After 3 years under arrest, ex-nurse finally confesses to killing 100 people

Niels Hoegel was already serving a life sentence. Now he has admitted to killing over 100 patients in the world's largest post-war serial killing spree.

ABC News reported that on Monday, the German convict confessed to killing at least 97 more persons in addition to the six he was sentenced for between 2008 and 2015.

Hoegel, 41, would inject his victims with lethal doses of drugs and then try to resuscitate them. He gained a sense of euphoria from the act. He also wanted to gain praise from colleagues and reduce "boredom."

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Hoegel claimed failure on his part left him devastated. He was caught in 2005 by a co-worker as he attempted to administer lethal drugs to yet another victim in a Delmenhorst hospital.

In 2008, he received a seven-year sentence. And in 2015, he received a life sentence for two murders, three attempted murders, and bodily assault.

After police exhumed 100 more bodies, Hoegel was now faced with the murder chargers of 62 patients in Delmenhorst and 35 in Oldenburg clinics. The hearing took place in Northern Oldenburg.

Monday was the first day of Hoegel's trial. Judge Sebastian Buehrmann asked Hoegel if the new allegations made against him were accurate, to which he replied, "yes."

According to the Guardian, a grandson of one of the victims named Christian Marbach said he "didn't expect [the confession] to happen today.

"We now have a chance to make some real progress."

Some patients who had died were cremated, making it impossible to know the true number of Hoegel's victims.

Lack of action taken by the Delmenhorst clinic further angered the public. They failed to register known abnormalities, instead giving Hoegel a spotless report. Six staff members were charged with manslaughter as a result.

Oldenburg police chief Johann Kuehme said:

"The killings could have been prevented if the people responsible at the time -- and I stress at the time -- particularly at the Oldenburg clinic but also later on in Delmenhorst hadn't hesitated to alert authorities, for example the state prosecution."

Inaction allowed Hoegel to continue his spree in other places. But Hoegel's psychiatrist, Konstantin Karyofilis, said the serial killer is "deeply ashamed" of the "huge damage, suffering and anxiety" he caused to families.

In a similar horrific story, Cheshire nurse Barbara Salisbury was sentenced to five years in 2004 for overdosing patients to free up hospital beds.

The 47-year-old reportedly told one stroke patient to "Give in, it's time to go" as she administered diamorphine.

In San Antonia, Texas, another nurse is serving 99 years in prison for killing children in 1985 and 1981.

Genene Jones, now 66, received a concurrent 60-year sentence in 2017 for causing the death of a four-week-old boy. She is thought to be responsible for up to 60 more young children.

She reportedly used a powerful muscle relaxant that led to seizures and other complications. Sometimes, she would save some patients to appear as some sort of hero.

In a less harrowing story, one nurse was accused of body-shaming a 13-year-old who came in for a checkup.

Julie Venn shared her disturbing experience online. She spoke of how her daughter, Riley, had to endure an extremely hurtful question a nurse asked:

"Tell me Riley, How can you explain all of this weight you've gained?"

The nurse continued by comparing Riley's weight from the previous year to her current. The poor girl began to cry, prompting her mother to stop the interaction.

They promptly ended the session and Venn told the nurse that she was out of line. The nurse still found it fit to defend herself. Venn said she would not be going back to that office.