German doctor suspected of 8 murders: Prosecutors

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - A 40-year-old doctor in Berlin is believed to have murdered at least eight patients in a series of killings, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The palliative care physician, identified only as Johannes M. under German privacy laws, has been in custody since Aug. 6 after initially being arrested for four deaths.

Prosecutors announced Thursday they have expanded the charges to include four additional murders following extensive investigation and the exhumation of two bodies.

According to Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, the suspect administered lethal drug combinations to patients under his care between June 2022 and July 2024. The victims ranged in age from 61 to 94 years old.

Based on findings so far, prosecutors stated that the accused “had no motive beyond killing the people.” They noted this “lack of reason” beyond the act of killing itself meets the legal definition of murder driven by “bloodlust.”

In multiple instances, investigators believe the suspect set fire to victims' apartments to destroy evidence.

Public broadcaster RBB reported that the suspect's doctoral dissertation focused on homicide research, specifically examining undetected murders and killings of patients. Prior to his work in Berlin, he practiced medicine at clinics in the states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.