The trial of Dr. William Husel is being livestreamed each day on NBC4i.com and the NBC4 app. 4:52 p.m. update: Proceedings have ended for the day. The trial is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The fourth week of the murder trial of former Mount Carmel West doctor William Husel kicked off Monday with testimony from former ICU nurses at Mount Carmel West.
Husel, 46, is facing murder charges in the deaths of 14 ICU patients who were under his care at the former Mount Carmel West from 2015 to 2018. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The first witness to start the fourth week of the trial was Jacob Deemer, who worked as an ICU registered nurse at Mount Carmel West who worked with Husel. He was first questioned by prosecuting attorney David Zeyen.
Deemer’s testimony began with questioning pertaining to his working relationship with Husel. Deemer confirmed that Husel was like a mentor to him.
Prosecution asked Deemer about the circumstances of care on three of Husel’s alleged victims: Danny Mollette, James Allen and James Timmons.
Deemer said when he got the verbal order from Husel to administer 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl to Mollette, he called pharmacy about the dose.
Deemer said he ordered an override to receive the fentanyl dose due to the emergency situation with Mollette.
Husel allegedly ordered 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl, 4 milligrams of versed and 2 milligrams of Dilaudid for Mollette. Two minutes after receiving the fentanyl dose, Mollette was extubated from a ventilator at Husel’s orders, the complaint said.
Deemer estimated that Mollette died “minutes” after the fentanyl dose was given. He also added that his pain scale rating of 10 to Mollette before administering the dose was “incorrect.”
Looking back, Deemer said he would have given an “eight” on the pain scale to Mollette.
Zeyen than questioned Deemer on the care of James Allen. When asked if Allen seemed in stable condition, Deemer answered no.
Just 20 minutes shy of his 81st birthday, Allen died on May 28, 2018, after allegedly receiving 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl while under Husel’s care.
Deemer testified that he did not know the quick effect fentanyl had on a person at the time of Timmons’ care in October 2018. He said pain scores for Timmons were registered as “zero.”
Defense attorney Jose Baez began his questioning of Deemer after nearly three hours of questioning from the prosecution.
Once Deemer left the witness stand, the prosecution began questioning Jamie Bourke, a former ICU nurse at Mount Carmel West who testified that Husel ordered her to administer 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl to 37-year-old Brandy McDonald in January 2018.
Bourke described Husel as “very caring” and “an amazing doctor” who saved McDonald’s life when he urged her family members to bring her into the ICU.
“He, in essence, saved her life at that point because he was like ‘Bring her, bring her now,’ and intubated her in 2 minutes,” Bourke said.
Bourke testified that the condition of McDonald, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and suffering from dangerously high levels of acidosis, worsened throughout the day, and eventually, her family agreed to change her code status to do not resuscitate.
Bourke said she documented an “anticipatory” pain score of 10, the highest pain level, for McDonald when she was removed from the ventilator — meaning Bourke estimated that McDonald would be in significant pain.
“That was me saying, ‘I think this is going to be incredibly distressing and horrible for the patient, so that’s why I’m giving her the fentanyl,'” Bourke said.
Baez also asked Bourke about her care for McDonald, and she testified that McDonald was about 280 pounds when she came into the intensive care unit — which Bourke said is a relevant factor in determining the fentanyl dosage for a patient.
Bourke said she did not see any adverse reactions when McDonald was provided the fentanyl, which she testified was prescribed to prevent the patient from feeling pain.
“My intent was that she would not feel herself suffocate to death when she was removed from the ventilator,” Bourke said.
During the trial’s third week, testimony was heard from ICU nurses who said that under Husel’s direction, they administered potentially fatal doses of fentanyl to critically ill patients.
In addition, hospitalists contracted by Mount Carmel and physicians who signed the death certificates for several of Husel’s patients also testified last week.
On Thursday, Dr. Wesley Ely, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University and pulmonary and critical care medicine specialist, returned to the stand after testifying Feb. 28, when he called the doses of fentanyl given to Husel’s patients “mind-boggling.”
High and combined doses of fentanyl and other drugs in the wrong circumstances, Ely said Thursday, could take a patient’s life because the body cannot sustain the escalation to fentanyl given by Husel.
“The body cannot breathe after those doses, period,” he said.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Diane Menashe questioned Ely on whether higher levels of pain medication and other care for Husel’s patients were appropriate, given their injuries, status, or the fact they were in the intensive care unit.
“We should pay attention to that,” Ely said, responding to if a family member is telling doctors and nurses that a patient is in a lot of pain.
Attorneys have said the trial could last at least eight weeks.
Here are some of the individuals who may appear during the proceedings:
Judge
Defendant
Defense attorneys
- Jaime Lapidus
Prosecuting attorneys
- Taylor Mick
- David Zeyen
