In brief
A Berlin court found a palliative care physician guilty of murdering 15 patients between 2021 and 2024, sentencing him to life imprisonment. The doctor, 41, administered lethal doses of medicine without consent and attempted to set fire to homes to cover his crimes. A confession revealed that he believed he was sparing patients from pain, but victims' families were left in shock. Authorities are investigating 76 additional cases, with prosecutors warning that further convictions could rank this as Germany’s most egregious serial murder case.
German doctor jailed for killing 15 of his patients
In Berlin, a 41‑year‑old specialist in palliative care has been sentenced to life in prison after a 12‑month trial.
Johannes M. was convicted of murdering 12 women and three men—all clinically end‑stage between September 2021 and July 2024.
Prosecutors say the victims, aged 25 to 94, were all seriously ill, yet their deaths were not imminent. The doctor injected them with a lethal blend of medicines without their consent.
He reportedly set fire to houses to conceal evidence; in July 2024 he killed a 75‑year‑old man in central Berlin and a 76‑year‑old woman in a neighbouring district, and failed to ignite the latter’s home.
For much of the trial the suspect remained silent; only last month did he confess to "killing people", admitting that he believed he was removing suffering from patients.
Prosecutors are now looking into an additional 76 cases, warning that a full conviction could surpass historically devastating serial murders in Germany.
The court ordered that the doctor be detained in preventive custody after sentencing and forbade him from practising medicine for life.
