[Whitfield:] It is life in prison for a monster, a man who played God. Those are words used to describe Charles Cullen today, the one- time nurse convicted of being New Jersey's most prolific serial killer. The loved ones of Cullen's victims had their first chance to address him today at his sentencing hearing in Somerville. CNN's Adaora Udoji is outside the courtroom with more on what transpired Adaora.
[Adaora Udoji, Cnn Correspondent:] Good afternoon, Fredricka. It was actually a swift court session lasting just under four hours. But it was packed with incredible emotion, a lot of sadness, a lot of talk about how devastated the families were by the killings that Charles Cullen committed. This is a former nurse who confessed to killing 22 of his patients by lethal injections. That's just here in New Jersey. There were another seven victims in Pennsylvania. And for the first time, as you said, family members of those victims got the opportunity to confront him. And nearly two dozen family members did stand up, many just explaining how they have fared, how horribly they have fared, in the wake of finding out that Charles Cullen, as many of them said, was playing God, choosing to kill their loved ones. We're talking about mothers and fathers and daughters and sons. You talked they talked about the rage, the anger, of what Charles Cullen had done has done, and not understanding why. Because up to this point, Charles Cullen has not really provided an explanation, at least not in the minds of many family members, who said they just need to understand why he thought that he was mercy doing mercy killings, when many of them said it was just a question of misery. He sat there, Fredricka, for the most part, stone-faced, barely looked up, never looked those family members in the eye. And for many of those family members, that just incensed them. Here's what they said.
[Deborah Yedder Medina, Relative Of Victim:] Why don't you look at me? Because you remember me as the person who penned you, who coined the phrase Satan's son, 1 12 years ago, when I ran into you at Belvedere Courthouse. You are not even to be referred to as Charles. You are Satan's son.
[Melissa Hargrove, Victim's Daughter:] I lost my father, Christopher Hargrove, August 11th of 2003. He was taken in the gravest, gravest way. He was murdered by Charles Cullen.
[Unidentified Male:] Take a moment and compose.
[Udoji:] As you can see, Fredricka, just a really tough difficult day. Cullen, for the most part, did not say a word, barely a word, until he was directly addressed by the judge. And the judge had to say to him a couple of times, "Why are you not responding to me?" Let's listen to that.
[Judge David Parker, Presiding:] Mr. Cullen, I asked you a question. Why is it that you have chosen not to address the court? Can you hear me, Mr. Cullen? Are you choosing not to answer me? Are you asking me to go forward, then, with sentencing?
[Udoji:] That was barely audible. And he was saying Cullen said to the judge, "Yes, sir." And that happened that interaction between the judge and Charles Cullen happened just moments before the judge sentenced him. It was not a death sentence. It was a life imprisonment sentence. And that's because there was a pre-existing plea agreement between Charles Cullen and the district attorney's office two years ago. The district attorney's office agreed not to seek the death penalty in return for Charles Cullen helping them to identify his victims. Now this was a man, Fredricka, who worked in hospitals for 16 years and came in contact with hundreds, thousands of patients. And so the prosecutor said they needed his help in identifying all of his victims. Again, that's 22 that he's confessed to, 22 murders he's confessed to here in New Jersey and another seven in Pennsylvania. And he will be sentenced on those seven murders in Pennsylvania next week, on March 10 Fredricka.
[Whitfield:] And Adaora, while he didn't say very much and you showed that in that tape, he is, however, asking permission of the court, isn't he, for a pass, if you will, in order to donate a kidney?
[Udoji:] Exactly. And that's sort of the reaction many people have. Essentially, has asked the court for permission to have undergo surgery to have one of his kidneys removed so that he can give it to a relative of his ex-girlfriend, someone who's very ill. He had requested to have this surgery before he was sentenced, before the families would get an opportunity to confront him, the family members of the victims. But the court said no. First, you must get sentence and you must listen to what the family's victims have to say, and then we will allow you to undergo this procedure. So from what we understand at this point, that at some time soon he will undergo that procedure to donate one of his kidneys.
[Whitfield:] Interesting. All right, Adaora Udoji, thank you so much. Well, in medical news today, Iraq may have its second human bird flu fatality. Further tests are under way on a woman who died in Nasiriyah. Initial tests indicate the H5N1 virus. There are still no cases bird flu reported in the U.S., in poultry or in people. But experts want to be prepared in case of a global pandemic. Today, the Food and Drug Administration is out with a draft report that updates the approval process for flu vaccines. New rules allow emergency FDA approval if a new superstrain appears. They'd also permit vaccine makers to tweak existing formulas without obtaining new licenses. Follow-up studies would still be needed. One other bird flu item: health officials in the Bahamas are now saying they don't think bird flu killed a number of flamingos and other migratory birds there this week. Alexander Hamilton is putting on some rouge and coming to a wallet near you. We'll tell you why when LIVE FROM continues.