A doctor was arrested in Berlin after being accused of killing four elderly patients and setting fire to their homes to cover up the evidence, The Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday, citing German authorities.
The 39-year-old male doctor allegedly killed the four patients who were under the care of a nursing service’s palliative care team in June and July, the outlet reported. (RELATED: California Doctor Sentenced After Strangling Wife And Staging Death As Accident)
A doctor has been arrested in Berlin on suspicion of killing four elderly patients and trying to cover up the evidence by setting fires at their homes, authorities said. https://t.co/T911x5iz3v
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 7, 2024
The victims are a 87-year-old woman, a 76-year-old woman, a 72-year-old woman and a 94-year-old woman, the AP reported. The doctor then allegedly tried to set fire to the patients’ homes with mixed results, according to the outlet. Authorities are reportedly unsure how exactly the doctor killed the patients. They have not publicly disclosed how the suspect was taken into custody or any potential motive behind the alleged killings, the outlet noted.
The doctor was held on accusations of manslaughter, one count of arson and three of attempted arson, the AP reported. German authorities reportedly did not disclose the doctor’s name due to the country’s privacy rules.
This is not the first time medical professionals were suspected of engaging in morbid activities. A Kentucky pediatrician, Stephanie Russell, was arrested by the FBI on an accusation of trying to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband back in 2022. The doctor’s plot was discovered when she offered an undercover agent who was masquerading as a hitman $7,000 to do the deed, according to the Department of Justice. Russell pleaded guilty to attempting to hire a hitman to kill her former spouse and was sentenced July 31 to 12 years in federal prison, according to WAVE.
The chief doctor for Customs and Border Protection tried to pressure his staff to obtain fentanyl laced lollipops for a helicopter ride back in February, a whistleblower report alleged, NBC News reported. He reportedly argued that the drug-laced treat was needed for pain management in the event of a medical emergency, according to the whistleblowers