Niels Högel caused emergencies that he then seemed to resolve. In Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, he administered drugs that triggered cardiac crises and then took part in resuscitations. The court attributed his actions to a desire for recognition.
Each case required medical records, toxicology, and evidence of deliberate action. Over time, some remains could be analyzed, while others were no longer available. Thus, suspicions did not amount to proven cases.
In June 2019, the Oldenburg court found him guilty of 85 murders and acquitted him of 15 other charges. He received life imprisonment and a finding of particular severity of guilt, which restricts the possibility of early release. The conviction did not clarify which hospital warnings failed or when intervention might have been possible.
