German nurse admits killing 100 patients as trial begins

GERMANY — A former nurse on trial in northwest Germany has admitted to murdering 100 patients.

The confession makes Niels Hoegel, 41, one of the country's deadliest post-World War II serial killers.

Hoegel is accused of killing his patients -- between the ages of 34 and 96 -- with various nonprescription drugs. He said it was all an attempt to show off his resuscitation skills to colleagues and to fight off boredom.

Hoegel worked at two hospitals in northern Germany between 2000 and 2005. He's already serving a life sentence for six convictions, including homicide and attempted homicide. Those convictions led authorities to investigate hundreds of deaths.