BERLIN, July 14 (Alliance News): A German doctor accused of killing 15 patients with lethal injections is set to go on trial Monday in Berlin, in a chilling case that may be only the beginning of a much wider tragedy.
The 40-year-old palliative care specialist, identified by local media as Johannes M, allegedly injected 12 women and three men—aged between 25 and 94—with a deadly mix of sedatives and muscle relaxants from 2021 to mid-2024.
Prosecutors say he acted without the patients’ knowledge or consent, paralyzing their respiratory muscles and causing death within minutes.
Authorities fear the scale of the killings could be even larger, as investigations into 96 additional deaths—some involving fires and unusual circumstances—are still ongoing. One of the suspicious deaths includes that of Johannes M’s own mother-in-law, who died during a family visit to Poland in early 2024.
The doctor, dubbed “Doctor Death” by German media, was first arrested last August after a coworker grew suspicious over the unusual number of fires at the homes of deceased patients.
In at least five cases, he is accused of deliberately setting fire to cover his tracks. In one incident, he allegedly killed two people in one day and attempted to disguise the second murder with a failed arson attempt.
Johannes M has not commented publicly on the charges. Prosecutors believe he had no motive other than a desire to kill, and are seeking a life sentence.
The case has drawn parallels to that of Niels Hoegel, a German nurse convicted in 2019 for murdering 85 patients, and raises fresh concerns over patient safety in Germany’s healthcare system.
Multiple other medical professionals in the country are currently under investigation or facing charges for similar crimes.
