Kimberly Saenz

A dialysis clinic plagued by a string of mysterious deaths. They both went into cardiac arrest within 30 minutes of each other. Employees at the facility were on edge, and patients were acutely aware that something was amiss. Something was wrong. Even under the changes in policy and procedure, the deaths still continued. An investigation reveals evidence of an intentional crime. There was a horrible smell that burned my eyes and my nostrils like bleach. The police department took thousands of syringes. The first thing we did was we identified that, yes, bleach was present in those syringes. What it probably felt like to my mom was being burned from the inside out. And when the killer is unmasked, it sends shockwaves through this small, Texas town. What was going on there? What was happening to these patients? Why in Little Old Lufkin would there be a serial killer? I don't know what's going on here, and it's just scary. How could another human being do that to anybody? For millions of Americans, dialysis treatments are a crucial part of their survival. My mother had issues off and on the whole time we were growing up with diabetes, blood pressure, that type of things, which led to her having to go to dialysis. When she'd go to the doctor, I always went with her. I always had that drawn to take care of another human being, and I've been a nurse for over 33 years. Dialysis treatment is that when you have some kidney malfunction or your kidneys aren't functioning as well as they should, and they actually pull your blood out and they clean it, and then they put it back in. And it's a three to four hour process. For 68-year-old Fran Metcalf, trips to the DaVita Clinic in Lufkin, Texas, have become a regular part of her life. The DaVita Dialysis Center in Lufkin is one of two large, large dialysis centers that take care of patients who've got kidney failure. We were taking her to dialysis three days a week. I could go up and visit with her on Saturdays when I was off. When Fran would come to dialysis, some real bonds were being made there, and she would tell us about the friendships that she had. I think it was a real personal experience, because all of the people there receiving dialysis were really struggling to maintain a good quality of life with all the obstacles that were in their way. To both patients and staff, it's a routine process with relatively few complications. However, on April 1, 2008, that isn't the case. Fran was having a fairly normal treatment day that day, blood pressure normal, et cetera. And then all of a sudden, she bottomed out. Her blood pressure dropped drastically. And the alarms and the alerts were going off. They call an ambulance. Luckily, in Lufkin, it's small enough that the ambulance is less than two minutes away. Then they moved to the hospital. My dad had had the nurse call me from the hospital. They just told me that she'd had cardiac arrest, and there was some issues, and I need to get there fast. When I get there, she had already passed. From my understanding, it is very rare for someone on dialysis to go into cardiac arrest. It was a big shock. I just really wanted to know. I just really wanted to know why this happened. Fran Metcalfe was born on August 3, 1939, in Arkansas. And very quickly, she faced serious health issues. My mother had polio at a very young age, so she struggled with mobility and had to have braces on her legs. As she got older and her disability grew, my mother started expecting her a lot in school. Her education was not great. She spent a lot of time in the hospital. But there was a silver lining to Fran's illness. As a young woman, her treatments caused her to cross paths with her future husband. Fran's aunt lived in Port Arthur, Texas, so her mom would bring her down to Port Arthur. There were bigger hospitals on the Gulf Coast. Fran met her dad, that was in the Coast Guard. They just hit it off. He was good looking, and mother fell head over heels in love. Mom and dad had dated probably about six months before they got married, because he was headed back out, and he wanted her to go with him. So it was a short engagement. Fran and Walter Metcalfe had four children together, and their daughter, Wanda, went on to become a nurse. I think that mother would have loved to have been a nurse, but she had some vision problems, again, the mobility problems. She was there for my graduation. She was there, you know, to bring me a cup of coffee at night when I was studying, just to make sure that I had everything that I needed. As Fran entered middle age, she delighted in becoming a grandmother to eight grandchildren. She was wonderful at, you know, planning parties and wanting to be at every event that the kids would go to. The kids had my youngest daughter's basketball games. The boys played baseball. She was a very loving person. She just loved to be surrounded by people, listen to stories. Unfortunately, Fran's health struggles continued. She was diagnosed with diabetes, and when her kidneys worsened, she was prescribed dialysis treatments. Fran became a regular patient at the Lufkin Clinic, where she found another kind of family. She started dialysis in 2007. She made many friends. You're sitting beside someone for three to four hours. Even the nursing staff, the whole thing, it becomes a family. But after a routine treatment, an unexplained heart attack has claimed Fran's life. And her loved ones are struggling to understand how it could end. She's been diagnosed with dialysis for more than a year. You don't expect typically for a dialysis patient to have a heart attack or get worse during dialysis because the point of the dialysis is to be taking impurities out of the patient's blood. And she's been in the hospital for more than a year. She's been in the hospital for more than a year. I think that one of the hardest things for me was not to be able to have a goodbye moment with my mom. And so I reached down and I kissed her on the cheek. When I did, there was a horrible smell that burned my eyes and my nostrils. She smelled like bleach. Fran's family has no way of knowing if the smell had anything to do with her death, but they are determined to find out what went wrong. Unfortunately, Fran wasn't the only death the clinic that day. Claire Strange was a grandmother. She was born during the Great Depression and she worked on the family farm. She went to church. She was part of the tight-knit community and she'd been on dialysis for about eight to nine years prior to her death. At the time of April 1st, when she went to visit the dialysis facility, she was screened as normal and again an uneventful dialysis process would have been expected. She went into cardiac arrest and also died. It's like oh mother wasn't the only one. Claire Strange was a name that mom had mentioned that was a lady that was real sweet to her. To have two patients die on the same day is just-- the odds of that are astronomically low. Our minds are really beginning to start to inquire, what was going on there? Coming up, the inexplicable deaths continue. She had no immediate health problems, and she died almost immediately. and patients witness a chilling scene. - Someone walked over to a bleach solution bucket on the floor and draw up that solution into a syringe. - After the unexplained deaths of Fran Metcalf and Clara Strange, family members are pressuring the DaVita Clinic for answers. It was treated as a medical anomaly. Statistics are accurate to a point, but there's always the outliers. - DaVita was very concerned and they began a very introspective process process of trying to understand what was going on they initiate a procedure where they began saving items from cardiac incidents and reviewing the medical charts and seeing if there was any medical explanation for what caused those deaths during the following week five more patients suffer cardiac arrests thankfully they survive but administrators are alarmed to say the least davida sent high-level nurses to the facility to try observing if there was some breakdown in procedure or some kind of process that wasn't being done right and they weren't able to find anything that could explain these untoward results after analyzing their procedures the clinic could not identify anything that could explain these untoward results an obvious cause for these cardiac events there's no indication to that point that there's any nefarious activity going on these were health compromised individuals to begin with otherwise they wouldn't be on dialysis the clinic staff stays alert while they remain open to continue serving the community of lufkin but 15 days later two more patients suffer cardiac arrest one of them is 58-year-old garland kelly jr. my dad garland kelly jr. grew up in lufkin texas and he was on the championship team with the dunbar high school football team garland's wife la francis was his high school sweetheart together they built a home and raised three daughters he was an insurance salesman so that was his primary job and then he always officiated football games on the side so that was like a little side hustle thing he didn't meet a stranger ever we talked to anybody and would just embrace everybody it was probably when i was in high school which would be like in the 80s when he learned that he had diabetes you know obviously he wasn't happy about having to go on dialysis but if that's what it took for him to live then he you know he was happy about having to go on dialysis but if that's what it took for him to live then he you you know had to do it he loved my mom their 40th anniversary would have been in march now just a month after his anniversary celebration garland has become the latest davida patient to suffer a cardiac arrest they obviously began resuscitation attempts they were successful he his heart began to beat on his own and he was transported to the hospital he was placed on the ventilator we all got to the hospital around the same time we all got to the hospital around the same time we all got to the hospital around the same time and it was just family there waiting to see and it was just family there waiting to see and it was just family there waiting to see what the what the outcome what the what the outcome what the what the outcome was he was in a coma unlike the other heart attacks a clinic unlike the other heart attacks a clinic unlike the other heart attacks a clinic technician technician technician noticed something strange just before noticed something strange just before noticed something strange just before garland coded garland coded garland coded she witnessed a she witnessed a she witnessed a what she described it looked like a what she described it looked like a what she described it looked like a black ball of hair black ball of hair black ball of hair that went through his line and in that went through his line and in that went through his line and in his system whenever that clot appeared he his system whenever that clot appeared he his system whenever that clot appeared he went into cardiac arrest it was an went into cardiac arrest it was an went into cardiac arrest it was an anomaly for treatment you often see anomaly for treatment you often see anomaly for treatment you often see clots when people are being dialyzed clots when people are being dialyzed clots when people are being dialyzed this one had a very unique appearance this one had a very unique appearance this one had a very unique appearance with two deaths on their hands the with two deaths on their hands the with two deaths on their hands the dialysis clinic initiates a new safety dialysis clinic initiates a new safety dialysis clinic initiates a new safety precaution precaution precaution davida instituted a policy of not davida instituted a policy of not davida instituted a policy of not reusing dialyzers reusing dialyzers reusing dialyzers however even under the monitors and the however even under the monitors and the however even under the monitors and the changes in policy and procedure changes in policy and procedure changes in policy and procedure the death still continued the death still continued the death still continued employees at the facility were on edge employees at the facility were on edge employees at the facility were on edge and i think patients were acutely aware and i think patients were acutely aware and i think patients were acutely aware that something was amiss something was that something was amiss something was that something was amiss something was wrong but they needed this treatment in wrong but they needed this treatment in wrong but they needed this treatment in order to survive it was so inconvenient it was so inconvenient it was so inconvenient for them to travel out to livingston or for them to travel out to livingston or for them to travel out to livingston or out to henderson about an hour and a half out to henderson about an hour and a half out to henderson about an hour and a half drive from lufkin in order to receive drive from lufkin in order to receive drive from lufkin in order to receive these treatments three times a week six days after garland kelly two more six days after garland kelly two more six days after garland kelly two more patients suffer cardiac events including patients suffer cardiac events including patients suffer cardiac events including 63 year old cora bryant 63 year old cora bryant 63 year old cora bryant cora bryant was a mother of five children was a mother of five children was a mother of five children she had 13 grandchildren and she did not she had 13 grandchildren and she did not she had 13 grandchildren and she did not let the fact that she was on dialysis let the fact that she was on dialysis let the fact that she was on dialysis control her life control her life control her life what miss bryant experienced that day was what miss bryant experienced that day was what miss bryant experienced that day was way outside the norm way outside the norm way outside the norm before miss bryant coded she asked the before miss bryant coded she asked the before miss bryant coded she asked the nurse what did you give me that was nurse what did you give me that was nurse what did you give me that was overheard by multiple people around her overheard by multiple people around her overheard by multiple people around her of course no one knew what she meant by of course no one knew what she meant by of course no one knew what she meant by that then like garland kelly jr the heart attack like garland kelly jr the heart attack like garland kelly jr the heart attack has left her in a coma has left her in a coma has left her in a coma before the end of the week it happens before the end of the week it happens before the end of the week it happens six more times six more times six more times including to opal may few including to opal may few including to opal may few opal few was a lady that was 90 or 91 opal few was a lady that was 90 or 91 opal few was a lady that was 90 or 91 years old and she was very active no years old and she was very active no years old and she was very active no expectation of any immediate expectation of any immediate expectation of any immediate health problems and miss few health problems and miss few health problems and miss few died almost immediately died almost immediately died almost immediately there in the facility there in the facility there in the facility my mother opal may few was raised in my mother opal may few was raised in my mother opal may few was raised in pollock pollock pollock which is just about eight or ten miles which is just about eight or ten miles which is just about eight or ten miles outside of lufkin outside of lufkin outside of lufkin my mom always said is that when she had my mom always said is that when she had my mom always said is that when she had her children her children her children there was never any other goal in life there was never any other goal in life other than to provide for them and to other than to provide for them and to other than to provide for them and to raise them raise them raise them to be the best people that they could to be the best people that they could to be the best people that they could be opal had kidney issues later in life and opal had kidney issues later in life and opal had kidney issues later in life and like the first victim like the first victim like the first victim fran metcalf she enjoyed the community fran metcalf she enjoyed the community fran metcalf she enjoyed the community of patients at the clinic of patients at the clinic of patients at the clinic now she appears to have suffered the now she appears to have suffered the now she appears to have suffered the same fate same fate same fate i got the phone call the phone call i got the phone call the phone call that you don't ever want to get that you don't ever want to get that you don't ever want to get and i didn't believe it i was like no no and i didn't believe it i was like no no and i didn't believe it i was like no no no not my mom there's no way no not my mom there's no way no not my mom there's no way she could have died i was overwhelmed she could have died i was overwhelmed she could have died i was overwhelmed by grief there had been no news by grief there had been no news by grief there had been no news no articles of the other people who had no articles of the other people who had no articles of the other people who had passed away passed away passed away so i was unaware there's been several so i was unaware there's been several so i was unaware there's been several deaths deaths deaths the employees working the practices the employees working the practices the employees working the practices the water filtration the medicine they the water filtration the medicine they the water filtration the medicine they looked at everything clinic administrators are at a loss to clinic administrators are at a loss to clinic administrators are at a loss to explain what's happening so they finally explain what's happening so they finally explain what's happening so they finally decide to call in experts decide to call in experts decide to call in experts toward the end of april the davida toward the end of april the davida toward the end of april the davida company contacted the centers for company contacted the centers for company contacted the centers for disease control and says hey can you disease control and says hey can you disease control and says hey can you help us can you send somebody we've got help us can you send somebody we've got help us can you send somebody we've got patients getting sick and we can't tell patients getting sick and we can't tell patients getting sick and we can't tell why we've checked everything we know why we've checked everything we know why we've checked everything we know help us please for several weeks the davida clinic in for several weeks the davida clinic in for several weeks the davida clinic in lufkin texas has remained open as they lufkin texas has remained open as they lufkin texas has remained open as they internally investigate over two dozen internally investigate over two dozen internally investigate over two dozen emergency calls and three mysterious emergency calls and three mysterious emergency calls and three mysterious deaths deaths deaths as no progress has been made a doctor as no progress has been made a doctor as no progress has been made a doctor from the center from the center from the center for disease control arrives to review for disease control arrives to review for disease control arrives to review the cases the cases the cases he can't find any contaminants or he can't find any contaminants or he can't find any contaminants or natural causes which leads him to one natural causes which leads him to one natural causes which leads him to one inevitable conclusion inevitable conclusion inevitable conclusion through analysis of the statistical through analysis of the statistical through analysis of the statistical likelihood was that likelihood was that likelihood was that one of the employees might be killing one of the employees might be killing one of the employees might be killing people in most cases in most cases in most cases of healthcare killers there are multiple of healthcare killers there are multiple of healthcare killers there are multiple victims victims victims systems the most common way systems the most common way systems the most common way over 50 percent of patients are killed over 50 percent of patients are killed over 50 percent of patients are killed through some type of injectable through some type of injectable through some type of injectable cdc suggested serial killer but there cdc suggested serial killer but there cdc suggested serial killer but there again you always have to follow the again you always have to follow the again you always have to follow the evidence at that point you have evidence at that point you have evidence at that point you have somebody's observation there was no somebody's observation there was no somebody's observation there was no playbook as it were on how to deal with playbook as it were on how to deal with playbook as it were on how to deal with this this this while the cdc suspects patients are while the cdc suspects patients are being harmed intentionally the clinic being harmed intentionally the clinic being harmed intentionally the clinic remains functioning with managers on high remains functioning with managers on high remains functioning with managers on high alert while they investigate further within days of the cdc doctor's within days of the cdc doctor's within days of the cdc doctor's assessment two patients report assessment two patients report assessment two patients report suspicious activity suspicious activity suspicious activity on april the 28th lurline hamilton on april the 28th lurline hamilton on april the 28th lurline hamilton linda hall were being dialyzed linda hall were being dialyzed linda hall were being dialyzed they were already nervous alert and scared they were already nervous alert and scared they were already nervous alert and scared because of the number of because of the number of because of the number of deaths so they were paying attention deaths so they were paying attention deaths so they were paying attention they started their treatment around 5 30 they started their treatment around 5 30 they started their treatment around 5 30 that morning and that morning and that morning and miss hall noticed a nurse was acting miss hall noticed a nurse was acting miss hall noticed a nurse was acting fidgety a bit out of sorts fidgety a bit out of sorts fidgety a bit out of sorts that's what first drew her attention that's what first drew her attention that's what first drew her attention she watched as a nurse walked over to a she watched as a nurse walked over to a she watched as a nurse walked over to a bleach solution bucket on the floor bleach solution bucket on the floor bleach solution bucket on the floor and crouch down and draw up that solution and crouch down and draw up that solution and crouch down and draw up that solution into a syringe from there she watched incredibly as from there she watched incredibly as from there she watched incredibly as that nurse walked over to another that nurse walked over to another that nurse walked over to another patient who was sleeping patient who was sleeping patient who was sleeping and then inject that solution into the and then inject that solution into the and then inject that solution into the lines the nurse moved sneakily the nurse moved sneakily the nurse moved sneakily she was trying to hide the fact that she was trying to hide the fact that she was trying to hide the fact that she had done it she had done it she had done it they didn't feel comfortable making an they didn't feel comfortable making an they didn't feel comfortable making an outcry because they were still hooked outcry because they were still hooked outcry because they were still hooked to machines which that nurse had the responsibility of hooking, unhooking the frog. Ms. Hamilton got the patient care tech that she trusted and told her what she'd seen. They were able to identify Kim Saenz as being the person that injected the bleach. The patient is immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment as the clinic's administrators approach Kimberly Clark Saenz, a licensed vocational nurse on staff. And they said, why don't you go home? Take the rest of the day off. We've got a matter we need to look into. And so they sent Kimberly home. The administrators there secured where Ms. Holland Hamilton said that they had seen Kim, the nurse, place the syringes after she was finished with them. They did their own investigation of those two sharps containers. They opened them up. They found syringes which were not marked, empty, 10-mil syringes without needles. DaVita administrators immediately closed the clinic until the investigation is concluded and patient safety can be guaranteed. By this time, it was about 4:30 in the afternoon. And they called the Lufkin Police Department and said, we think we need to have the police come and let us turn this over to you. The main thing we could do that night was seize everything that we could think of, take it back to the station, and then contact those who were much more knowledgeable than us about how to handle it. The decision we made that night was to take everything we could. Because that medical waste contained in those 36 sharps containers was approximately three weeks' worth of waste and covered the time period from April the 1st all the way up to April 28th. With the evidence secured, Lufkin Police look into Kimberly's signs. Kim was born locally. She had lived here all of her life. She didn't graduate from high school. She had become pregnant during her time in high school and left school because of that. For a while, she was a happy homemaker. There was ultimately problems with her first marriage. After divorcing her first husband in 1997, Kim remarried to her first husband. Kim remarried to her first husband. Kim remarried in 2000 and had another child. She needed to find a career, and she went to school, and she became a nurse. We learned that she was fired from Woodland Heights Hospital for suspicion of stealing patient medication. She had moved to a couple of different jobs, and then she landed at the Davida Dialysis Facility. During the time that she was in the hospital, she was in the hospital for a long time. During the time that she went to work at the Davida Dialysis Facility, she was under investigation by the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners for the alleged theft of patient medication. In the medical profession, apparently, it's really easy to pass from job to job. You can leave employers off of your references and resumes. No documented background check is required. There was a mixed background. In terms of opinions, even among her patients, on whether she really had done what she'd been accused of doing. I found it hard to believe that one person could intentionally kill that many people for no apparent reason. Coming up, police come face-to-face with an angel of death. If I'm doing something wrong, If I'm doing something wrong, I don't want to know that I don't want to kill somebody. And the truth behind the deaths comes to light. She had typed in, Can bleach be detected in a dialysis line? After patients witness a nurse appearing to inject bleach into a dialysis patient's lines, initial tests confirm their status. There were thousands of syringes in the sharps containers and the police department took each container, took each syringe out and labeled them and tested them with litmus paper It tested positive for a basic solution. So it supported the story of Ms. Hamilton that bleach had been in the syringe. There was no reason for anyone to ever use a syringe to draw bleach in to measure it. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Two days into their investigation of the deaths at the Lufkin Dialysis Clinic, detectives interview the accused nurse Kimberly signs we didn't like our cards out on the table what the witnesses had seen or anything like that right off the bat we just wanted to hear her side of the events there's things that we want down and discuss with you hey I've only been here night eight months but I just wonder about the blood pressures you know when they come in and they're really high. I just, I get so scared they're going to stroke out, and it's just scary. And they said we've had so many deaths in the past seven months, and I'm scared to leave my patients. You know, I'm just constantly, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? Before police bring up the accusations, Kim goes on the defense, clearly aware she had been reported by patients. What hurts me the most is for two patients to accuse me of giving another patient medication that was not a word. Did you give her any medicine? I did give her some saline only because she said she was cramping. She herself brought up the issue of bleach and sort of suggested ways that bleach could have gotten into the patient. If our machines are hooked up and they have some bleach in them, you know, I haven't researched any of that, but I just have to wonder what kind of reactions would have happened, you know? I know we bleach them every week. That brings up red flags in and of itself, because we hadn't told her what the allegations were. And here she is already trying to prepare a ready-made explanation. - Police have been told bleach is used for sanitizing equipment exteriors, but not the way Kim describes. - One part bleach to 10 parts water is used as a disinfectant. Do you use a syringe to pull your 10 cc's of bleach up? Sometimes I do when I can't find the little medicine cups. There wasn't any cups up there that day. But if you use a syringe, 10 cc's, then you're going to have to get in the receptacle. - Investigators are skeptical. - I don't know what's going on here. And it's just scary. And if I'm doing something wrong, I wanna know that I know I'm doing something wrong 'cause I don't wanna kill somebody. - Kimberly's interview is concluded and she is allowed to leave. - We knew that the facility was closed She wasn't going to be working on any other patients. I mean, it's frustrating. You may have a good idea in your head what happened, but until you can prove it, you understand you have to let them go. After the interview, police continue testing the medical equipment involved. Syringes that showed indications of having bleach they sent to a lab. DaVita had eight sets of lines that came from patients who were believed to be victims. This occurred over the period of about three or four days. The first thing we did was we identified that, yes, bleach was present in those sharps containers and in those syringes. Then we started trying to counteract that argument that she'd used it for measuring. We actually subpoenaed all the purchase orders to prove that there was cups always available. We also interviewed each employee to see if they'd ever heard of that being a practice or seen that being a practice, and none of them had. The following day, Kimberly's husband, Kevin, provides some unexpected help. Her husband had filed for a divorce. He actually contacted the police department. Kimberly Saenz had a lot of problems in her marriage and her personal life. Her husband, Kevin, he was fed up. He advised that he had worked on the computer she was using and during the process of that he had found that she had a search history for using the word hemo. Hemodialysis is the full technical term for what was being done at DaVita. Based upon that information, we were able to get a search warrant to seize her computers. They found searches on the computer about the effect of bleach on patients and she had typed in a question on her computer, "Can bleach be detected in a dialysis line?" The terms "bleach" and "bleach poisoning" were done on April the first before she went to work. People died on that day. As the testing and investigation continues over the next several months, the two surviving patients in comas sadly pass away. Sixty-three-year-old Cora Bryant, and fifty-eight-year-old Garland Kelley Jr. He was in the hospital from April to August and we had scriptures all over the wall and we just believed God that he would wake up, you know? And then he actually died August 16th of 2008. There are now five deaths law enforcement believes are connected to Kimberly's signs. But to charge her, police still need solid evidence. We still need the scientific proof that, A, bleach had been introduced into those patients, and B, the introduction of that bleach had caused their deaths. And at that time, it wasn't there or available to us. Here's somebody that I believed had committed multiple murders on multiple occasions and she's walking the street. So holding her accountable was a priority. You know, that's the thing. Investigators in Lufkin, Texas, find themselves with a unique challenge. How to prove the existence of a serial killer without a clear murder weapon. The mechanism of injury was the introduction of bleach into dialysis lines, and there's very little room. We're going to have to do a lot of research where bleach has been used to injure somebody. The black clot seen by a technician going through Garland Kelly's line provides a possible clue. We suspected that bleach might change the color of blood, so we actually did an experiment where we went to the hospital and had them withdraw some arterial blood, which is bright red from Sgt. Abbott, and we dropped some bleach in it, and it immediately turned black. What we believe is that the patient care technician witnessed the result of Kimberly Sines injecting bleach. Red blood cells are little cells that flow in the veins and arteries. When they encounter bleach, they explode. If enough blood cells explode or burst, this releases potassium, potassium gets to the heart and causes cardiac arrest. I can't imagine the pain that they went through. And then to think that they not only did it to my mom, but they did it to me. I can't imagine that they did that to anybody. It was overwhelming. But now, detectives are faced with another problem. It's one thing to say we think it's likely that the defendant in this case put bleach into the lines of her patients. But it's quite another then to be able to prove that that is what killed them, especially in patients who are already generally health compromised. But it's one thing to say we think it's likely that the defendant in this case put bleach into the lines of her patients. But there is no ordinary medical blood test to test for the presence of bleach. We got a real break in the case when we found an expert who had been doing studies with rats involving chlorine gas. And chlorine is basically the same thing as bleach. This expert explained that if bleach had been introduced in significant amounts, this expert explained that if bleach had been introduced in significant amounts, into the bloodstream of the patient, they should have an amino acid called chlorotyrosine that should be at a very high level within their system. What he found is every blood sample from a suspected victim showed the presence of chlorotyrosine. Police can now definitively say bleach was used to kill five patients. and seriously injure several others. Now, they just have to prove Kimberly Saenz was the one who did it. They looked at the employment records, and the only employee that was present for every cardiac event was Kimberly Saenz. We presented it to the grand jury. We had five murder victims, and we had five people that we believe were injured by the injection. They were the ones that were injured by the injection of bleach that did not die but recovered. They returned an indictment for capital murder and then five counts of aggravated assault. They agreed with us that there was enough probable cause to issue an arrest warrant for Kim, and she was ultimately arrested April the 9th of 2009. She had a $500,000 bond. We heard word through the community that she was bonded out. Kimberly Saenz was described as shy, kind, sweet. No one could believe that she was behind this. The only restriction she had was not working in healthcare, and she was required to wear a GPS monitor. It makes you angry to think about the person who took your mother's life walking around free, able to wake up in the morning, able to walk around free, able to wake up in the morning, able to wake up in the morning, able to do anything. able to do anything. able to do anything. It makes you angry. Potentially responsible for the death of five seniors in the small town of Lufkin, Texas, in the small town of Lufkin, Texas, in the small town of Lufkin, Texas, Kimberly Saenz remains free for nearly three years Kimberly Saenz remains free for nearly three years while prosecutors prepare their case against her. while prosecutors prepare their case against her. She is ultimately charged with murder She is ultimately charged with murder She is ultimately charged with murder for the deaths of five people. for the deaths of five people. Fran Metcalf, Clara Strange, Fran Metcalf, Clara Strange, Fran Metcalf, Clara Strange, Garland Kelly, Cora Bryant, Garland Kelly, Cora Bryant, Garland Kelly, Cora Bryant, and Opal May Few. and Opal May Few. and Opal May Few. And she is charged with assault for And she is charged with assault for And she is charged with assault for five surviving victims. assault for five surviving victims. The case was pretty complicated, The case was pretty complicated, The case was pretty complicated, and her defense lawyer wanted and her defense lawyer wanted and her defense lawyer wanted records of DeVita, and he wanted records of DeVita, and he wanted records of DeVita, and he wanted an opportunity for other experts an opportunity for other experts an opportunity for other experts to review the records. to review the records. In March 2012, In March 2012, In March 2012, the trial finally begins. the trial finally begins. I was able to go to the trial, I was able to go to the trial, I was able to go to the trial, not every single day. not every single day. It was too overwhelming to listen, It was too overwhelming to listen, It was too overwhelming to listen, to look at her. to look at her. to look at her. Kimberly Sines seemed very relaxed. She was cheerful, joking with She was cheerful, joking with She was cheerful, joking with her counsel. her counsel. her counsel. It just seemed like she did not It just seemed like she did not It just seemed like she did not understand that she was on trial understand that she was on trial understand that she was on trial for capital murder. Kimberly's defense attorney Kimberly's defense attorney Kimberly's defense attorney uses the clinic's records to argue uses the clinic's records to argue uses the clinic's records to argue they are the real culprits. they are the real culprits. He laid out a compelling He laid out a compelling He laid out a compelling argument that she was a argument that she was a argument that she was a scapegoat for this Fortune 500 scapegoat for this Fortune 500 scapegoat for this Fortune 500 company, and they were trying to company, and they were trying to company, and they were trying to put it on one person in order put it on one person in order put it on one person in order to shift the blame. to shift the blame. to shift the blame. One of his defensive theories One of his defensive theories One of his defensive theories was is there was a chlorine leak was is there was a chlorine leak was is there was a chlorine leak that somehow tap water was that somehow tap water was that somehow tap water was getting through into the system. getting through into the system. Now, if there had been a tap Now, if there had been a tap Now, if there had been a tap water leak, everybody would have water leak, everybody would have water leak, everybody would have gotten sick because every gotten sick because every gotten sick because every patient got the same water, but patient got the same water, but patient got the same water, but there was a little bleach in it. there was a little bleach in it. The trial lasted four weeks, The trial lasted four weeks, The trial lasted four weeks, and the jury deliberated part of and the jury deliberated part of and the jury deliberated part of one afternoon and into the next one afternoon and into the next one afternoon and into the next day, so it was quite a quick day, so it was quite a quick day, so it was quite a quick deliberation for the amount of deliberation for the amount of deliberation for the amount of evidence they had to go through. evidence they had to go through. On March 30, 2012, the jury On March 30, 2012, the jury On March 30, 2012, the jury renders its verdict. Kim Saenz was convicted of capital murder Kim Saenz was convicted of capital murder Kim Saenz was convicted of capital murder and aggravated assault. and aggravated assault. Three counts of aggravated assault Three counts of aggravated assault Three counts of aggravated assault and acquitted on two. She was sentenced to one term of She was sentenced to one term of She was sentenced to one term of life without parole and three life without parole and three life without parole and three counts of 20 years each for the counts of 20 years each for the counts of 20 years each for the assaults. assaults. assaults. When the verdict, the verdict When the verdict, the verdict When the verdict, the verdict was read and then when sentence was read and then when sentence was read and then when sentence was passed, there was a sense of Relief? that she can't do it to anyone else. The only real question is why, and everybody wants to know that. The only one that knows it is her, and until she explains it, nobody will know. It seemed like she was killing just indiscriminately for no reason. My personal theory, she couldn't control what was going on in her life, and I believe she took her frustrations out on those patients. Her marriage was falling apart, and this was her way of asserting control and power in what was a very chaotic personal life. All the other demons that she had in her life, I believe that's what caused her to snap. Carlin Kelly, Jr., the myth, the man, the legend. He was a man covered in the grace of God, but so much love. My mom was a God-loving person, and she speaks to me a lot of times and just saying, wanted to just let it go, forgive, and I know that she would have forgiven her, and I'm trying. Cora Bryant died just a few weeks shy of her 65th birthday, and her family and her loved ones remember her as someone who had just a great sense of humor and laughter about her, and she loved her children and her grandchildren very much. There's no way to really describe in words what our mom, my mom, meant to us as a family. She was the glue that held us together. The loss that we endured, I can't convey in real words. Kimberly is serving out her life sentence at the Patrick L. O'Daniel University, and she's going to be serving out her life sentence at the Patrick L. O'Daniel University, unit in Gatesville, Texas.