ST. LOUIS, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- A registered nurse Tuesday faced murder charges for allegedly giving a lethal dose of morphine to a dying patient at St. Louis University Hospital.
Charges were filed against Daillyn Pavia, 30, of Granite City, Ill., in the death of Julia Dawson, 86, of St. Louis, who had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and been taken off life support before receiving the lethal dose.
Investigators said they don't know why Pavia allegedly killed the patient.
Police said Pavia admitted to co-workers that she had "without authorization and within a half-an-hour of taking charge of Julia Dawson as her patient ... intentionally (given) Ms. Dawson 15 times the maximum dosage of morphine that had been prescribed."
A probable-cause statement released by the circuit attorney's office also indicated that Pavia admitted giving the victim the sedative Propofol, which had not been prescribed.
The victim's son, Kenneth Dawson, 55, of Bear, Del., said he'd "be willing to bet my life" Pavia acted out of compassion and should not be prosecuted.
"All I know is she (Pavia) was going to give her some pain medicine," Dawson told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I'm sad they charged her with murder."
Pavia had been employed at the hospital for a decade. She surrendered to police Monday.
