Overview

• Johannes M., a 40-year-old palliative care physician, is accused of administering lethal drug cocktails to 15 gravely ill but nonterminal patients between September 2021 and July 2023.
• He allegedly set fires at victims’ homes to destroy evidence and faces charges of premeditated murder with “other vile motives” punishable by life imprisonment without parole.
• He remains in custody and has declined to testify or meet with a court-appointed psychiatric expert before trial.
• The Berlin State Court scheduled 35 sessions through January 28, 2026, and 13 family members are registered as co-plaintiffs with about 150 potential witnesses.
• The Berlin Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed 95 suspicious cases from 395 reviews and is investigating 75 more, with five bodies slated for exhumation.