Germany is reeling from revelations that a doctor deliberately killed at least 15 of his patients—most of them critically ill but not imminently dying. The 41-year-old physician, Johannes M., was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Berlin court for the murders of 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024.
A Deadly Pattern in Palliative Care
Specialising in palliative care, the doctor visited patients in their homes—and during those visits, prosecutors say he administered lethal combinations of drugs without their consent. Victims ranged in age from 25 to 94 years old. In several cases, he allegedly set fires to destroy evidence.
Final Crimes Before Arrest
In July 2024—just days before his arrest—he allegedly killed two patients on the same day: a 75-year-old man at his home in central Berlin, and shortly afterward, a 76-year-old woman in a neighbouring district. He attempted to set fire to the woman’s home to cover his tracks but failed.
Wider Investigation Underway
German authorities, as reported by the BBC, believe the number of victims may be far higher. Prosecutors are now investigating 76 additional suspicious deaths linked to the doctor. During most of the year-long trial, he remained silent—until this past June, when he admitted, “I killed people,” confirming he had murdered 12 of his severely ill patients.