German Doctor Accused in 15 Murders Goes on Trial

A high-profile trial got underway in Germany today of a doctor who prosecutors say had a "lust for murder," reports CBS News. The 40-year-old doctor identified in the media only as Johannes M. is accused of killing 15 patients during home visits from 2021 to 2024, per AFP. Prosecutors say the palliative care specialist injected the patients without their knowledge with a deadly mix of sedatives. Most of the victims were women, their ages ranging from 25 to 94.

"He acted with disregard for life ... and behaved as the master of life and death," prosecutor Philipp Meyhoefer said as the trial opened. In at least five cases, prosecutors say the doctor set fires in an apparent attempt to conceal evidence. The tactic may have been his undoing: A colleague reported him after finding it suspicious that so many of his patients were dying in fires. Authorities are investigating nearly 100 other cases, including the death of the doctor's mother-in-law. The woman, who had cancer, died the same weekend the doctor and his wife visited her in 2024.