The trial of Dr. William Husel is being livestreamed each day on NBC4i.com and the NBC4 app. 4:11 p.m. update: Proceedings have ended for the day. The trial is expected to resume Thursday at 9 a.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Former intensive care unit nurses — some of whom administered potentially fatal doses of fentanyl to critically ill patients — testified in the murder trial against a former Mount Carmel West doctor Wednesday.
Dr. William 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 on Wednesday called by the prosecution was Troy Rudman, a nurse who worked at Mount Carmel West starting in 2014 and was terminated in 2019.
Both the prosecution and defense questioned Rudman regarding his involvement in the care of three of Husel’s alleged victims, including Melissa Penix, Beverlee Ann Schirtzinger, and Ryan Hayes.
The focus of the questioning was on Hayes, who became the subject of Rudman’s nursing board review.
Rudman testified that on April 3, 2017, he was called to the ICU and was briefed by Dr. Husel and a fellow nurse about the orders for a palliative withdrawal on Hayes.
The second witness was Tyler Springer, who worked as a nurse in the ICU at Mt. Carmel West from 2015 to 2019. Prosecuting attorney Paula Sawyers and defense attorney Diane Menashe asked Springer about his involvement in the care of Joanne Bellisari, Ryan Hayes, and James Allen.
After prosecuting and defense attorneys finished questioning Springer, another former Mount Carmel West ICU nurse, Stephanie LeChard, took the stand.
LeChard, who joined Mount Carmel in August 2018, said that it was “very common” for nurses at the hospital to override medications from a dispensing machine called Pyxis — meaning nurses obtained medication without receiving approval from the hospital’s pharmacy.
In her former role at the Cleveland Clinic, LeChard said there were “very few” medications a nurse could override.
While working a night shift in November 2018, LeChard said she cared for one of Husel’s former patients, Sandra Castle, an 80-year-old woman who died after being administered 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl to manage her pain.
Castle’s family requested she be given more pain medication, so LeChard said Dr. Husel verbally informed her to take out 1,000 micrograms of fentanyl from the Pyxis machine.
LeChard — who said Castle was the first palliative patient she cared for in her nursing career — asked fellow ICU nurse Troy Rudman if the dose was normal for palliative extubation, and he reportedly said yes.
The fourth witness called was Dr. Charles May, who has been licensed to practice medicine in Ohio since 1977. Prosecuting attorney Janet Grubb began by questioning him on the death of Francis Burke, one of Husel’s alleged victims.
May signed the death certificate for Burke and was asked about the review of Burke’s medical records.
On Tuesday, three former attending physicians at the former hospital took the stand in Husel’s murder trial.
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
