Victim's family reacts to killer nurse's professional discipline

Judson Howie LLP
Aug 21
3 min read

Statement on Behalf of a Client

For immediate release: August 21, 2025

The following statement is issued on behalf of Melvin Fletcher Jr. and Melissa Fletcher:

“Earlier today, former Fort Frances nurse and convicted killer Lindsey Coyle pleaded guilty to 3 counts of professional misconduct and was reprimanded before a disciplinary hearing of the College of Nurses of Ontario. She agreed never to work again as a nurse. The College will prohibit her from ever reapplying for a nursing license. Should she attempt to register as a nurse in another jurisdiction, the College will also inform officials there of her disciplinary history. We understand that this is one of the most serious sanctions available in the College’s disciplinary process. Unfortunately, it is too little, too late.

“Ms. Coyle falsified Hermina Fletcher’s medical records in order to steal narcotics to feed her own addiction. She admitted to being high at work regularly. She did this instead of caring for our vulnerable, elderly mother and grandmother, who was left in pain at the hospital. Her depraved betrayal of trust ultimately killed Hermina Fletcher.

“In the decade since this happened, this despicable act has been met with inexplicable delay, foot-dragging, complacency, and deflection by virtually every public institution and official tasked with oversight and prosecution of Ms. Coyle’s actions. We are shaken and disappointed that this is how the system responds to serious criminality and professional misconduct.

“After Hermina’s death in January 2015, Ms. Coyle was fired by the hospital. She voluntarily surrendered her nursing license in September 2016. But it would take another 3 years – until August 2019 – for her to be criminally charged with second degree murder. The Crown Attorney then consented to Ms. Coyle’s bail release, and did so again despite her failure to comply with bail conditions. It then took another 3 years before her guilty plea – to a lesser offence – was entered in August 2022, and until January 2024 for a mere two-year sentence to be handed down.

“Despite living freely in the community for 9 years after killing Hermina, Ms. Coyle then spent just 8 months in prison before being paroled. She is not remorseful. She has taken no steps to pay the $130,000 judgment owed to us, but has repeatedly alluded to it in other proceedings suggesting she is going to evade this judgment through bankruptcy. She did not even apologize to our family during today’s hearing.

“This protracted criminal prosecution and professional discipline process has repeatedly re-traumatized our family for over 10 years. This process has, in many ways, frozen our lives in place and forced us to carry grief and anger with us without appropriate support, finality, or compassion from those tasked with upholding our laws and professional standards.

“This incident has also shaken the community’s confidence in the justice system, and in local health care. Documents produced by Riverside Health Care Facilities and relied on in court indicate that its investigation revealed discrepancies in other patient charts associated with Ms. Coyle’s work at the hospital. Discrepancies were identified for 58 registered in-patients, 25 emergency department patients, and 34-35 patients that were, apparently, fabricated. Three files were sent to the coroner’s office (though only Hermina's death has been connected to Ms. Coyle). It is unknown if Riverside ever reported those dozens of instances of professional misconduct to the College. In fact, neither Riverside nor the Minister of Health has clarified whether any of these other patients were notified. All of our requests have been met with “not my job” deflections and non-answers.

“Hermina Fletcher deserved better justice than this. Victims of crime, like us, deserve timely and compassionate support from law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts when these things happen. We did not get that, and it hurts. These issues have been widely publicized. Why won’t our politicians step up and demand better for the community they represent?”

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Further Information:

Contact:

Douglas W. Judson

Email: doug@judsonhowie.ca

Victim's family reacts to killer nurse's professional discipline

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