Former Woodstock, Ont., nurse in court on 8 murder charges

A former Woodstock, Ont.. nurse appeared in court viavideo link this morning to face murder charges linked to the deaths of eight elderly nursing home residents.

Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, 49, faces eight counts of first-degree murder. The deaths occurred between August 2007 and August 2014, and the patients were between 75 and 96 years old.

• Former nurse killed 8 elderly patients, police allege
• Who is Elizabeth Wettlaufer? What we know so far about accused in nursing home deaths

Sevenof the deaths were at a nursing home inWoodstock, a small community 140 kilometres southwest of Toronto, and one was at a nursing home in London, Ont.Police have not said exactly how they died, except to say seven were administered a fatal dose of a drug.

Wettlaufer is being held at theVanierWomen's Centre Detention Facility in Milton, Ont. During the video appearance, she wore dark green prison garb. As court adjourned until Nov. 18, she replied, "That's it."

Andrea Silcox, the daughter of James Silcox, one of the patients Wettlaufer is accused of killing, was at the court in WoodstockonWednesday. Shetold CBC News that Ontario Provincial Police told family members of the alleged victims to stay away from the trial.

See the updates from CBC reporters John Lancaster and Kerry McKee at the courthouse this morning here. On mobile? Follow the live blog here.

The charges came after Wettlaufer provided staff at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with information about the deaths of the patients, CBC learned from a source with knowledge of the investigation.

More than two weeks before she was charged Oct. 25, Wettlaufer signed a peace bond that prohibited her from entering nursing homes and retirement homes as well as from possessing insulin.

• What we know of the 8 victims in the alleged nursing-home killings
• Former nurse ordered to stay away from nursing homes before being charged with killings

Court documents obtained by CBC News show Woodstock police said they had "reasonable grounds" to fear Wettlaufer would commit an offence.

That peace bond, signed by Wettlaufer and Judge Stephen Paull, listed 10 terms. They included she reside either at her own apartment or her parents'home in Woodstock and obey a curfew that kept her indoors between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., except to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Wettlaufer was active on social media, with several posts detailing her life as a nurse.She also published poetry online in a series of blog posts.

The poem Inevitable was posted about five years ago. It explores the possibility of taking a life:

She watches some life drain from the notch in his neck vein.

As it soothingly pools it smothers her pain.

Sweet stiletto so sharp craves another cut.

Obeying a call she moves to his gut.

Blade traces a line from navel to spine.

Grating on rib bones slicing intestine.

The College of Nurses of Ontario lists her status as "resigned" in her profile on the college's website. She first registered with the college the governing body for nurses, practical nurses and nurse practitioners on June 8, 1995, and resigned on Sept. 30, 2016.