Convicted German nurse may be linked to more than 100 suspected deaths, prosecutors say
An ex-palliative nurse convicted of 10 murders in western Germany is now the focus of inquiries into over 100 additional deaths. Dozens of exhumations and forensic tests are under way.
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By Torontoer Staff
Prosecutors in western Germany say they are reviewing more than 100 suspected additional deaths linked to a former palliative care nurse who was convicted last year of murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 others. The chief public prosecutor in Aachen, Katja Schlenkermann-Pitts, described the volume of cases under review as "a correspondingly high number of suspicious cases."
The convictions and the wider inquiry have prompted a series of exhumations and a multi-year forensic effort that officials say could lead to further charges, though they cautioned many allegations may ultimately be dropped.
The original case
In November a regional court in Aachen found the unnamed former palliative care nurse guilty of 10 counts of murder and 27 counts of attempted murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The offences examined at that trial occurred between December 2023 and May 2024 at the Rhein-Maas hospital in Würselen, where the man had worked since 2020.
Judges concluded the defendant administered excessive doses of sedatives and painkillers during night shifts without medical justification. Prosecutors told the court the drugs were sometimes given repeatedly and that the defendant understood the potentially fatal consequences. The court said the conduct was driven by personal unease and a desire to impose order during night shifts.
The defendant denied the charges at trial, saying he intended to help patients sleep and that he did not believe the medication posed a lethal risk given their underlying illnesses. Prosecutors said he showed "irritation" and a lack of empathy toward patients who needed a higher level of care, and accused him of acting as "master of life and death."
Scale of the expanded inquiry
Authorities say the newly identified suspected cases mostly relate to earlier periods, before the sequence of crimes that were central to the trial. Investigators have ordered around 60 exhumations so far. Twenty seven exhumations have been completed and roughly 30 more are pending, officials said.
Autopsy results are still outstanding in many cases, and Schlenkermann-Pitts warned that further legal action will depend on forensic findings. "Of course, they may still be dropped," she said, underscoring that suspicions are preliminary.
Investigative steps and geographic reach
Prosecutors in Cologne are also examining deaths connected to hospitals where the nurse worked before his transfer to Würselen, about 65 kilometres away. Two exhumations linked to those earlier postings have been carried out: the remains of a 94 year old woman who died in 2018 and a 78 year old patient who died in 2015. Further exhumations have been ordered.
- About 60 exhumations ordered, 27 completed and roughly 30 pending
- Autopsy and toxicology results pending in many cases
- Cologne prosecutors investigating earlier hospitals where the nurse worked
- Any new charges are unlikely to proceed before 2027, officials say
Legal timeline and next steps
Prosecutors in both Aachen and Cologne say they are preparing for the possibility of new charges, but they expect any additional proceedings to be some time away. Officials said further court action is unlikely to begin before 2027, reflecting the time required for exhumations, forensic analysis and legal review.
Context and precedent
The case has drawn comparisons to the convictions of Niels Högel, a former nurse who was sentenced in 2019 after being found guilty of murdering 85 patients at hospitals in northern Germany. Högel is believed to be the most prolific killer in Germany's modern history, and his case prompted extensive reviews of hospital deaths and care oversight.
A correspondingly high number of suspicious cases is under review.
Katja Schlenkermann-Pitts, chief public prosecutor in Aachen
As exhumations and autopsies continue, authorities say the focus will remain on establishing clear forensic evidence before deciding on further charges. The process aims to determine whether the suspected earlier deaths were linked to criminal acts or to patients' underlying conditions.
For now, the convicted nurse remains in custody under a life sentence. Investigators and prosecutors say the inquiry will proceed methodically, and any expansion of charges will depend on the outcomes of forensic examinations and legal review.
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