German nurse annoyed with night shift kills 10 patients with 'execution' injections

A German nurse has been found guilty of killing elderly patients because he simply didn't want to do his job and care for them. The 44-year-old administered lethal injections to the patients he was supposed to look after, killing 10 of them. He is accused of trying to murder 27 others. The court in the western city of Aachen handed him a life sentence for his offences, and no way for an early release after 15 years. The palliative nurse committed the crimes between December 2023 and May 2024 in a hospital in Würselen, near Aachen. Prosecutors said that he tried to play "master of life and death" over those in his care. The court determined the offences carried a "particular severity of guilt". According to the charges, the man, who has not been named, gave lethal doses of sedatives or painkillers to elderly patients because he wanted to relax during the night shifts.

The injections given to the patients included morphine and midazolam, a muscle relaxant that is also sometimes used for executions in the United States. The prosecutors told the court that the man suffered from a personality disorder and had no compassion for the patients. The trial, which began in March, has him showing no remorse for his actions. They added that he worked "without enthusiasm" and "with no motivation." He lacked empathy for patients who needed a higher level of care and showed "irritation." More patients are being exhumed, and he might go on trial again.

Chilling reminder of Germany's most prolific serial killer

The nurse completed his training in 2007, worked at different places before taking up a job at the Wuerselen hospital. The case is a chilling reminder of another German nurse who was termed modern Germany's most prolific serial killer. Niels Hoegel murdered 85 patients between 2000 and 2005 with lethal injections. Psychiatrists said he suffered from a "severe narcissistic disorder." A similar case came to light once again in Germany, when a 40-year-old palliative care specialist named Johannes M went on trial in July for killing 15 patients between 2021 and 2024. He even set fire to the homes of five of these people to cover up his crime.