The Angel Of Death By Charles Cullen: Serial Killer

691 Words3 Pages

When a child dies, they become an angel. Such is the case with Charles Cullen, a nurse turned serial killer. A traumatic childhood brought upon him the premature demise of his childhood self. The events of his upbringing and early adulthood would light within him a philanthropic fire–the desire to help people. However, did this fire rage too uncontrolled? What kind of angel would he turn out to be? In this essay, the creation of the angel of death, Charles Cullen, will be discussed from the very beginning: his birth. Charles Cullen suffered a deeply troubled upbringing, tinged with tragedy from the start. The youngest of eight children, Cullen was born to a devoted Catholic family in West Orange, New Jersey. His father was a bus driver, though …show more content…

While Cullen was in high school, his mother died in a car accident. Orphaned and distraught, Cullen enlisted in the Navy and began his career on a ballistic missile submarine (BE 2). During his time enlisted, Cullen’s behavior raised many red flags; he once worked a shift in a stolen set of surgical wear, complete with a mask, gloves, and a gown (“Charles Cullen, The Killer Nurse…”). After some time aboard the submarine, Cullen was transferred to a supply ship. Cullen served aboard this ship for several years. He was routinely tormented by his crewmates for his peculiarity and appearance and attempted suicide numerous times while enlisted. As a result of these attempts, Cullen was discharged from the Navy (Pérez-Peña, et …show more content…

Cullen’s wife of six years, Adrienne Taub, with whom he had two daughters, filed for divorce and made two complaints of domestic violence. An article titled “Charles Cullen, The Killer Nurse: A Deeper Evil” found on Medical Bag states that Taub described Cullen as “an alcoholic who stuffed pets into bowling bags and trash cans, poured lighter fluid into other people’s drinks, and made prank calls to funeral homes” in the legal proceedings. Despite Cullen’s past of violent behavior, legal troubles, and his desire to quit nursing, he continued his career as a nurse to pay child support and was hired by several