'I couldn't believe it's real': Residents of Woodstock, Ont., facility stunned by murder charges

They are rattled and scared, but mostly, the Woodstock, Ont., residents ofCaressant Care Nursing and Retirement Home are in disbelief that a former nurse has been accused of murderingeight patientsseven of themin their very own facility.

"I'm rather shocked. How can that be in a facility like this?" said one retirement home resident who, like several others who spoke with CBC, didn't want to be identified. "I can't believe it."

Staff were tight-lipped at theresidence, where a signat one of the entrance doorsreads: "40 years of caring."

CaressantCareoperates six facilities in southwestern Ontario. The facility in Woodstockwas in lockdown mode Tuesday afternoon, mostly, it seemed, to keep the media at bay.

Hours earlier, Ontario Provinal Police announced that former Caressant employee Elizabeth Tracy Mae Wettlaufer, 49, has been charged witheight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of eight nursing home patients, including one at theMeadow Park facility in London, a 30-minute drive southwest of Woodstock.

Police haverevealed few details about thedeaths, which occurred between August2007 and August2014.The victims were between the ages of 75 and 96. Police say seven of them had received a fatal dose of a drug.

The facility in Woodstock is divided into two one sectionis a retirement homefor those who are capable oflooking after themselves. The other is anursing home forthose whoneed constant care. The latter is whereWettlauferworked.

'Pretty scary'

RobertMcArdle, who lives with his wife in theretirement home, said thenews is unsettling.

"It's pretty scary," he said. "Everything is getting closer to home."

I didn't really think it was true. I thought it was gossip.- Resident ofCaressantCare Nursing and Retirement Home

Another resident told CBC, "I couldn't believe it's real."

"I didn't know it [happened] here," she said."A friend asked if I was all right."

She said she didn't understand until she turnedon the television and saw the reports.

• Nurse faces 8 murder charges in deaths of elderly patients
• Who is ElizabethWettlaufer? What we know so far
• Friends, neighbours of allegedWoodstockkiller in shock

Another retirement home resident said when she sat down for lunch inside the small dining room, she initially dismissed the chatter she was hearing at hertable.

"I didn't really think it was true," she said. "I thought it was gossip."

But now, she says, she's nervous andwill be speaking withher family about her future at the home.

None of the residents contacted by CBC Newssaid they had any dealings with Wettlaufer,and for the most part, they had few complaints about theresidence itself.

Recent tragedies

It's yet another high-profiletragedy in Woodstock, acommunity of 37,000 peoplelocated halfway between London and Hamilton.

The town was already reeling from a rash of youth suicides earlier this year.

It's overwhelming," said anotherresident, who didn't want her name published. "I think there's a lot of fear in the community.- Woodstock resident

And now, this, at anursing home onFyfeAvenue, the very same street where in April 2009 Terri-Lynne McClinticled eight-year-oldTori Staffordtoan awaitingcar driven byMichael Rafferty.

McClintic and Raffertywere later convicted ofmurdering the little girl, whose brutalized body was found more than three months later.

A resident of the neighbourhood said when she spotted the news trucks this morning, she thought it had to do with Rafferty's appeal, which Ontario's top court dismissed Monday.

"It's overwhelming," said anotherresident, who didn't want her name published. "I think there's a lot of fear in the community."

MikeAggerholm, who's lived next door toCaressantCarefor over 30 years, was equally rattled.

"It's obviously quite shocking," he said."Woodstock was this little place outside of Toronto and then all of a sudden we had Tori Stafford ...And now this.

"When you hear that this has happened, that this person [allegedly] deprived those last moments with their loved ones. It's a difficultthing to wake up and hear it's happened in your community."

ButJillianOxley, who also lives near the nursing home, said she wasn'tentirely shocked by the news and suspects patients die unnatural deaths in nursing homes more often than people realize.

"This is definitely close to my heart," Oxley said. "I would never ever consider putting my parent in a retirement home."

• Nurse faces 8 murder charges in deaths of elderly patients
• Who is Elizabeth Wettlaufer? What we know so far
• Friends, neighbours of alleged Woodstock killer in shock