Doctor with “lust for murder” charged with killing 15 patients

British nurse convicted of killing newborns

A doctor in Berlin is facing murder charges for the deaths of 15 patients under palliative care, with prosecutors alleging that the motive was a desire to kill. The doctor is also accused of setting fires in the homes of the victims in an attempt to cover up the evidence.

Initially suspected in the deaths of four patients, the doctor has now been linked to 15 deaths between September 22, 2021, and July 24, 2024. The victims’ ages ranged from 25 to 94, with most of them passing away in their own homes.

While the suspect is identified in German press reports as Johannes M., prosecutors have not disclosed his name in accordance with privacy regulations. The 40-year-old doctor allegedly administered substances to his patients without their knowledge, resulting in respiratory arrest and death.

The doctor has been in custody since August 6 and has not yet responded to the charges against him. Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the suspect, with the possibility of being banned from his profession for life.

This case has drawn comparisons to other instances of medical professionals being convicted of murder, such as the case of Niels Hoegel in Germany, who was sentenced to life in prison for killing 85 patients. Another recent case involved a male nurse sentenced to life for murdering patients with unprescribed drugs. In England, neonatal nurse Lucy Letby is serving a life sentence for killing seven babies, though doubts have been raised about the evidence used in her conviction.