Former nurse Heather Pressdee was sentenced after she plead guilty to three counts of first-degree murder charges and 19 counts of attempted murder. Molly Miller/Butler Eagle

JACKSON TWP — Legislators representing Butler County said Friday, May 3, that the killing and attempted killing a total of 22 nursing home patients by Heather Pressdee was a tragedy, but even as legislation is considered, further incidents like it couldn’t be entirely prevented by legislation.

State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-8th, said at a legislative breakfast Friday morning, May 3, that cutting down on the time it takes to catch people committing crimes is key, which is an issue that legislators could bring to Harrisburg.

“It’s just about creating a system that catches them faster … To act like something like this will never happen again is just not true,” Bernstine said. “We consistently try to pass bills, sometimes in Harrisburg that are reactionary. This does need to be looked at and evaluated, and we’re going to be making sure we are doing this is some manner that doesn’t penalize good working people.”

Pressdee, 41, of Natrona Heights, was sentenced Thursday, May 2, to serve three consecutive life sentences followed by 380 to 760 years in prison in a plea agreement in which she pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and 19 counts of attempted murder filed by the attorney general’s office. Prosecutors said she injected her patients with insulin or air to create air embolisms.

State Rep. Tim Bonner, R-17th, said he is working on legislation to reform the death penalty. He said he understands why the death penalty was not considered in Pressdee’s case, but it shouldn’t be off the table permanently. At Friday’s legislative breakfast, Bonner blamed Democrats for advocating for restorative justice in criminal cases, rather than harsher penalties.

He also said the agencies involved in prosecuting the case did not pursue the death penalty for Pressdee, but added that he commended the criminal justice system’s follow through after her confession.

“This case was a death penalty-eligible case,” Bonner said. “If you commit a murder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the death penalty isn’t automatically on the table … A determination was made not to pursue it, and there are a lot of factors that go into that.”

Rep. Stephenie Scialabba, R-12th, said she voted against a bill that would limit employers from accessing background checks for potential hires.

“This is a serious crime, and small things lead to big things,” Scialabba said of Pressdee. “You have a right to know who you are hiring, and when you are dealing especially in the health sector, you want to know that your loved one is being treated properly by good people.”