Let me start by saying that this article is purely for informational purposes only. I am on a journey to explore all aspects of life in the South, and this includes going beyond just the usual tourist attractions in Florida.
Take a leisurely walk with me as we explore the meandering backstreets of the beautiful Sunshine State.
Having lived in various counties myself, I can attest to the fact that they all have their unique charm. However, there are certain aspects that remain hidden away, waiting to be uncovered. It’s often the tragedies of the past and present that leave people searching for answers and understanding.
It’s a fact that no place is completely safe from heinous crimes. Recently, I traveled from Florida’s West Coast and came back to Brevard County on the East Coast. Despite being on different shorelines, the Gulf and Atlantic, both areas are equally vulnerable to criminal activities.
Munchausen Syndrome: A Deceptive Disorder
In just a short span of four days, a baffling mystery began to unravel, leading to a spine-chilling turn of events within 24 hours from November 26, 1984. One of the patients at North Horizon Nursing Home in St. Petersburg, Florida, Stella Bradham, aged 85, slipped into a coma that was initially believed to have been caused by a stroke. Unfortunately, she passed away four days later. For more information on this case, you can visit this link.
Cecilia Bradham Mansfield, the granddaughter of Stella, couldn’t shake off the feeling that something went terribly wrong. Her grandmother was in perfect health, which made the situation even more puzzling.
The feeling just never went away that something wasn’t right with her. – Mansfield
The caregivers at the well-regarded and relatively small eldercare facility were also left feeling uneasy. It wasn’t just Bradham’s unexpected passing that occurred in November at North Horizon.
Mysterious Deaths: A Closer Look
According to Linda Hoffmister Warman, the former Director of Nursing, between November 13th to the 23rd, 1984, seven people lost their lives. The North Horizon staff conducted a detailed analysis of the patients’ records in search of a connection. The investigation eliminated potential causes such as Legionnaires’ disease, water, food, and environmental factors.
Following the suspicious break-in and the injury of a nurse, authorities launched a full-scale investigation. What alarmed them even more was the sudden deaths of 12 patients in just 13 days. Upon further investigation, they uncovered evidence that led to the dismissal of the nurse, Bobbie Sue Terrell, who was also the victim of the knife attack.
As the night shift nurse during the deaths of multiple patients, Terrell was the sole connection between the cases. She served as the crucial link that tied everything together.
Terrell (nee Robinson) was diagnosed with schizophrenia and Munchausen’s syndrome, a mental disorder where individuals feign physical or mental illness. Those with Munchausen by proxy are typically caregivers who fabricate or cause an illness or injury in a person under their care.
Terrell had a tumultuous past that included a difficult childhood, self-harm, and the end of her marriage. Following her divorce from Danny Dudley, she was unable to retain custody of their adopted son. Dudley alleged that Terrell was responsible for the boy’s drug overdose, which was caused by tranquilizers that Terrell had been prescribed. Terrell’s nursing license was also revoked in Illinois.
When she moved to St. Petersburg in 1984, she failed to disclose her previous incidents in Illinois. This enabled her to obtain a nursing license in Florida as there was no national registry of nursing licenses at that time.
After conducting an investigation, detectives obtained a warrant to search Terrell’s residence in Tampa. Upon searching under her mattress, they found a five-page document that provided a detailed account of the patients’ deaths, including their names and the exact time of their passing. This information was reported by Oxygen, who covered the case of Bobbie Sue Dudley, who was convicted of four nursing home murders.
In 1988, Terrell’s legal team decided to take a plea bargain and she eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges on February 23. As a result, she was sentenced to 65 years in prison. Additionally, she received a further 30 years for the attempted murder of Larson, a 94-year-old patient who passed away two months after receiving an insulin overdose from Terrell – although the cause of death was unrelated to the incident.
Bobbie Sue Terrell died in prison at age 54.
