Overview

• The Berlin palliative care doctor, in custody since August 2024, has been formally charged with murder for allegedly killing at least 15 patients.
• Investigators have linked the deaths to the administration of lethal drug cocktails without medical justification, even when patients were not in an acute dying phase.
• The investigation, which began with suspicions around four deaths in mid-2024, has expanded through exhumations and forensic analysis to uncover victims as far back as 2021.
• Authorities allege the doctor set fires at patients’ residences to cover up the murders, which initially drew attention to his actions.
• The investigation remains ongoing, with further patient records and tips from nursing services under review, raising the possibility of additional victims being identified.