Ohio doctor charged with murder in 25 patient overdose deaths

William Husel in court on Wednesday.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Kantele Franko)

A former critical-care physician at Mount Carmel Health in Columbus, Ohio, has been charged with 25 counts of murder, after allegedly ordering lethal doses of pain medication for patients.

On Wednesday, William Husel, 43, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Authorities say the incidents took place between 2015 and 2018, when Husel allegedly ordered that patients receive at least 500 micrograms of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, and during a press conference Wednesday, Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien said expert witnesses told investigators "that a dosage to that level could not support any legitimate medical purpose and a dosage at that level would cause someone's death." Authorities said they have no motive, ABC News reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.