Kimberly Clark Saenz

Kimberly Clark Saenz
2012 Mugshot[1]
Other names	Kimberly Clark Fowler
Occupation	Former Nurse
Criminal charge	First-degree murder
Criminal penalty	Life imprisonment
Children	2
Killings
Victims	Five confirmed
Country	United States
State(s)	Texas
Date apprehended	2008

Kimberly Clark Saenz (born November 3, 1973)^[2] also known as Kimberly Clark Fowler, is a convicted serial killer.^[3] She was implicated in the deaths of several patients at a Texas dialysis center. The patients are thought to have been injected with bleach which Saenz is alleged to have drawn up into syringes and injected into the patients' dialysis lines.

Background

In 2008, at the time of the murders, Saenz was a 34-year old licensed practical nurse.^[4] Saenz was married with two young children. Saenz suffered from substance dependence and used stolen prescription medication.^[4] Saenz had been fired at least four times from health care jobs and placed disinformation on an application for employment and sought a health care job in violation of the terms of her bail.^[4]

On March 31, 2012, in Texas District Court, Saenz was found guilty of the 2008 murders of five dialysis patients and injuring five other patients.^[5][6] On April 2, 2012, the Angelina County jury sentenced Saenz to life imprisonment with no eligibility for parole and three 20-year sentences for aggravated assault.^[3] The five murder victims were Clara Strange, Thelma Metcalf, Garlin Kelley, Cora Bryant and Opal Few.^[7]

The two eyewitness accounts of Linda Hall and Leraline Hamilton confirmed that on April 28, 2008, Saenz drew sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, into syringes and injected the substance into two patients' dialysis lines at the clinic owned by DaVita in Lufkin, Texas.^[8] The Food and Drug Administration prepared a document confirming that samples linked to some victims tested positive for bleach while others showed bleach "may have been present at one time."^[4]

Lufkin law enforcement officers testified at the trial that they arrested Saenz for public intoxication and criminal trespass.^[9] These incidents related to the domestic disturbances with her husband, Mark Kevin Saenz.^[9] The husband had filed for divorce and had obtained a restraining order against Saenz in June 2007, just one year before the clinic deaths and illnesses.^[9] The trial records reflected that prior to working at DaVita, Saenz was fired from Woodland Heights Hospital for stealing Demerol, which was found in her handbag.^[10] Saenz was fired from DaVita in April 2008 after the numerous deaths at the clinic. Saenz nursing licence eventually was suspended. Saenz then applied to work as a receptionist in a Lufkin medical office and lied on her job application about previous employment.^[9]

The prosecutor, Clyde Herrington, believed there were more victims than just the ten indicted cases, based on the research of the epidemiologist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.^[11] The epidemiologist statistically connected Saenz to other adverse health events to patients.^[11] Lufkin Police detectives could only obtain medical waste from two weeks prior to April 28, 2008, so there was inadequate evidence to raise further indictments against Saenz in the other incidents.^[11] At the victim impact statement portion of the trial, the daughter of victim Thelma Metcalf told Saenz, “You are nothing more than a psychopathic serial killer. I hope you burn in hell”.^[12]

Saenz's defense team is planning to file an appeal to the Twelfth Court of Appeal of Texas.^[13][14]

See also

• Medical law
• Medical malpractice
• Never events
• Patient abuse

References