Nurse charged with murdering two patients with lethal doses of insulin at North Carolina hospital 

A former nurse in North Carolina is accused of murdering two patients and nearly killing a third by administering lethal doses of insulin.

Johnathan Hayes, 47, who worked at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill announced on Tuesday. 

Hayes gave gave a lethal dose of insulin to Gwen Crawford on January 5, O’Neill said. Crawford died a few days later on January 8.

Then on January 22, Hayes injected Vickie Lingerfelt with a lethal dose of insulin, O’Neill said. Lingerfelt died on January 27. 

Hayes is also accused of giving a near-fatal dose of insulin to Pamela Little back on December 1, 2021, but Little survived, O’Neill said. 

Hayes was terminated from the medical center in March after an initial investigation began, according to an Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist representative. He was taken into custody on the murder charges on Tuesday. 

The investigation began earlier this year on March 21, when O’Neill said he and Winston-Salem police detectives met with officials from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. 

He said Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist had first conducted their own investigation and shared information that appeared to show that Hayes allegedly administered a lethal dose of insulin which killed a patient, and that he may have done the same to others.

‘We were presented on that day with information by an investigative team that appeared to show that a nurse, Johnathan Hayes, may have administered a lethal dose of insulin causing the death of that patient and perhaps others,’ O’Neill said. 

The District Attorney’s Office and Winston-Salem Police Department took the information and joined forces to conduct another thorough investigation that include interviews, collecting evidence and talking to families of the deceased.

O’Neill said that the totality of the information and evidence gathered showed that Hayes acted alone and led O’Neill to bring the murder charges against the ‘rogue’ former nurse.

‘All of the evidence indicates Hayes acted alone,’ O’Neill added.

O’Neill also emphasized that Hayes is charged with murder and attempted murder, ‘not involuntary manslaughter’ as he would be for medical malpractice.

‘What upsets me about these kinds of cases is that we have a particularly vulnerable kind of victim,’ O’Neill said.

‘Johnathan Hayes has forfeited the honor of being called a nurse,’ O’Neill said. ‘From this day forth, he’ll be known as a defendant. No one in this community should hesitate or be reluctant to seek treatment from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center or any of our outstanding healthcare facilities that we’re blessed to have here in Forsyth County.’

Winston-Salem Police Department has dedicated a phone line for anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Hayes. The number is (336) 757-0357. It is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Officials say the investigation is ongoing.