Former nursing home employee charged with 8 counts of 1st degree murder

A 49-year-old former nurse has been charged with eight counts of first-degree murder connected to the deaths of residents in the southwestern Ontario nursing homes in which she worked.

Elizabeth TraceyMae Wettlaufer is alleged to have killed elderly residents in care homes both in Woodstock, Ont., and London, Ontario Provincial Police announced in a news conference Tuesday.

Seven of the victims died after they received a fatal dose of medication while in the nursing home, police said. The victims are alleged to have been killed between 2007 and 2014.

Police launched an investigation into several deaths in London,Woodstockand in Oxford and Brant counties on Oct. 14.

A statement from CaressantCare Nursing Homesconfirmed earlierthat the investigation involves a registered nurse who worked in Woodstock a community roughly halfway between London and Hamilton but who has not been with Caressant for twoandahalf years.

CBC News has live coverage below of the police news conference.

• Former Woodstock, Ont., nurse involved in southwestern Ontario death probe
• Mobile users can find the blog here