By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
A court in western Germany has sentenced a 44-year-old palliative care nurse to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of murdering 10 patients and attempting to kill 27 others, in what has been described as one of the nation’s most shocking medical crime cases in recent years.
The Aachen Regional Court delivered the verdict on Wednesday, concluding that the nurse had administered lethal injections to patients under his care between December 2023 and May 2024 at a hospital in Wuerselen, near Aachen.
The court ruled that the crimes carried a “particular severity of guilt,” which means the convict will not be eligible for early release after 15 years, a provision usually allowed under German law.
Prosecutors portrayed the nurse, whose identity remains confidential in accordance with German privacy laws, as a man who acted like a “master of life and death,” abusing his position to kill vulnerable, mostly elderly patients.
The defense had argued for acquittal, insisting that there was insufficient evidence to prove intent.
Investigations revealed that the nurse injected patients with high doses of sedatives and painkillers, including morphine and midazolam, drugs commonly used for deep sedation and, in certain countries, in capital punishment procedures.
Prosecutors claimed that his primary motivation was to lighten his workload during night shifts, noting that he showed no compassion or remorse throughout the trial.
Medical and psychological assessments presented to the court described him as emotionally detached, suffering from a personality disorder, and displaying no empathy for patients who required intensive care.
According to reports, he began his nursing career in 2007 after completing professional training and worked in multiple facilities across Germany, including in Cologne, before joining the Wuerselen hospital in 2020.
Authorities arrested the nurse in mid-2024 after suspicious patient deaths triggered a broader investigation. Prosecutors also revealed that exhumations have been conducted to determine whether additional victims could be linked to the convicted nurse, leaving open the possibility of further charges.