German Doctor Faces Murder Charges for Deaths of 15 Patients

A 40-year-old German doctor has been charged with murdering 15 patients between September 2021 and July 2024, utilizing sedatives and muscle relaxants without consent. Authorities believe more victims may be involved as investigations reveal alarming details about his actions, including setting fires to cover up the deaths.

A German palliative care physician has been charged with the shocking murder of 15 patients, including 12 women and three men, over a period from September 2021 to July 2024. The 40-year-old suspect, whose identity is protected under German privacy laws, allegedly administered lethal cocktails containing anaesthetics and muscle relaxants without any patient consent, resulting in their deaths.

Prosecutors revealed that the use of these relaxants caused respiratory failure leading to death within minutes. The doctor, arrested in August 2024, was initially suspected of killing four patients; however, further investigations have exposed a chilling pattern, with evidence suggesting potential involvement in more deaths. The ages of his victims ranged from 25 to 94.

In a disturbing twist, it is alleged that he set fire to the apartments of his victims on several occasions in an attempt to cover up the murders. Notably, in one instance in July 2024, he reportedly killed a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old woman within hours of one another, attempting to burn down the woman’s residence after her death—a plan that ultimately failed.

The prosecutor's office stated, "When he noticed this, he reportedly informed a relative of the woman, maintaining that no one was responding to his ringing.” With ongoing investigations and potential for more exhumations of former patients with questionable deaths, authorities are pursuing a "lifelong professional ban" and preventive detention for the accused, who remains in custody as the case unfolds.