Argentina's " Angel of Death" Nurse Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Five Babies and To Attempted Murder of More

Brenda Cecilia Agüero, 29, has been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder and attempted murder of over a dozen newborn babies. A former neonatal nurse at the Ramón Castillo Neonatal Hospital in Córdoba Province, Argentina, Agüero was arrested in August 2022.

On June 18, 2025, a Córdoba jury returned a guilty verdict on all 13 charges, five counts of aggravated murder and eight of attempted murder. Immediately following the verdict, the judge sentenced Agüero to life imprisonment without parole, ineligible for parole for at least 35 years.

Between March 18 and June 6, 2022, an unprecedented series of infant destabilizations and deaths occurred in the hospital's neonatal ward. Investigators determined that the cause of the deaths had to be a hospital-acquired infection or malpractice.

Twenty employees and the head of the hospital, Liliana Asís, 70, were suspended by the provincial government, and no deaths were recorded after their suspension.

Autopsies revealed elevated levels of potassium and insulin in the victims, clear indicators of deliberate injections. Five infants died, and eight more were left in critical condition but survived thanks to prompt medical care. Other nurses became suspicious of Agüero due to odd behavior, including wearing long sleeves on hot summer days. Prosecutors alleged that Agüero accessed emergency carts without proper inventory control and concealed syringes under her long sleeves as part of her method.

After her August 2022 arrest, Agüero was charged with five counts of aggravated murder for using lethal potassium and eight counts of attempted murder. In February 2023, Asís was arrested for concealing the deaths from the authorities but was granted house arrest due to her deteriorating health. The trial began on January 6, 2025.

Medical experts at the trial confirmed that unnaturally high doses of potassium and insulin were found in the victims' bodies. Prosecutors argued Agüero carried out the injections to manufacture medical emergencies and increase her importance to doctors and colleagues. In addition to Agüero's sentence, five hospital and provincial officials received lesser convictions for wrongful conduct related to failing to report or cover up the deaths; five others were acquitted.

Córdoba's former health minister resigned amid criticism over early mismanagement and delayed investigation. Agüero is currently being held in isolation at Bouwer prison in the Córdoba province to protect her from other inmates.