Niels Hogel, a German nurse who received a life sentence in 2015 for killing two people, could have actually killed more than 100 patients, according to police officials investigating the case.
During his trial in 2015, Hoegel admitted killing patients in city clinics in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst. He used to systematically administer overdoses of heart medication to people to induce heart attacks. When patients suffered a heart attack, he would resuscitate those patients to save their lives. It gave him a chance to impress his seniors and be a hero in front of them.
Hoegel revealed that he felt joy each time a patient survived the attack, but whenever a patient died, he used to become very upset. He also told court that each time a patient died of heart attack, he resolved not to repeat this act again, but his determination would then slowly fade. He also told the court that he acted out of “boredom” at that time.
In August this year, Hoegel admitted of killing many more patients with drug overdose. Police then suspected him of killing about 84 other patients. The investigation was widened and police then exhumed 130 patients from 65 cemeteries in Germany. The toxicology test results suggested that Hoegel might have killed at least 100 people at two hospitals.
Investigating the records at hospitals where the convict worked revealed that death rates soared up when Hoegel was on duty.
Hogel was eventually caught by a nurse who noticed that a patient who was in good condition earlier suddenly developed an irregular heartbeat. Hoegel was already present in the room at that time. Later the nurse also found empty medication containers in the waste bin.
Germany serial killer: Niels Hoegl 'killed at least 100' https://t.co/NbItnrh6Jf
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 9, 2017
According to police, Hoegel is now suspected of killing 38 patients in Oldenburg and 62 in Delmenhorst between 1999 and 2005. Investigators say he might have killed more patients but potential victims have been cremated.
Police have not yet released the names of Hogel’s alleged victims.
Prosecutor’s office is likely to bring charges against Hoegel early next year.
Hogel’s case is not the first case where a nurse killed patients in a hospital. A German nurse was convicted ten years ago of murdering 28 patients. The convicted admitted that he gave lethal injections to these patients to relieve them from their sufferings.
In the UK, a doctor was suspected of killing nearly 250 patients. He was sentenced to 15 life terms in 2000. A few years later, he committed suicide.
[Featured Image by Pixabay]
