German nurse may be responsible for over 100 deaths, prosecutors say

BERLIN

A former nurse already serving a life sentence for killing 10 patients in Germany may be responsible for more than 100 additional deaths, prosecutors said on Thursday.

Ulrich S., 44, was convicted in November 2025 by a court in the city of Aachen of 10 counts of murder and 27 counts of attempted murder for administering lethal injections to patients at a palliative care unit in Wurselen, near Aachen.

"The suspected cases in the ongoing proceedings currently stand at significantly over 100," Aachen senior prosecutor Katja Schlenkermann-Pitts said. She emphasized that these represent preliminary suspicions that could still be dismissed as investigations continue.

The November 2025 trial in Aachen resulted in a life sentence with a finding of particular severity of guilt, which typically means the convicted person serves the full sentence without possibility of early release, with no option for parole or early discharge.

The court determined that Ulrich S. had given critically ill patients fatal doses of sedatives and painkillers between December 2023 and May 2024. Prosecutors concluded he killed patients "to have less work" during his night shifts at the hospital.