MANY serial killers from history have left a written record of their crimes – whether it’s the diary entries of Dennis Rader and Melvin Rees, or the cryptic notes of The Zodiac Killer.
Experts tend to agree that it comes from a combination of a pathological need for control, a twisted desire to relive their worst acts, and the thrill of the cat-and-mouse chase.
Detectives investigating British nurse have pushed the idea that she fits into this category, describing a possible “secret code”; left in her diary.
Letby, now 34, was last year given a in prison for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven more at Countess of Hospital.
During police raids on Letby’s home after her arrest, officers took a specific interest in her diary, as well as other notes found in her bedroom.
One such scrawling, which went on to form a key part of the case against her, said: “I am evil, I did this.”;
It was emblazoned on a bright Post-It, alongside another saying: “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough.”;
Her diary, meanwhile, found in a bedside drawer, was thought to have contained a sadistic trail of breadcrumbs.
Serial killers who leave behind diaries, notes, or cryptic messages often do so as a means of exerting control, crafting a personal narrative, or seeking attention.
Nicole NyamwizaSenior Lecturer in Criminology
These included coloured asterisks, as well as initials and words added to days that occasionally coincided with the or attacks she was later found guilty of.
A reference to “twins”; was recorded on April 8 2016. This was the date of the attempted murders of two twin boys, Baby L and Baby M.
On the same date, there were also initials “LD”; or “LO”; added, which appeared again on April 6, 7, 8 and 9, as well as on June 23 and 24, when she tried to kill twin brothers Baby O and Baby P, the trial heard.
The Sun spoke to Nicole Nyamwiza, a Senior Lecturer in Criminology atThe University of Law, who explained that there is often a reason for killers to put pen to paper.
She says: “These writings provide a window into the complex psychological landscape of Letby, highlighting the diverse motivations and mental states that can underlie such heinous acts.
“Understanding these nuances is crucial for both criminal profiling and the development of preventative strategies in clinical settings.”;
She added: “Serial killers who leave behind diaries, notes, or cryptic messages often do so as a means of exerting control, crafting a personal narrative, or seeking attention.”;
‘Sinster code’
The chilling cache of notes, scribbles and diaries is what police say enabled them to snare the young nurse – describing the find as a “massive surprise”;.
DI Rob Woods, who ran the search of her home when Letby was arrested for a second time, said in Police’s Operation Hummingbird documentary: “There appeared to be, and it became clear later that it was, almost a code of coloured asterisks, and various other things that marked significant events in our investigation.”;
“When we went to search the address for the second occasion, that was something we knew that we were looking for because we didn’t have the complete chronology.
“There were a couple of years missing, so that was a very clear item.
“We also knew that she was a copious writer of notes. We thought that perhaps having been arrested she might stop doing that.
“It turned out when we searched that second address, she had continued to write her thoughts and all sorts of processes about the investigation.”;
It is unclear how the asterisks fit into the theory, as the force has only publicly released a sample of pages from her diary in June 2016, and the asterisks are not included.
But the diary pages were hardly mentioned in the trial itself, and neither was there any reference to suspicions of an elaborate code used anywhere.
The use of initials was brought up by the prosecution, but experts believe there could be a simple explanation.
Cops appear to have initially read them as “LO”;, as per what was said in court, and been baffled.
There appeared to be, and it became clear later that it was, almost a code of coloured asterisks, and various other things that marked significant events in our investigation.
DI Rob WoodsCheshire Police
But they have since been interpreted as “LD”;, meaning “Long Day”; by online sleuths, as well as references in text messages between Letby and a colleague since made public.
This appears to be a colloquial abbreviation used by nurses at the hospital to signify a shift lasting 13 or 14 hours, something Letby was often doing during the period of the murders for which she was convicted.
Statistical misrepresentation consultant, Professor Richard Gill told The Sun the suggestion that the nurse left a trail of cryptic clues in her diary is “just quite simply ludicrous”; and a desperate attempt by police to paint her as the classic serial killer.
“It doesn’t exist, it’s just bluster,”; he added.
But Ms Nyamwiza says: “The use of coded entries in her diaries, such as the ‘LO’ notation corresponding to specific dates, indicates a compartmentalisation of her actions, perhaps as a coping mechanism or an attempt to maintain a semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos.”;
Professor Gill has previously helped free multiple medical professionals wrongfully convicted of killing patients, including and Italian nurse .
He is among an increasing number of supporters who believe Letby to be innocent, – although many others, including the victims’ families, have blasted the campaign to free her.
He described the diary as coming across “as more of a calendar than a diary”;, adding: “She’s not writing down thoughts every day.
“It’s just little notes of things that had happened or were going to happen, like many people do – professionals in jobs make little notes.”;
He said it was odd that police brought up the “LD”; initials in the documentary, released last year, despite the uncertainty apparently having been cleared up.
“Even at the time, people knew that LD meant Long Day, it was explained,”; Prof Gill continued.
“The story that there was some kind of sinister code and that it was planned is totally ludicrous, and it tells us something about the intelligence of Cheshire Constabulary.
“They wanted to convict a killer nurse, they wanted that very strongly, very early on, because they were brought into the conspiracy by the doctors.
“The doctors went to police in March or April 2017 and we know that they told them bogus lies, they told them lies about the expected number of deaths on that unit.
“They roped the police into their own fantasy, and the police went all out to prove it. They opened an investigation and found nothing, and this was one of the nothings of which they found.”;
‘I believe she’s innocent’
Text exchanges since made public between Letby and a colleague show the latter voicing some surprise that her friend was down for four LDs in a week.
Prof Gill said: “I mean, it’s a lot. You’re supposed to only have one LD a week.
“It’s 14 hours working strictly without a break. You’re not supposed to have four LDs in a week.
“But you can see how stretched that unit was, that it was necessary, and it shows us how enthusiastic Lucy was to work overtime and get experience.
“She’s an enthusiastic young nurse who wants to learn as much as she can, so she wants as much experience as she can, and she wants money.
“She’s saving to buy a house. The long day paid more than the short day, Christ.
“Those long days happened to coincide with the deaths of twins. So what?
“It shows that she’s often there when babies die because she worked such long hours, because the unit was short-staffed.”;
ProfGill went on to say: “There’s no evidence anyone saw her kill anyone, except Jayaram said he almost saw her, but he didn’t see her.
“And now there’s doubts about whether he was even there or not for Baby K. But nobody ever saw her doing anything whatsoever.”;
Prof Gill was referring to Dr Ravi Jayaram, who testified that the nurse was seen standing over Baby K’s cot as the infant’s condition deteriorated.
Taking the stand, the doctor said , insisting the nurse had virtually been caught “red-handed”;.
But last month, a bombshell memo appeared to cast doubt on Dr Jayaram’s claims.
Prior to the start of the police investigation, Dr Jayaram wrote in an email to colleagues: “At time of deterioration ... Staff nurse Letby at incubator and called Dr Jayaram to inform of low saturations.”;
This suggests Letby had informed superiors of the child’s condition.
Prof Gill – who vehemently believes Letby is innocent – said the only possible indication he can see from the evidence put forward in court of wrongdoing is that insulin may have been injected into some of the babies that came to harm.
I believe she’s completely innocent. I’ve said that for a long time, but for a long time I was among the very few who dared to say it.
Prof Richard GillStatistical misrepresentation consultant
“Maybe someone was trying to harm two babies,”; he said, however, he added that medical experts have since clarified that newborn premature babies can have completely natural Hyperglycemia.
Also known as high blood sugar, hyperglycemia is a condition where the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood is abnormally high.
It’s a common complication of diabetes, but can also occur in non-diabetics, particularly during illness or stress.
Prof Gill went on to say: “I think the things that convinced people of Lucy’s guilt were insulin, the rota, and the Post-It notes.”;
One such argument put forward by the prosecution suggested that because Letby was on shift when babies came to harm or died, statistically, she must have been guilty.
Prof Gill believes that this can be cleared up by the short staffing and the fact that Letby was so keen to take on extra shifts.
In terms of the notes, he said it’s not entirely clear what the “I killed them”; scrawling actually says.
“It’s not absolutely clear what the phrase is,”; he explained. “That’s not the whole sentence, there’s a bit above, which you can’t read.”;
Prof Gill said he’s unsure why a handwriting specialist wasn’t brought in by the defence team to decipher the full sentence and potentially quash it as evidence.
Other notes said “please help me”; and “I can’t do it any more”;, while another said: “I want someone to help me but they can’t, so what’s the point in asking. Hate my life.”;
Letby herself claimed she wrote the notes at a time when she feared her practices may have been at fault for babies collapsing.
She said she felt “isolated”; from colleagues after being taken off the neonatal unit and put on clerical duties.
In excerpts from police interviews after her arrest, shown to the jury, Letby said: “I just wrote it because everything had got on top of me.
“It was when I’d not long found out I’d been removed from the unit and they were telling me my practice might be wrong, that I needed to read all my competences – my practice might not have been good enough.
“I was blaming myself but not because I’d done something (but) because of the way people were making me feel.”;
Letby’s defence barrister Ben Myers KC told the court: “You have seen the notes. They are full of distress, self-recrimination and anguish.
“They certainly do show a very distressed woman. Someone in a terrible state of anguish.”;
However, the prosecution said the notes were confessions of guilt and not the “anguished outpourings of a woman in fear and despair”;.
Prof Gill added: “I understand why the jury came to guilty verdicts given what they were told.
“The police and CPS were convinced Letby was an evil killer and they were forced to fill the trial with junk.”;
He said he is pleased to see something of a shift in the narrative surrounding Letby by many.
“I think the shift is clear,”; he explained. “Of those who have an interest in the case many are at least coming round to the idea of them being unsafe convictions, if not agreeing she is innocent.
“People are prepared to say she’s innocent. I believe she’s completely innocent. I’ve said that for a long time, but for a long time I was among the very few who dared to say it.”;
