funny, it's not like I never think about this . . . one of my close friends (like spending many nights with, hanging out several nights a week with) from grade, middle and high school was an accomplice in the murder of her own father back in the early 80's when she was 16 years old.

I knew this chick very well, and what she did made no sense whatsoever with what any of us knew of her. She was an innocent, but she had an angry streak no one really knew about. She'd been raped by her mom's boyfriend for four years before moving down to live with her dad (no wonder she was always asking me to spend the night!). Her dad dealt cards and well, cocaine. Her boyfriend killed her father but she participated in the act and refused to testify against him. She went to prison for 7 years. We met up after she got out of prison. We couldn't even RELATE to one another :( even though I had absolutely no fear of her or hard feelings (I'd known the whole story thanks to the trial).

Anyway, myself and a couple others have tried to find her, but she's vanished. No doubt she's got a new name and a new life, I sincerely hope.

It's hard to condemn someone you KNOW, no matter what they've done, when you know them intimately and the relationship was FINE, a very happy teenage girl friendship. That speaks to the issue of what causes us to grab up our pitchforks and perpetuate the public shaming she's no doubt experienced off and on. She hasn't gotten away with ANYTHING by becoming an RN. But is it really worth drumming up NURSES against her, a person we do not know at all except through linked media articles and whatever sensationalist crap we can find on the internet?

I'm not even talking about forgiveness. I'm talking about that in each of us that would deliberately seek to cause this person pain and humiliation when she has NOTHING to do with any of us (much less twenty years of no further murdering and mayhem LOL).

Do we really want to participate in something like this? Does it say more stuff about those of us who are grabbing up our pitchforks than about her?

Can anyone here say they could 'come back' after murdering another person? What choice did she have? Should she have sat at home and hid in deference to our outrage? Would that be OK if it was one of our loved ones, or friends?

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Do we really want to participate in something like this? Does it say more stuff about those of us who are grabbing up our pitchforks than about her?

Can anyone here say they could 'come back' after murdering another person? What choice did she have? Should she have sat at home and hid in deference to our outrage? Would that be OK if it was one of our loved ones, or friends?

I think the question of whether she should be allowed to be a licensed nurse caring for people is a good question. In the general sense I think one could argue that something like involuntary manslaughter might not be something that shouldn't bar one from licensure so obviously it could be a case by case stance on the opinions or guidelines there.

However...and I don't want to sound like I'm grabbing a pitchfork here...calculated murder such as the case in question seems to be a no brainer for me, even if she was only 15 at the time. I think if one makes a choice to commit such a heinous crime, they should expect to forfeit some luxuries in life once their sentence has been served. I don't think most people here are saying that she should go hide in a cave never to bother anyone again, lol. I think people are just uncomfortable with the idea that people convicted of such crimes having jobs of such stature within the community.

If this women has truly been rehabilitated I have no issue with her moving on with her life and becoming a productive member of society, I just think she has lot the privilege of being in a position to care for vulnerable people. I would say that even if she were my sister.

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Specializes in ER.

I can't believe I read the whole thing.

I thought from the very first post, and I still feel that this is none of our business. It's the business of the BON, the legal system, the family of the person that was killed, even the hospital and that community- but none of our business. If she has held a job and done well for twenty years, the community and the hospital is satisfied with her work, who are we to say she shouldn't be there? Who is the OP to start stirring the pot AGAIN after twenty years? It feels like a witch hunt, and I will have no part of it.

Administrators, this thread should be closed.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I can't believe I read the whole thing.

I thought from the very first post, and I still feel that this is none of our business. It's the business of the BON, the legal system, the family of the person that was killed, even the hospital and that community- but none of our business. If she has held a job and done well for twenty years, the community and the hospital is satisfied with her work, who are we to say she shouldn't be there? Who is the OP to start stirring the pot AGAIN after twenty years? It feels like a witch hunt, and I will have no part of it.

Administrators, this thread should be closed.

If you don't like this thread then don't read/comment on it.

It is our business, she MURDERED someone in cold blood. Who knows, she might decide to do travel nursing & come to OUR town! It very much makes it ALL of our business!

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