Welcome to Arrest Stories. A thirty-six-year-old woman allegedly impersonated a nurse and stole powerful sedatives directly from patients' IV drips at multiple Nashville hospitals, putting lives at risk. Here's what may have happened.
Marissa Jean Denton found herself behind bars on September fifteenth, twenty twenty-five, after a brazen scheme to steal seventy-five thousand dollars worth of propofol from Nashville medical facilities. The former hospital employee allegedly donned blue medical scrubs and infiltrated secure hospital areas, targeting vulnerable patients receiving critical care.
According to police reports, Denton's alleged crime spree involved multiple Nashville hospitals. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Critical Care Unit, she allegedly stole one hundred milliliters of propofol. At Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, witnesses say she used a plastic syringe to draw approximately four milliliters of the powerful sedative directly from an active IV drip attached to a patient.
The scheme unraveled when alert hospital staff recognized suspicious activity. Denton had previously worked at Saint Thomas Midtown until January twenty twenty-four, but investigators discovered she never held a valid nursing license in any state. Hospital security confirmed she circumvented secured entry systems that require authorized employee badges.
A hospital spokesperson stated, "An individual entered a non-public area of our facility in an apparent attempt to gain access to a patient's prescribed medication. A member of our staff intervened immediately and prevented the access."
Police emphasized the severity of her actions, noting "This act is absolutely not authorized by the subject and could have caused serious medical issues for the patient."
The investigation revealed additional disturbing allegations. Surveillance footage allegedly captured Denton stealing a patient's wife's engagement ring while working for SunCrest Home Health. She was also found unresponsive in a bathroom at Jennie Stuart Medical Center with syringes nearby and reportedly admitted to diverting propofol and Dilaudid.
Hospital officials called the situation "honestly, a little unnerving" and implemented enhanced security protocols following the incident.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.