Doctor with "lust for murder" convicted in deaths of 15 patients

A German palliative care doctor, identified as Johannes M., has been convicted of murdering 15 patients and sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors described the 41-year-old Berlin doctor as having a "lust for murder," alleging he administered lethal doses of sedatives to patients without their consent between September 2021 and July 2024. The drugs paralyzed their respiratory muscles, leading to death within minutes.

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administered an anesthetic and a muscle relaxant to his patients without their knowledge or consent. The latter paralyzed the respiratory muscles, leading to respiratory arrest and death within minutes.

During the trial, prosecutors revealed that on at least five occasions, the doctor allegedly set fire to his victims' apartments to conceal the killings. Authorities are still investigating dozens of other deaths potentially linked to Johannes M. The victims, all receiving care at the time, ranged in age from 25 to 94.

On July 8, 2026, Johannes M. confessed to the killings, telling the court he despaired at himself and only now understood the extent of the suffering he caused. The defense attorneys were present in court, but the accused physician did not appear. Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, with measures to make early release unlikely and a lifetime ban from practicing medicine.

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killed people. I despair at myself. I only now understood the extent of the suffering he had caused.

Suspicions about Johannes M.'s activities were first raised by care services, prompting a police investigation. He was taken into custody in August 2024. The case has drawn comparisons to that of German nurse Niels Hoegel, who was jailed for life in 2019 for murdering 85 patients.

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The accused appears to have had no motive for killing the people other than the act of killing itself.