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.
In December, police received a tip that "numerous patients" at Mount Carmel Health died while under the care of Husel, and they went on to investigate the deaths of 35 people. Husel was fired that month, and Mount Carmel Health, which is now facing several lawsuits, released a statement Wednesday saying they have "made and will continue to implement meaningful changes throughout our system to ensure events like these never happen again."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
October 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being releasedThe Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Firespeed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan churchSpeed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
