Police Accuse Retired Nurse of Killing Husband in Hospital

An autopsy revealed the victim died of asphyxiation of the mouth and nose.

A retired nurse in Florida allegedly suffocated her husband in his hospital bed following a surgery May 19.

Jan Sochalski, 61, was arrested Aug. 29 and charged with second degree murder following an investigation into the death of 64-year-old Henry Sochalski, a retired police officer. Jan has denied killing her husband.

Jan had been complaining about the care her husband received at Dayton Beach’s Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center after he had elective back surgery in April. The suspect was so upset that she threatened to go home to get her husband’s gun and “shoot the people on the seventh floor” of the hospital, according to ABC News.

RELATED: Hospital Worker Arrested for Assaulting Patients in N.Y.

Henry was placed in an area of the hospital that provides specialized care after going into respiratory and cardiac arrest. At one point during his treatment the suspect allegedly asked for medication to decrease her husband’s respiratory status.

Then in May, a nurse witnessed the suspect lying over her husband with one hand on his chest and one hand covering his mouth and nose. A second nurse witnessed Jan “pinching the victim’s nose” and called police. Henry died approximately 30 minutes later.

The autopsy results were returned Aug. 17, revealing the victim died of asphyxia of the mouth, nose and trachea.

The suspect is being held without bail in Volusia County Jail.

Read Next: Ill. Health Center to Pay $5.5M HIPAA Settlement

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century

This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!

Get Our Newsletters
Campus Safety Conference promo