Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood worked as aides at a private nursing home for elderly people in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The facility was considered respectable: care was expensive, and staff were hired for their experience and references. Graham joined in 1986 at age 23, and 24-year-old Wood was the senior worker on her shift.
The two women quickly grew close and became lovers. Wood later said that Graham was the first to suggest killing someone. During their shifts, they discussed which patients could be murdered without raising suspicion, and those conversations eventually turned into action.
The first attempt came on Christmas 1986, when Graham tried to strangle a patient with a rope while Wood kept watch in the hallway. The woman woke up and fought back, so the attack failed. Then, on January 1, 1987, half an hour after midnight, an elderly patient with Alzheimer’s disease was killed. According to investigators, Graham pressed a washcloth over her face while Wood again stood guard. The death was treated as natural, and no autopsy was performed.
A few days later, investigators concluded, another patient was killed, this time with a pillow. After that, Graham began taking jewelry and personal belongings from the victims. Investigators later proved five murders of female patients, though they questioned eight deaths that occurred while the two women worked there.
Their relationship ended after Graham began insisting that Wood take a direct part in the killings. Wood moved to another shift, while Graham later left for Texas and started a new relationship there. In August 1987, Wood told her ex-husband what had happened, and in October 1988 he went to the police.
Once the investigation began, about forty bodies were exhumed. Experts found signs of violent death on the remains of two people, and eight more cases raised serious concerns for forensic specialists. Both women were arrested and charged with conspiracy and first-degree murder. Graham denied guilt, claiming her former lover was taking revenge for their breakup. Wood, seeking a lighter sentence, admitted her role in the crimes. Graham was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, while Wood received 20 years with the possibility of parole and was due for release in July 2021.