Niels Hogel

In the sterile corridors of German hospitals, where compassion should reign and healing should begin, a killer walked unnoticed. Niels Högel: True Crime Serial Killers by Johann Bachmann is a chilling, meticulously researched account of one of the most disturbing medical murder cases in modern history. Between 2000 and 2005, nurse Niels Högel murdered at least eighty-five patients—though investigators believe the true number could be far higher. His victims, young and old alike, trusted him with their lives. Instead, he injected them with lethal doses of medication, turning hospital wards into hunting grounds and the tools of medicine into instruments of death. Through gripping narrative and forensic precision, Bachmann exposes not only Högel's crimes but also the institutional failures that allowed them to continue unchecked. Drawing from court documents, medical records, and interviews with survivors and whistleblowers, this book peels back the layers of silence, bureaucracy, and denial that hid the truth for years. At the heart of the story are the voices of those who tried to stop him—nurses, doctors, and families who fought against disbelief, intimidation, and systemic inertia. Their courage, and the eventual unraveling of Högel's deception, stand as both an indictment and a testament: an indictment of a healthcare system that failed to protect its most vulnerable, and a testament to the persistence of those who refused to let the truth die with the victims. More than a chronicle of one man's evil, Niels Högel: True Crime Serial Killers is a powerful reflection on trust, morality, and accountability in medicine. It invites readers to confront uncomfortable questions: How could this happen in a place meant for healing? How can such betrayal go unnoticed for so long? And what must change to ensure it never happens again? For readers of Mindhunter, The Good Nurse, and In Cold Blood, this book combines investigative journalism, psychological insight, and human empathy in a true crime story that is as horrifying as it is necessary.