Italian nurse kills as many as 38 patients because they annoyed her

Europics Police believe Daniela Poggiali killed up to 38 patients while she worked as a nurse in a Lugo hospital.

A cruel Italian nurse killed as many as 38 patients because she thought they — and their visiting families — were annoying, police said.

Police believe Daniela Poggiali, who worked at a Lugo hospital, killed her victims with hefty doses of potassium chloride and then snapped photos with some of the bodies, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported.

"Poggiali was particularly euphoric and asked me to take a photo next to the corpse," one of her colleagues told the newspaper, which has been translated from Italian. "I was afraid and intimidated."

The 42-year-old nurse was arrested last week after police investigated the mysterious death of a 78-year-old patient in April.

The woman died suddenly after coming to the hospital with a routine illness. Tests showed she died with a lethal dose of potassium in her system.

Europics Investigators said the murderous nurse allegedly killed her victims because she thought they — or their visiting loved ones — were annoying.

That touched off a massive police probe: Investigators found deaths in the hospital increased significantly when Poggiali was on duty.

In the first quarter of 2014, 38 out of her 83 patients died, the newspaper reported. Other nurses had about 10 deaths.