Elizabeth Wettlaufer to appear in person in Woodstock, Ont., court

A former nurse from Woodstock, Ont., will appear in person in provincial court for the first time today since she was charged with killing eight nursing home residents.

Elizabeth Wettlaufer is facing eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of seniors at two long-term care facilities one in Woodstock, Ont., and the other in London, Ont. between 2007 and 2014.

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Police allege Wettlaufer used drugs to kill residents while she worked at the facilities. Her alleged victims have been identified as:

• James Silcox, 84.
• Maurice Granat, 84.
• Gladys Millard, 87.
• Helen Matheson, 95.
• Mary Zurawinski, 96.
• Helen Young, 90.
• Maureen Pickering, 79.
• Arpad Horvath, 75.

Ontario Provincial Police also announced Thursday that a news release updating their investigation would be issued Friday morning at 9 a.m.

Wettlaufer, who has been held at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ont., since her arrest, is scheduled to appear in court at 10 a.m. Her previous appearances were by video conferencing.

Painful for families

When the case was last in court, family members of one of the people allegedlykilled by Wettlaufer expressed surprise when theylearned she would be appearing in person.

"It almost feels like progress a little bit more than we expected," said Andrea Silcox. "For her to come here, maybe they've got something to say that we're all looking forward to."

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Susan Horvath was less optimistic.

She said the idea of seeing Wettlaufer in person made her nervous, noting every time she sees a photo or video of the ex-nurse she's reminded of what she lost.

"As soon as I see her, even on the screen, I start to cry," she said. "When I see her, all I can see in my mind is how she was possibly hurting my father and that's very painful."

Horvath said attending court appearances is painful for families.

"We're going through a funeral every time we show up," she said.