Is British Killer Nurse Lucy Letby Innocent? Experts Claim 'No Evidence of Murder'

Update: February 5, 2025

The case of Lucy Letby, the former neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill seven others, has taken a dramatic turn after a panel of international medical experts claimed there was no evidence that any of the babies were murdered. The 14-member panel, led by Canadian neonatologist Dr. Shoo Lee, presented its findings during a press conference in London, stating that all the deaths and injuries in Letby’s case were due to natural causes or poor medical care rather than deliberate harm.

“There was no medical evidence to support malfeasance causing death or injury,” Dr. Lee told reporters, before detailing what he described as serious medical failings at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit, where Letby worked. The panel’s report, which reviewed each of the 14 cases linked to Letby’s convictions, found alternative explanations for every death and injury attributed to her.

Medical Errors and Alternative Causes of Death

In one case where Letby was found guilty of killing a baby by injecting air into its stomach, the panel concluded that natural respiratory complications and chronic lung disease were the likely causes of death. They also pointed to a failure by hospital staff to detect a bacterial infection, which they said should have been treated with antibiotics.

In another instance where Letby was convicted of deliberately removing a baby’s breathing tube, Dr. Lee said the panel’s analysis suggested that the infant’s collapse was actually due to the wrong size breathing tube being inserted by a consultant who "didn’t know what he was doing." Similar conclusions were reached in all cases, with the experts asserting that each death could be explained by natural causes or medical errors rather than intentional harm.

Flawed Medical Evidence at the Center of Letby’s Conviction

Dr. Lee also accused the prosecution of misinterpreting his research on air embolism, a central component of the case against Letby. His 1989 academic paper, which examined cases of air embolism in newborns, was used to support claims that Letby injected air into babies' veins. However, Dr. Lee stated that his research only studied air embolisms in arteries, not veins, and that the distinct skin discoloration referenced in his study would not occur with venous air embolism.

Since the trial, he has updated his research and found no connection between air embolisms in veins and skin discoloration, contradicting the prosecution’s claims. Last year, Dr. Lee offered to testify in Letby’s appeal, arguing that his research had been misused. However, the Court of Appeal rejected his submission, stating that the prosecution had not relied solely on skin discoloration to diagnose an embolism.

Legal Efforts to Reinvestigate Letby’s Case

The panel’s findings are expected to play a key role in Letby’s latest legal efforts. Her defense team has already submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), seeking a re-investigation of her case as a potential miscarriage of justice. Letby’s barrister, Mark McDonald, maintains that the medical evidence used to convict her was fundamentally flawed and that the panel’s conclusions provide a strong basis for her case to be reconsidered.  

Letby, who is serving 15 whole-life sentences, has previously lost two appeals, and the Court of Appeal ruled in 2023 that the prosecution’s medical evidence was safe. However, her legal team argues that these new expert opinions—which were not presented at trial—represent significant fresh evidence that could change the outcome of her case. McDonald emphasized that Letby’s previous legal team failed to call a single expert witness to challenge the prosecution’s medical claims, something her current team is now working to rectify.

The CCRC has confirmed it will assess Letby’s application to determine whether the new medical findings provide a reasonable chance of overturning her conviction. While Letby’s defense continues to push for a re-examination of her case, the families of the victims and legal authorities maintain that her convictions have already been thoroughly reviewed and upheld. 

Update: December 17, 2024

Lucy Letby's defense team has announced plans to request a comprehensive Court of Appeal review of all her convictions, focusing on the credibility of key expert testimony. Mark McDonald, Letby’s barrister, claimed during a press conference that Dr. Dewi Evans, the lead prosecution expert, had revised his conclusions regarding the cause of death for three of the babies—Baby C, Baby I, and Baby P. McDonald argued that this change undermines the reliability of Dr. Evans' testimony and warrants a review of all convictions.

"The defence will argue that Dr Evans is not a reliable expert, and all the convictions are not safe," McDonald stated, emphasizing the potential implications of the alleged shift in expert opinion.

However, Dr. Evans has strongly refuted these claims, calling them "unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate." In a statement issued in response to McDonald’s comments, Dr. Evans said:

"Mr Mark McDonald's observations regarding my evidence is unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate. His method of presenting his information reflects clear prejudice and bias. The only place appropriate to deal with any potential appeal is the relevant court."

Dr. Evans also criticized McDonald’s decision to address the matter through a press conference, labeling it "unprofessional" and "highly disrespectful to the families of babies murdered and harmed by Lucy Letby." He reaffirmed his willingness to provide evidence under oath if required in future proceedings.

Letby’s defense team claims that Dr. Evans submitted a new report months ago, which has not yet been disclosed by prosecutors. They argue that this report, alongside new opinions from other medical experts, raises serious doubts about Letby’s convictions, particularly those involving Baby C and Baby O.

Despite these assertions, Letby’s convictions—resulting from the murders of seven infants and the attempted murders of seven others—remain firmly upheld by previous rulings.

Original Article: November 1, 2024

Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital convicted of the tragic deaths of seven infants and attempted murder of seven others, has had her recent appeal denied by an appeals court in London. The court rejected her challenge to the conviction tied to the attempted murder of a baby girl known as Child K. This decision marks yet another failed attempt to overturn her convictions, reinforcing the gravity of her actions and the court’s firm stance on her culpability.

Appeal Denied

Letby, 34, now serving life sentences with no chance of parole, initially filed an appeal challenging her conviction for the attempted murder of Child K, who was under her care in February 2016. Her defense argued that extensive media coverage from her 2023 trial might have impacted the jury’s impartiality in the retrial, which became necessary after a previous jury failed to reach a verdict on this specific count regarding Child K. 

Despite these claims, the appeals court in London firmly rejected this argument, upholding the conviction.

This is not the first time Letby’s appeals have failed. In May, the court had already denied her attempts to appeal multiple earlier convictions, further solidifying the court’s confidence in the evidence against her.

A Crime That Captured International Attention

She was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The scale and nature of these crimes have disturbed the public and healthcare professionals alike, raising serious questions about how such actions could have gone undetected for so long.

Letby is currently serving multiple life sentences with no chance of release, a reflection of the severity of her crimes and their impact on the families of her victims. Despite the overwhelming evidence and multiple convictions, Letby has consistently maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.

@dailymailuk BREAKING: Lucy Letby has been denied a retrial for the attempted murder of a premature baby girl. The former neonatal nurse, 34, was seeking approval to challenge her most recent conviction for trying to kill the newborn, known as Child K, after being found guilty following a retrial in July. She was already serving a whole life prison sentence when this trial got underway. She claimed the second trial was unfair due to 'unadulterated vitriol' aimed at her after the first sentence. She took aim at prosecutors, police, media organisations, the former Prime Minster Rishi Sunak and even Loose Women panelists, as she was called “evil”, “cold-blooded”, and “calculated”. #lucyletby #retrial #news #crime #ukcrime #lucyletbytrial ♬ Dramatic - Sallandu

Warnings Ignored by Hospital Administration

Some of Letby’s colleagues began to notice patterns and raised concerns about the spike in infant deaths and near-fatal incidents linked to Letby’s shifts. Among those who sounded the alarm was Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a hospital consultant, who first alerted hospital administrators to his suspicions about Letby in 2015 and 2016. Dr. Jayaram and others reportedly witnessed incidents where Letby appeared to be present or involved just before an infant’s sudden decline. 

However, hospital leadership failed to investigate allegations against Letby and attempted to silence doctors. Rather than pursuing the claims, they insisted doctors write apologies to Letby, and two consultants were even ordered to attend mediation with her. 

Despite ongoing concerns from staff, the hospital reportedly hesitated to act out of concern for its reputation and potential legal implications. This reluctance meant that Letby continued to work in the neonatal unit. It wasn’t until 2017—more than a year after the suspicions began—that Cheshire Constabulary launched an investigation.

Letby’s Arrests

Lucy Letby was arrested three times as the investigation unfolded. She was first detained in 2018, then again in 2019, but was released on bail both times. In November 2020, following further investigation, she was arrested a third time and remanded in custody. 

Examining the System Failures

Since her conviction, an inquiry has been launched to understand how these tragic events were allowed to unfold. This inquiry is expected to examine the operations at Countess of Chester Hospital, focusing on areas such as 

• Staffing practices
• The management of concerns raised by other nurses
• Why no action was taken sooner despite warnings from Letby’s colleagues. 

This investigation is critical—not just for understanding the scope of what went wrong but also for putting safeguards in place to ensure similar tragedies do not occur in the future.

What It Means for Patient Safety

The case has had a lasting impact on healthcare, sparking discussions on how hospitals can better protect patients, especially in high-stakes areas like neonatal care. Many now question whether existing staff vetting and reporting systems are enough. Some of Letby’s colleagues had raised red flags about her behavior, but these were largely ignored, underscoring a need for healthcare systems to respond swiftly and thoroughly when concerns are raised.

The repercussions of this case will likely be felt for years to come, influencing policies and practices in neonatal care, hospital management, and the broader healthcare sector.