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His Attacks Stretch Back To 1999

A former nurse has admitted to some shocking acts on their first day of trial for murder.

According to BBC, Niels Högel said he was “more or less” responsible for the murder of 100 patients.

Detectives say the 41-year-old administered fatal doses of medication to people in his care when he worked at two hospitals in northern Germany. Prosecutors say his motive was to impress colleagues by resuscitating the very patients he had given doses to.

Högel is already serving a life term for six deaths that happened under his care. Now he’s been accused of killing 36 patients in Oldenburg and 64 in nearby Delmenhorst between 1999 and 2005.

According to German media, records from Oldenburg hospital revealed that rates of deaths and resuscitations had more than doubled when Högel was on shift.

When the judge in Oldenburg court asked Högel if the charges against him were true, he confessed to “more or less” all of them.

Investigators say Högel might have killed even more people but the potential victims have been cremated.

The current trial started with a minute of silence for all the people who died. The trial is expected to last until May and it follows years of toxicology tests on 130 sets of exhumed remains.

Relatives of the deceased aren’t just mad at Högel either. Many are accusing the German health authorities of ignoring Högel’s murderous activity.

Christian Marbach, a spokesperson for the relatives, called out the fact that Högel was killing with impunity for years and officials didn’t intervene. “We fought for four years for this trial and expect Högel is sentenced for another 100 murders,” said Marbach, whose grandfather was killed by Högel.

“I hope he will be found guilty on each count so that the loved ones can finally find some closure,” said Petra Klein, who runs a support group for victims.