Thelma Metcalf, 68, of Zavalla, Texas, died on April 1, 2008, while undergoing dialysis at the DaVita Healthcare Dialysis Clinic in Lufkin. Her death was recorded as cardiac arrest. Born August 3, 1939, in Houston, she was remembered as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

After Thelma’s death, investigators noted a troubling pattern at the same clinic: multiple patients experienced sudden cardiac arrest, severe drops in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness during dialysis that month. Forensic testing later identified bleach in dialysis equipment and in the blood of several victims. Licensed vocational nurse Kimberly Clark Saenz was present at each incident and her name appeared on Thelma’s treatment paperwork for April 1.

Saenz was arrested in 2009 and later tried; prosecutors presented eyewitness accounts, forensic evidence, and inconsistent statements attributed to Saenz. The jury returned guilty verdicts, and Saenz received life in prison without parole.