Doctor Charged in 25 Murders Has a Criminal Past

Dr. William Husel previously admitted to breaking into cars and building a pipe bomb.

Accused Ohio Dr. William Husel, who has been charged with 25 counts of murder for allegedly overprescribing painkillers, has a criminal past.

When he was in college, Husel, 43, admitted to breaking into cars. He also admitted to building a pipe bomb that authorities say he intended to detonate under the car of another student. He was sentenced to six months of house arrest.

When he applied for an Ohio state medical license in 2012, Husel did not hide his notorious past.

"I learned my lesson and will never make those types of mistakes again," he wrote to the medical board. He blamed his crimes on "immaturity" and "giving in to peer pressure." 
 
“I learned that through hard work and dedication I can become a more respected and professional person,” he added. 

The letter worked and Husel was given the license. He found work in the ICU at Mount Carmel West hospital, where police say he killed 25 people by deliberately prescribing lethal doses of fentanyl.

"This is not a murder case," Husel's attorney, Richard Blake, told WCMH. "I can assure you there was never any attempt to euthanize anyone by Dr. Husel. At no time did he ever have the intent to euthanize anyone."

Husel has pleaded not guilty and his bond was set at $1 million at Wednesday’s arraignment. 

Lawyer Gerry Leeseberg represents several of the victims' families, including Christine Allison, whose husband died under Husel's care. 

"His prior criminal conduct was known to the licensing authorities and they took it into consideration and they nevertheless gave him a medical license," Leeseberg told Inside Edition. 

Following Husel’s arrest, Mount Carmel Health System said it “will continue to implement meaningful changes throughout our system to ensure events like these never happen again."

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