In June 2025, a jury in Córdoba, Argentina, convicted nurse Brenda Cecilia Agüero of five counts of aggravated murder and eight counts of attempted murder after a six-month trial. She was sentenced to life in prison at Bouwer Penitentiary, with eligibility for parole after 35 years. Agüero has maintained her innocence, claiming that she was a scapegoat for broader systemic failures at the hospital.
Motive and Psychological Evaluation
During the trial, Agüero’s attorney described her actions as those of someone “playing God,” deciding who would live and who would die. Psychological and psychiatric evaluations of Agüero highlighted narcissistic and eccentric traits, a lack of empathy, and a possible satisfaction derived from the suffering of others. Experts suggested that her motivation included seeking recognition and advancing her career.
Timeline of the Deaths and Emergencies
The first emergency tied to Agüero’s shift occurred in March 2022 at the Hospital Materno Neonatal Ramón Carrillo, when a healthy newborn suddenly developed severe cardiorespiratory distress. Over the following weeks, other previously stable infants experienced acute respiratory failure or cardiac arrest without any clear medical cause. Two neonatologists eventually filed a judicial complaint, leading to a formal investigation.
A critical period came on June 6-7, 2022, when two babies died, and two others nearly died during Agüero’s shift. Staff and families later reported seeing needle marks and in one case, a “prick in the back,” which led doctors to question the medications and procedures used. Prosecutors argued that Agüero injected potassium and insulin into the infants, triggering lethal arrhythmias.
Evidence and Expert Testimony
Autopsies of two deceased babies revealed high levels of potassium in their systems, consistent with the effects of injected potassium. Additionally, experts testified that insulin levels in some infants were so extraordinarily high that they were comparable to those seen in adults with advanced pancreatic cancer. These findings suggested that the injections were administered with no medical indication.
Survivor Testimonies
One mother testified that she saw Agüero take her baby, turn away, and return the child shortly before the infant stopped breathing. Among the survivors, one suffered irreversible neurological damage linked to insulin injections, while another developed severe scoliosis after a potassium injection in the back.
Arrest and Trial
Agüero was arrested on August 19, 2022, and charged with the deaths of the infants. In her final statement in court, she denied being the “monster” portrayed in the media, expressing sympathy for the grieving mothers but maintaining that she was not a serial killer.
Hospital and Health Officials Convicted
In addition to Agüero’s conviction, the trial resulted in the conviction of five hospital and provincial health officials for concealment and dereliction of duty. Former hospital director Liliana Asís and former administrative sub-secretary Alejandro Escudero Salama received 64-month prison sentences. Former neonatology head Martha Gómez Flores, former patient-safety coordinator María Luisa Moralez, and former provincial health secretary Pablo Carvajal each received sentences of five years, with some suspended.
All five convicted officials remain free on bond until the judgment is final.
