Attorney plans inquiry into hospital deaths
Three occurred where nurse who says he killed dozens worked
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Charles Cullen faces murder and attempted murder charges involving two patients at a New Jersey hospital.
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DENVILLE, New Jersey (CNN) -- A New Jersey attorney said Friday that family members have asked him to investigate three deaths at Somerset Medical Center, where a nurse who claims to have killed dozens of patients once worked.
Attorney Anthony Macri said pending his investigation, he's preparing to file a lawsuit against Charles Cullen and all 10 hospitals where he had been employed.
Cullen, 43, is facing murder and attempted murder charges involving two patients at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, New Jersey. He's being held at the Ann Kline Forensic Center at Trenton State Psychiatric Hospital in West Trenton.
Meanwhile, authorities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are re-examining patient files at the hospitals where Cullen spent his 14-year career.
Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest told reporters Monday that Cullen claims to have killed 30-40 patients.
Macri said the cause of death in all three cases he's investigating was "vague and suspicious." He said the families did not have specific evidence that Cullen was assigned to care for their relatives, but that "two remembered seeing him."
Macri charged that some of the hospitals where Cullen worked knew, or should have known, about previous investigations of him.
"There is something very wrong with that scenario," Macri said at a news conference at his office in Denville. "It ties in with this pervasive attitude I see in the medical community that the wrongdoing of health care professionals should be and is covered up by other health care professionals."
Macri would not disclose the names of the three patients. He said the deaths happened between May and September. The attorney said he will ask prosecutors to open investigations into the patients' deaths.
Macri described one patient as a 68-year-old man who died of an infection after elective knee surgery. He said another was a 75-year-old woman who died after suffering "respiratory duress." The third was an 81-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with heart problems. Macri said all three were showing signs of improvement before they died.
Macri said he has received a dozen other calls from family members who also want their relatives' deaths investigated.
Cullen told a judge Monday that he doesn't plan to fight the two charges against him. His lawyers are negotiating with prosecutors to avoid the death penalty, CNN has learned.
Cullen had been treated for depression at a psychiatric hospital and twice tried to commit suicide, according to Phillipsburg, New Jersey, police reports.
Psychiatric treatment does not disqualify a nurse from continuing to practice.
