by Ray Black
People who suffer from Munchausen by Proxy are very complex and far harder to treat. They are not only attention-seeking, but they are usually apathetic towards the person upon whom they are inflicting the pain. These people are very often isolated and find it hard to form any sort of stable, loving relationship.
Beverley Allitt was indeed a very sick person who should have received psychiatric help at a very young age. However, although it didn’t go unnoticed, she never received the help she needed until she actually was arrested.
Kristen Gilbert
Kristen Gilbert worked on Ward C of the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Northampton, Massachusetts. When she was on duty it seemed that just too many patients were dying from cardiac arrest.
Kristen Gilbert was born in Fall River and is the oldest of two daughters of Richard and Claudia Strickland. Her friends remembered that she liked to brag that she was related to the famous Lizzie Borden, another Fall River resident who was accused of hacking her father and stepmother to death with a hatchet.
Richard Strickland worked in the electronics business and during Kristen’s childhood they moved house on occasions. When she reached eighth grade she transferred from a school outside of Fall River to the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District. She was a bright and popular teenager and she had a talent for both maths and science. She was a superior student who achieved both advanced and honours level courses. In Groton the Stricklands lived on Boston Road, which was a neighbourhood that had large, rambling and isolated houses. Kristen used to babysit for the couple who lived next door, the Moores. They had two young children, and they remembered her as an unremarkable teenager who sometimes talked about her boyfriend.
There is evidence that Kristen had a few boyfriends, one being a boy named John Elsbree who had escorted her to the school prom. He says that she was always smart and friendly, and his relationship with her was based far more on friendship than romance.
Another boyfriend, who wished to remain un-named, remembered Kristen as being an intelligent manipulator, who could work things in her favour and was mentally unstable. When their relationship finished, this boyfriend received many phone calls that consisted of heavy breathing and then the caller hung up.
Kristen dated another boy from 1983 to 1985, again someone who didn’t want to be named, and he described his relationship with her as very strange. He told investigators that he once found a suicide note from Kristen saying that she had eaten broken glass, but he found her in her room completely unharmed. He also also received harassing phone calls which ended with the caller hanging up abruptly. When the relationship ended, the boy stated that he bumped into Gilbert by chance and she ripped her fingernails through his cheek for no apparent reason.
Kristen’s serious emotional problems seems to have started after she was transferred to Bridgewater State College in her senior year. No one is really sure why Kristen chose to finish her studies more than fifty miles from her home. She appears to have received good grades during her first semester, but their were concerns about her behavioural problems during her second semester. She failed two courses but somehow managed to earn enough credits to graduate.
Kristen had always shown an interest in biology ever since high school, and she subsequently went on to study at Mount Wachusett Community College and Greenfield Community College, where she obtained an associates degree in nursing.
She met Glenn Gilbert in 1985 at Hampton Beach, and they married in 1988. They moved from Greenfield to Florence and started to raise a family. For a while Kristen worked at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield before moving on to the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center in Massachusetts. She was a popular employee and fellow workmate Carole Osman still has high praise for her today, both as a person and a nurse. She also said that she was a good mother, and was always very caring and attentive to her patients.
HER WORLD FELL APART
It seemed that Kristen’s life was in balance until she started to have a relationship with a security officer at the hospital, named James Perrault. James was a possessive lover and told Kristen that she either had to leave her husband and children or the relationship is over. Although Glenn Gilbert was desperate to try and save the marriage, Kristen moved out in December of 1995, giving her husband custody of their two children.
Back at the hospital, Kristen was assigned to work on Ward C. Ward C was a twenty-six bed acute care ward for veterans who were suffering from chronic illnesses. In the autumn of 1995, other nurses who were working on the ward noticed a marked increase in the number of deaths and medical emergencies that seemed to be occurring. Her co-workers seemed to think that Kristen was normal enough but were very suspicious when four patients died and three others had mysterious near-fatal heart failure, while they were all under her care.
On February 17, 1996, shortly after three nurses reported their suspicions to the hospital, Kristen left the hospital due to a shoulder injury. Soon after this an investigation was opened.
To look into the matter of the deaths, the investigators had the bodies exhumed. It was just as the nurses had feared, when the bodies were examined it showed that there were high levels of epinephrine in the tissues. They checked the patients’ records and it showed that the drug had not been prescribed and should therefore have not been present in their bodies.
As part of their investigations Gilbert was photographed and handwriting samples were taken from her. She was very upset that she was being treated as one of the suspects and made her feelings known to the investigators. She went to see her former husband, Glenn, saying that he didn’t need to answer any questions, but when she learned that he had already co-operated with the authorities, she became upset and very angry. She then disparaged him to several people by belittling him and calling him names. Gilbert also expressed anger and resentment against any of her fellow co-workers who were assisting in the enquiries, and became even more irate when they refused to talk to a private investigator that she had employed.
Kristen talked quite freely with her boyfriend, Perrault, about how her colleagues ‘had it in for her’ and that ‘she wanted everybody here to see what they had done to ruin her life’.
In June of 1996 Perrault tried to end the relationship, but Kristen told a friend of her that if he did dump her she would probably start stalking him. He tried again in August 1996 to break off the relationship, but once again Kristen became angry and tried to blame the break-up on the investigation that was being carried out against her.
In September, of the same year, Perrault told Kristen of an interview that had been arranged in Springfield with the United States Attorney’s Office. Gilbert became very upset and begged her boyfriend not to attend. When Perrault made it clear to her that he would do exactly as he wished, she got in her car and drove off in a violent temper. When Perrault returned to his car after the interview, he found that the air had been let out of one of his front tyres.
Over the next few days Perrault’s car had eggs thrown at it, the windscreen had been sprayed with paint, there were scratches on the exterior of the car, probably made by keys, and the front number plates had been damaged.
Starting in mid-September Perrault received a number of strange phone calls. When he picked up the phone no-one spoke, but there was the sound of heavy breathing and then the caller would hang up. At first Perrault unsuccessfully tried to trace the calls, but after contacting NYNEX they managed to trace seven of the phone calls to Gilbert’s telephone number.
Then on September 26 the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center received an anonymous phone call claiming that there were three bombs in Building One that were about to go off. Gilbert purchased a toy called a ‘Talkgirl Jr.’ along with some batteries, which the police managed to trace because she had paid with her VISA credit card. The toy was a hand-held voice changer that records a sentence which can be played back at a higher or lower speed than the original recording. Words that are recorded by a woman and played back at a lower sp
eed make them sound like those of a man.
In January 1998 Kristen was convicted with trying to divert the investigation by making hoax phone calls and was sentenced to fifteen months imprisonment.
The police received so many bogus phone calls regarding Gilbert that they eventually resorted to installing a telephone trace device. A friend of Kristen’s told the police that on one occasion she found her in a confused state reading a Hemlock Book on how to help terminally ill patients commit suicide. When Gilbert’s apartment was searched in October of that year they found a book entitled Final Exit, which again discusses suicide issues, and a suicide letter dated September 22, 1996.
It read, ‘. . . over the last few months I have changed. I was a fairly likeable, independent woman that ended up a weak, dependent, unlikeable person who can’t make it through two hours, never mind a whole day, without crying. I’ve become completely unpredictable, impulsive and self-destructive – I really don’t like this person. . .’
Throughout the summer of 1996 Kristen Gilbert was admitted to Holyoke Hospital, Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Baystate Medical Center and Arbour Hospital for periods ranging from one to about ten days.Gilbert’s lawyers requested that she be examined by a psychiatrist and his report stated that she was suffering from an adjustment disorder which was brought on by emotional stress. The factors contributing to her distress were – the recent death of her grandfather, custody issues relating to her divorce, problems with her boyfriend and finally the trauma of a murder investigation.
THE FINAL SENTENCE
Kristen Gilbert was tried and convicted of three first-degree murder charges and one second-degree murder count. She was also convicted of attempting to kill two other patients, who luckily survived.
The same jury had to reconvene at a later date to consider whether the thirty-three-year-old woman should be executed or sentenced to life imprisonment. Since the crimes had been committed on Federal territory, the punishment could easily have been execution, especially as the prosecutor portrayed her as being a cruel and heartless woman who preyed on dependent and highly vulnerable victims.
When the sentence was eventually read out Gilbert hung her head and wept quietly, she was to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Why did Kristen Gilbert inject her patients with overdoses of epinephrine or adrenaline, sending their hearts racing totally out of control? To gain the attention she was so desperate for, especially from her lover, James Perrault. She loved the thrill of medical emergencies and she knew by provoking these emergencies she could respond and attract the attention of Perrault, who worked there as a hospital guard. On one occasion, during an emergency procedure, she was seen to be flirting with Perrault and pressing her body suggestively against him.
Throughout her hearings Kristen was painted as volatile, out-of-control and needing repeated psychiatric care. The attorney called the murders barbaric and morally repugnant, and described some of the victims’ suffering. One was burned by defibrillators, he told the court, while the son of another victim testified that his father sat up in bed and cried, ‘I don't want to die!’ Kristen Gilbert did indeed have a very sick mind and even though she survived the sentence of death, hopefully she will be tucked away behind bars with no chance of parole.
Marie Noe
Over a period of eighteen years, Marie Noe would give birth to ten children, but only one of these would ever see its first birthday.
Marie Noe was at one time considered the unluckiest mother alive. Marie had one child after another, ten in total, and every single one of them died. For each death there was an investigation and for eight of them the verdict was the same – SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome.
THE BABIES
The first baby to be born was Richard Allen Noe. He was born on March 7, 1949 and weighed 7 lb 11 oz. He died one month later. Marie told the police that she had left her baby sleeping peacefully, but when her husband returned home from work he found Richard dead in his crib. No autopsy was performed, and death was attributed to congenital heart failure.
The second baby was born on September 8, 1950, Elizabeth Mary. She lived for five months. Marie told the police that she found the baby in her crib vomiting milk and blood. This time an autopsy was performed, but it is not evident whether she was actually examined internally. The cause of death was given as bronchopneumonia.
Baby number three, Jacqueline, was born on April 23, 1952. She only survived twenty-one days. Once more Marie told the investigators that she had found her baby in her crib blue in the face and lying in vomit. An autopsy was performed and the coroner ruled that she had choked on her own vomit.
Arthur Junior, was born on April 23, 1955. When he was twelve days old Marie Noe took him to hospital saying that he was having problems trying to breathe. He was found to be a healthy baby and discharged. The very next day he was dead. Cause of death ruled as bronchopneumonia.
On February 24, 1958, Constance was born. Once again Marie took her baby to the hospital saying that she was having breathing difficulties. She was discharged as healthy, and was found dead in her crib two days later by the father. Cause of death – undetermined.
Baby Letitia was delivered stillborn at thirty-nine weeks on August 25, 1959.
Baby number seven was Mary Lee, born on June 19, 1962. After she was born the baby was kept in hospital for one month under observation. Once she was at home, Marie called the doctor out on repeated occasions saying that the child ‘was getting on her nerves’ with constant crying. Mary Lee died on January 4, 1963, Marie saying that she found the child turning blue. She was already three months pregnant with her next baby at the time. Cause of death – undetermined.
Theresa was born prematurely in June 1963, but only survived for six hours.
Catherine Ellen was born on December 3, 1964 and kept in hospital for three months for observation. Marie complained of difficulty in feeding her and a nurse overheard her say, ‘You better take this or I’ll kill you!’ when she was feeding her at the hospital. In August 1965, Marie reported that she had found the baby with a dry-cleaning bag over her head, but luckily she was not seriously injured. She was hospitalized on two other occasions when Marie reported that the baby had stopped breathing, but was released both times and told that she was healthy. She was found dead in her crib on February 25, 1966, a short three months after her first birthday. Cause of death – undetermined. Sadly, this was the baby that survived the longest.
Arthur Joseph was born on July 28, 1967. Once more Arthur was hospitalized for two months for observation. Marie took him to hospital again when she reported that he had turned blue and again, just five weeks later, when the mother reported that she had found a cat lying on his face. Arthur was found dead in his crib in January 1968. Cause of death – undetermined.
After the birth of Little Arty, as he was called, Marie Noe received a hysterectomy due to medical reasons, so that was the end of spell of short-lived births. All of her babies were dead within months of their birth and yet the results of the autopsies were inconclusive. There was no evidence of any form of violence or foul play, but of course it is possible for an adult to smother a defenceless child without leaving any mark.
HOW COULD IT HAVE HAPPENED?
So between the years 1949 and 1968, Marie and Arthur Noe had ten babies, and none of them survived. Two undeniably died from natural causes, but what about the others? Mrs. Noe was certainly at home alone with the children when she claimed they died in the sleep. I suppose the local police and doctors all presumed that it wasn’t possible for a woman to kill her own children.
Of course there were many people who suspected Marie Noe of having killed her own babies, but forensic testing was not as up-to-date as the current methods, and there was no substantial proof to charge either Mr. or Mrs. Noe. They were both questioned at the time and given polygraph tests, which they both passed. The police were powerless and they had to let them go.
However, it was not the police who broke the
story, it was a book on SIDS that was entitled The Death of Innocents, which profiled the Noe case. It caught the attention of a reporter named Stephen Fried who worked for the Philadelphia Magazine, and he began his own investigations into the deaths. In January 1988, Fried took his findings to the police homicide unit and the head of the special investigations squad became so intrigued that he decided to re-open the long-closed case.
The police brought Marie Noe in for questioning but not until forty years later, in April 1998. Under repeated questioning she eventually cracked and admitted to murdering her own children. She told the police that she had used pillows to kill at least three of her children, but when asked why, she could give no reason. ‘All I can figure is that I’m ungodly sick,’ she told the detectives.
So it was in 1999 that seventy-year-old Marie Noe stood up in court and confessed to killing eight of her ten infant children by smothering them to death.
At her bail hearing in August 1999, the district attorney called her ‘as much a mass murderer as Ted Bundy’, but this still didn’t stop the judge from feeling sorry for the old lady and he allowed a plea bargain between the prosecutor and the defence attorney. Marie Noe was given twenty years probation with the first five years spent in home confinement monitored by an ankle bracelet and psychiatric analysis. She has a compulsory meeting once a month with a court-appointed psychiatrist to try and figure out her motive for the murders.
Whether this is justice for what she has done is down to the individual to decide, but one thing I would like to add is that this so-called sweet old lady did not shed a single tear throughout any of the court hearings, or indeed the interviews. Noe did admit to the psychiatrists that she would like to confront her responsibility for the deaths of her children. She also said she wanted to co-operate with medical science to explore why this type of tragedy occurs. She also said she would like to assist doctors who are helping mothers who may be prone to infanticide.
