Charles Cullen deaths: How many people did he kill?

The Good Nurse is set to hit Netflix on Wednesday, Oct. 26, and people are reading up on everything they can know about the movie. If you didn’t already know, the thriller film is based on true events of the real-life crimes of Charles Cullen, a former nurse and serial killer responsible for the deaths of many hospital patients during the course of his 16-year medical career.

Before Charles Cullen began working as a nurse, he served in the United States Navy for a short period of time. During his time in the Navy, he was believed to have been hazed and bullied, which led him to attempt suicide several times. As reported by History vs Hollywood, there was even an odd incident where Charles was discovered sitting at the missile controls of the USS Woodrow Wilson wearing scrubs, a surgical mask, and gloves. But he never explained why he decided to dress that way.

After being medically discharged from the Navy in 1984, Charles enrolled at Mountainside Hospital’s nursing school, graduating in 1986. Shortly after graduation, he began working as a nurse in the burn unit of Saint Barnabas Medical Center. This hospital would be the place of his first murder. After leaving Saint Barnabas, Charles would then go on to work at numerous hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, murdering defenseless patients until his arrest in 2003.

So, how many people did Charles Cullen actually murder? Here’s what we know below.

How many people did Charles Cullen murder?

The exact number of how many people Charles murdered over the span of his nursing career is unknown. When Charles was arrested and brought to the police station in December 2003, he didn’t start confessing to his crimes until nurse Amy Loughren got him to talk. Charles eventually admits to authorities that he killed Reverend Florian Gall and attempted to murder Jin Kyung Han, both patients at Somerset Medical Center.

Additionally, Charles confessed to police that he committed as many as 40 murders across the many hospitals he worked at. However, he’s believed to have murdered far more people. According to People, it is suspected that he may have been responsible for the murders of 400 patients. Unfortunately, we may never know the exact number unless Charles confesses.

Ultimately, Charles was convicted of 29 murders and sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences in 2006. Even though he admitted to killing as many as 40 patients, only 29 could be confirmed. Charles wasn’t given the death penalty because he promised to cooperate with authorities through a plea deal. As of Oct. 25, Charles is currently serving 18 consecutive life sentences at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, New Jersey.

How did Charles Cullen murder patients?

Charles would murder patients by injecting their IV bags with lethal doses of insulin and heart medications such as digoxin. He was able to go from hospital to hospital without any trouble because there was a shortage of nurses around the time. Also, most hospitals were afraid of lawsuits so they decided not to conduct their own investigations even if they did suspect Charles was responsible for the deaths of patients.

The Good Nurse lands on Netflix on Oct. 26. Make sure to check it out!