Texas Serial Baby Killer LVN Genene Jones’ Final Conviction Is Upheld
Genene Jones, a woman dubbed "Angel of Death" will likely die in prison after her final conviction was upheld by a Texas appeals court on August 25, 2021. She is responsible for the death of up to 60 babies and children in the 1970s and 1980s. Jones, an LVN, injected the children with chemicals like succinylcholine that were available to her in the clinical environments in which she worked.
Succinylcholine is a paralytic that is sometimes used in lethal injection cocktails. It is used legitimately in medical environments to facilitate intubation. When Jones was using it on children it was considered untraceable; however, in part due to this case, a test was developed to detect the chemical.
It's theorized that Jones committed these acts in hope that a PICU would be established in Kerrville, where she could further her career. Or that she resented the success of her more achieved registered nurses and doctors.
Jones was finally caught after officials looked into who was working when infant and children's deaths spiked- and it was always Jones. And because the test for succinylcholine was developed, they were able to prove it was her.
In spite of all this, Jones was nearly eligible for release in 2018, after being convicted in two children's deaths, including the child whose tissues helped develop the succinylcholine test:
She was sentenced to 60 years and 99 years, respectively, but, because of a 1977 law that has since been repealed, was scheduled for mandatory release in 2018.
To prevent her release, Jones was charged in 2017 for the murders of five additional children. Jones agreed to plea guilty in one of the murders, which would make parole possible for her in 2037. She will be 87 years old should she live that long. However, Jones attempted to appeal the agreement:
Jones appealed her final conviction on the basis of a motion to dismiss the 2017 case against her that was denied by a trial court. She and her lawyers argued that the decision to indict her on the almost-30-year-old murders of which she had long been suspect a year before she was scheduled for release violated her right to a speedy trial and her right to due process.
The court dismissed her appeal, and she will likely die in prison. For more about the discovery of the succinylcholine test and on Jones' case in general, check out this episode of Forensic Files: