In what could be the worst serial killing in Germany since World War II, a 26-year-old male nurse has been charged with killing 29 nursing home patients between March 2003 and July 2004. The state prosecutor says that Stephan Letter will be put on trial for 16 murders, 12 manslaughters and 1 mercy killing. His victims ranged in age from 40 to 94. Mr Letter reportedly told police that he wanted to end their suffering, but medical records show that in most cases, their pain was under control.

Mr Letter’s technique at the Sonthofen clinic in Bavaria was allegedly to eavesdrop on doctors discussing the pain threshold of patients or their chances of survival. In the evening, on his first ward round, he would administer an injection of muscle relaxants and tranquillisers. Later on he would announce that the patient had died.

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