5 things to know about Canadian serial killer Elizabeth Wettlaufer

Elizabeth Wettlaufer (Image via IMDb)

Elizabeth Wettlaufer is a notorious Canadian serial killer who killed eight people in Ontario between 2007 and 2016. Her crimes are the focus of Oxygen's Living With a Serial Killer's new episode, which is set to air on Saturday, August 13, 2022. The synopsis of the episode, according to Rotten Tomatoes, states:

''A Canadian nurse walks into a rehabilitation centre and confesses to murdering several of her patients. Her childhood best friend reveals their lifelong common bond and the terrifying confession she made to him.''

Ahead of the episode's release on Saturday, take a look at five things about Elizabeth Wettlaufer that you need to know.

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Living With a Serial Killer: 5 crucial things to know about Elizabeth Wettlaufer

1) Elizabeth Wettlaufer is a former nurse

Arguably the most chilling thing about Elizabeth Wettlaufer is the fact that she worked as a nurse in Ontario. Wettlaufer worked at a retirement home called Caressant Care in Woodstock, where she killed several people. According to Oxygen, she became a reigestered nurse in 1995 after receiving her bachelor's degree from London Baptist Bible College.

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2) Mental health issues

As per Oxygen, Elizabeth Wettlaufer suffered from various mental health issues, including depression and borderline personality disorder. She's also reportedly had her troubles with drug addiction and questions about her sexual identity.

She got married to a man named Daniel Wettlaufer in 1997, a truck driver. The couple reportedly divorced in 2008. As per CTV News, the divorce took a toll on Wettlaufer's mental health and contributed to increasing levels of stress.

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3) Disciplinary issues at work

According to Global News, Wettlaufer received several warnings from the administrator at the Caressant Care retirement home. Various documents also revealed that she'd made many ''medication errors.'' She was reportedly suspended several times before eventually being fired from the home in March 2014.

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4) Elderly victims

One of the most shocking things about Elizabeth Wettlaufer's killings is her choice of victims. Her victims were elderly people she treated when she worked as a nurse. Most of them were aged between 75-96.

Per Oxygen, she killed eight senior citizens belonging to the aforementioned age group by administering them lethal doses of insulin. She'd also reportedly attempted to kill six other elderly patients using the same method.

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5) Multiple confessions

Wettlaufer reportedly confessed to various people, including her childhood friend, among many others, about her killings. In September 2016, she went to a rehabilitation center in Toronto, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The centre was crucial in her eventual arrest because it was there that she confessed to her crimes, after which the staff informed the police. The center also notified the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Wettlaufer was arrested on October 24, 2016, and charged with eight counts of first-degree murder. Additionally, the police added six more charges—four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault—after interrogating her, following the arrest. She eventually received eight consecutive life sentences in prison, with no parole possible until 25 years.

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Don't forget to catch the new episode of Living With a Serial Killer on Oxygen on Saturday, August 13, 2022.