‘She is evil’: Former Henrico nurse who abused NICU babies was not improperly trained, professionals say
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Editor’s Note: This article contains descriptions of premature babies being neglected, mishandled and harmed. Viewer discretion is advised.
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Every professional who reviewed video of the care provided by 27-year-old Erin Strotman -- the former Henrico Doctors' Hospital nurse who was found guilty of abusing or neglecting nine premature babies -- concluded that she was not improperly trained.
During a two-hour plea hearing at the Henrico County Circuit Court on Thursday, Jan. 15, Strotman entered a no-contest plea to all nine counts of child abuse.
After a slideshow presentation by the Commonwealth's Attorney and arguments from Strotman's defense attorneys, a Henrico Circuit Court judge found Strotman guilty on all nine felony charges.
The convictions stem from incidents between 2022 and 2024 when Strotman injured nine babies while working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.
ALL COVERAGE: Babies injured, abused at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s NICU
Strotman initially faced 20 charges for malicious wounding and felony child abuse prior to Thursday's ruling.
After several babies within Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s NICU were found to have “unexplainable fractures,” multiple investigations were launched into how these babies could have been harmed.
CPS, Henrico Doctors' Hospital 2023 investigation, per the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office
On Thursday, the Commonwealth's Attorney explained when and how Henrico Child Protective Services (CPS) was initially notified of at least four of the nine babies' injuries back in 2023.
On Sept. 21, 2023, Henrico Doctors' Hospital CEO Ryan Jensen and the VP of Quality, Denise Weisberg, contacted Henrico CPS to make a report about concerns for non-accidental trauma inside the NICU.
MORE: Nurse’s license suspended with new details of abuse, neglect of 7 NICU babies
According to the Commonwealth's Attorney, there were four incidents with "unexplained and concerning fractures," of which Sarah Wilson from Henrico CPS and Det. Matthew Fitzer were assigned to investigate.
The Commonwealth's Attorney explained that CPS initially discovered the four 2023 victims in about a month between August and September 2023:
- Baby Z.M. discovered on Aug. 5, 2023, with a fracture to the left radius
- Baby T.M. discovered on Aug. 16, 2023, with radial fracture, fracture of the ulna, right rib fracture, a distal femoral fracture, left radial fracture and bruising
- Baby M.L. discovered on Aug. 16, 2023, with bruising a left radial bucket fracture
- Baby N.H. discovered on Sept. 2, 2023, with a non-displaced fracture of the left tibia
Following the initial internal investigation, the Henrico Doctors' Hospital removed Strotman from its schedule and she was placed on paid leave. That leave lasted 11 months.
The joint CPS and law enforcement investigation in 2023 found that the birth process did not cause the injuries to these babies.
Both Dr. Reece, the Henrico Doctors' Hospital radiologist, and Dr. Robin Foster, who leads the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Child Protection Team, were consulted.
Reece placed Strotman as one of the two individuals with access to all four 2023 victim children and both doctors found that these injuries were concerning for non-accidental trauma.
With no criminal case initiated, the Henrico Doctors' Hospital installed video surveillance systems in each NICU patient room and agreed to train every NICU employee about child abuse.
CPS and law enforcement begin 2024 investigation
Another joint investigation by CPS and law enforcement in 2024 began, after another baby was found to be injured.
Baby Y.H.'s injuries were discovered on Nov. 21, 2024. They found that the baby has an impacted distal left femoral metaphyseal fracture, a right proximal tibia fracture and possible rib fractures, per the Commonwealth's Attorney.
PREVIOUS: VDH finds Henrico Doctors’ NICU failed to prevent abuse of premature babies
Foster presented the same opinion at the beginning of the 2024 investigation -- that these injuries were concerning for non-accidental trauma.
Investigators from Henrico County found that Strotman retired to work in September 2024 after she finished the necessary child abuse training and also found that there were no similar injuries while she was out of work for a period of about a year.
The county found that she was the only NICU nurse-employee who was required to work four shifts with a preceptor, later identified as Lynn, before she was permitted to return to work.
On Dec 17, 2024, baby L.M.B.'s injuries were discovered. This included distal right femur, proximal right tibia, distal left femur, proximal left tibia, distal right ulna, proximal left ulna, distal right radius, distal left radius, left third metacarpal and rib fractures.
The Commonwealth Attorney showed four total videos on Nov. 10, 2024, which showcased Strotman abusing the babies.
In the videos, Strotman can be seen putting heavy pressure on babies’ legs and abdomens, squeezing them with “excessive force,” moving them around carelessly and lifting them while only holding their head.
During the first video showcasing the abuse, the Commonwealth Attorney paused the video when a woman sobbed and left the courtroom. After she left the room, the judge told the courtroom that she would not be returning.
Foster and the nurse training from Henrico Doctors' Hospital both agreed that the care Strotman provided "falls far short of appropriate nursing care."
Of the other three videos, the first two showed Strotman abusing at about 8:30 a.m. and the third and final one was recorded after lunchtime.
The Commonwealth's Attorney said Stotman knew that the video cameras were on and recording her behavior.
Strotman under fire by law enforcement
Strotman was then placed under heavy scrutiny as the Commonwealth's Attorney detailed her employment history and the subsequent comments she made following her Jan. 5, 2025 arrest.
Strotman was initially employed by Henrico Doctors' Hospital on Sept. 1, 2019 on an adult floor and was later transferred to the NICU in May 2022.
The investigative team and the Henrico Doctors' Hospital believed that there were no concerns about the quality of the training Strotman received. Strotman, who was arrested on Jan. 2, 2025, made multiple statements to law enforcement officers, detailing her training regimen, abuse and the standard of nursing care.
She described her employment process to the NICU and the training regimen inside the NICU as "more of a 'Watch and observe how we do this.'" She explained that, from her perspective, they walked her through the processes to care for babies in the NICU.
Strotman acknowledged understanding that NICU babies should not have their feet above their heads, despite what was shown in one of the prior videos.
She was also shown a video that every professional who viewed it judged to be concerning and not to the minimum standard of nursing care. Strotman affirmed that she "stand[s] by my work," calling it part of her "regular care."
"I mean, I didn't do anything different or anything that I feel like I would be concerned about," Strotman said.
Despite her statement, Strotman eventually acknowledged that there were no excuses for what she could see on the surveillance cameras. She alleged that the child abuse was due to her being out of practice following her administrative leave, since she hadn't touched a baby in weeks -- though she further acknowledged that the NICU children were susceptible to injury.
Strotman, who attempted to deflect blame when shown the video of her putting weight on the babies, said she was taught to do that.
“I feel like it, it can be perceived as a little too rough," Strotman said. "How, like on the video, it looks like I [leaned] my weight into him. Okay. With his history and the prematurity, sort of -- but in the moment, it didn't feel too rough. A little? Yeah. After seeing the video? Yeah."
As the matter came to light, additional family members came forward with concerns about the care of the child in 2022.
Nothing in record says Strotman was improperly trained
An investigation began over whether Strotman's license should be suspended, and upon review, "not a single reviewer thought that Strotman was safe to practice nursing." Only Strotman thought she was safe to practice nursing, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney.
Foster said that the NICU onboarding was appropriately educational for Strotman to begin her work in the NICU, and nothing in the record suggested that Strotman improperly trained.
“I just, I don't have words," Strotman said. "I've, I've been practicing the same ... I've been doing the same stuff for the past two years at that hospital in the NICU."
Following the Commonwealth's Attorney's slideshow, one of Strotman's attorneys, Ed Burns, said: "Everything she learned, she learned while at Henrico Doctors' Hospital."
Strotman's attorneys both said there was no racial motivation that fueled Strotman's abuse and that, due to the initial lack of cameras, it was impossible to determine that Strotman abused the children.
Strotman, Commonwealth's attorneys react to convictions
After pleading no contest on all nine counts, Strotman was found guilty by the judge on all charges of child abuse.
Strotman will remain out on bond until her sentencing, which is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 5.
"We didn't see any evidence whatsoever that Erin was attempting or intending to hurt anybody, that she acted with malice as was alleged initially," Burns told 8News following the plea hearing.
During the interview with Burns and Strotman's other defense attorney, Jeffrey Everhart, a woman leaving the courtroom said: "If you haven't seen what she did to my baby on that camera, she is evil."
Despite the defense attorney's arguments, the Commonwealth's Attorney called the convictions a win.
"There was a large spectrum of behavior and the result of injuries, and obviously a spectrum of the type of evidence that we had," said Shannon Taylor, the Commonwealth's Attorney. "But at the end of the day. She is being held accountable for [the] actions [of] all nine babies. And in my opinion, that is a win."
