He said Gilbert confessed to the attacks to Perrault and to her ex- husband. I killed all those guys by injection. Adrenaline is usually used to control heartbeat, but used incorrectly can make the heart race. Gilbert's lawyers have said the patients, who were in the hospital for treatment of serious illnesses, died of natural causes. The defense is expected to suggest they may have stolen adrenaline missing from the ward.
Some drug abusers take adrenaline to enhance performance or for other effects.
But Welch said it is practically impossible for so many patients with strong hearts to suffer cardiac arrests for no apparent reason. Massachusetts hasn't had a state death penalty since 1984, when the state's highest court banned executions. But because the veterans' deaths happened on federal property, federal prosecutors brought a death penalty case in federal court. The ACLU opposes the death penalty. There are prisoners on federal death row, but there have been no executions for 37 years.