Nurse Caught Stealing Pills Seen on Family Secret Video Camera

Jenna N. Carlesso
Journal Inquirer
11/02/2007

A Suffield visiting nurse charged with stealing anxiety medication from an elderly patient was caught on videotape by the patient's family, according to an affidavit released from Enfield Superior Court.

The nurse, Melissa Wilson, 41, of 915 North Stone St. was charged on Oct. 16 with intentional cruelty to a person, a felony, and misdemeanor charges of two counts each of possession of a controlled substance and sixth-degree larceny.

Wilson is accused of stealing nine prescription pills of Ativan, a drug used to manage anxiety, on two occasions from Pauline Davidson, 73, of Enfield in incidents that occurred on or about May and June, according to the affidavit.

Davidson's son, Herb Davidson, 55, said Friday that his mother had been sick, but her illness didn't warrant the amount of pills he found missing at one point.

In May he set up a hidden video camera to ensure his mother was receiving proper care, he said. He later discovered on the tape that Wilson had slipped pills into her pocket, he said. He showed the video to police, who arrested her last month.

Herb said his mother suffered from bone and lung cancer and dementia and died in early August. "You just can't steal medicine from patients," he said. "When it comes to senior citizens, it's even worse."

He filed a complaint with the state Public Heath Department seeking to have Wilson's license revoked. Enfield police Capt. Gary Collins said Friday that police do not believe Pauline Davidson's illness was aggravated by the missing medication. Her son, however, said he thinks it was.

"We don't believe the death is linked with this larceny," Collins said. "This was a relatively minor theft. Had we thought the two were linked, her charges would be much more serious."

In the affidavit supporting Wilson's arrest, Detective Michael Bailey wrote that initially Wilson denied stealing any medication from Pauline. But when she was told about the videotaped evidence, Wilson admitted she took nine pills of Ativan, a drug used to manage anxiety, over two separate occasions.

Wilson said she took the pills because she thought Pauline was over-medicated and threw the pills in the garbage.

When asked why she didn't speak to doctors about discontinuing the medication, Wilson could not come up with a reason, according to the affidavit.