German Nurse Imprisoned for Life for Murdering 10 Patients to 'Lighten Workload'

A palliative care nurse in Germany has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering 10 patients and attempting murder of 27 others between December 2023 and May 2024 at a hospital in Wurselen, western Germany, BBC reports.

Prosecutors alleged that the unnamed man, who had been a nursing professional since 2007, played "master of life and death" by injecting his mostly elderly patients with large doses of morphine and midazolam, the sedative. His motive was to reduce his workload during overnight shifts, showing "irritation" and a lack of empathy toward patients requiring intensive care.

The court in Aachen ruled that the crimes carried a "particular severity of guilt," a legal designation that effectively blocks the possibility of parole after the standard 15 years. The nurse was arrested in 2024, will be able to appeal the verdict. Investigators are currently looking into several other suspicious cases from his career.