Could Murderabilia Keep "Angel of Death" Baby-Killer In Prison?

In 1981, staff at what was then Bexar County Hospital noticed that babies kept dying from problems that shouldn't have been fatal. By the time an internal inquiry determined that no less than 10 infants had died from “sudden and unexplained” complications with nurse Genene Jones at their bedside, she'd already left the hospital to work with a pediatrician in Kerrville. As soon as Jones left San Antonio, the "sudden and unexplained" baby deaths stopped; in Kerrville, however, they picked up. 

Jones was ultimately convicted of killing one 15-month-old girl and attempting to kill another child. Prosecutors argued that she tried to "play God" with patients, injecting infants with a powerful muscle relaxant called succinylcholine chloride and then attempting to revive them in an effort to look like a hero. Local law enforcement have tried to tie Jones to dozens of unexplained infant deaths that coincided with her time in San Antonio and Kerrville. While "the Angel of Death," as she's been called, was sentenced to 99 years in prison, a now-defunct “mandatory release” law designed to limit prison overcrowding means Jones is eligible for early release on good behavior. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has scheduled her release for March 2018.

All of which really pisses off Andy Kahan, a Houston victims' rights advocate who's been on a 15-year crusade to keep notorious killers like Jones from profiting off their dark celebrity status by selling so-called "murderabilia." So when Kahan, who literally keeps a duffle bag of the stuff, earlier this week stumbled across a letter penned by Jones with a $750 price tag during his routine scouring of murderabilia websites, he thought he may have found the key to keeping her in prison. With some more searching, Kahan says he found another website selling an inmate trust-fund form with Jones' name on it for $45. 

"It was the first time I have ever seen anyone selling anything from the Angel of Death," he told the Current.

While the trading of murder mementos is legal, Texas is one of a handful of states that prohibits inmates from profiting from murderabilia sales. So Kahan saw an opportunity. He says he's asked the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to look into the whether Jones violated any prison rules in the hopes that they find something that could stall her release. 

"If she's receiving proceeds from the sale of any of this, I'll go out on a limb and say that it wasn't approved by prison officials and could stop her release on good behavior," he told the Current. 

Still, proving an inmate directly profited from something sold anonymously over the internet can be tricky, Kahan conceded. "Right now, unless a miracle occurs and officials can actually charge her with the deaths of more babies, this serial killer could be let loose," he said. Kahan is hoping that him stumbling across Jones' letter for sale could be that miracle. He added, "Look, if we're going to release a serial killer, I'm gonna go down kicking and screaming and fighting anyway I can."