Source: Science Photo Library / Getty
via NBC
An Ohio doctor accused of ordering excessive and potentially fatal doses of opioids to dozens of near-death patients is facing multiple counts of murder, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
William Husel voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Columbus and was charged in 25 deaths following a six-month investigation by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The patient deaths exposed a stunning case of medical oversight and alleged medical malpractice, and called into question how repeated failures potentially involving 30 or more employees could have gone unchecked for so long.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for 22 years and have not seen a 25-count indictment during those years,” Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said at a news conference.
Columbus Division of Police Chief Thomas Quinlan added that “this breach of a doctor’s oath is vile … and that begins the process of holding the accused criminal responsible.”
Husel, 43, was employed with the Mount Carmel Health System, one of the largest in central Ohio, from 2015 to 2018, which cover the years of the investigation. He was first suspended Nov. 21 and then fired two weeks later.
