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Husel trial: Jury deliberating on 14 counts of murder

Kristine Varkony

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)– After a more than three-year public saga, the fate of former Mount Carmel West physician William Husel is in the hands of a Franklin County jury as they began deliberations Tuesday morning.

Husel, 46, is facing life in prison if convicted of the 14 counts of murder listed below. Per jury instructions read by Judge Michael Holbrook prior to the start of deliberations, jurors are allowed to consider the lesser offense of attempted murder for each of the counts.


  1. Murder of Joanne S. Bellisari
  2. Murder of Ryan Hayes
  3. Murder of Beverlee Ann Schirtzinger
  4. Murder of Danny Mollette
  5. Murder of Brandy McDonald
  6. Murder of Francis Burke 
  7. Murder of Jeremia “Sue” Hodge
  8. Murder of James Allen
  9. Murder of Troy Allison
  10. Murder of Bonnie Austin
  11. Murder of James Nikolas Timmons
  12. Murder of Sandra Castle
  13. Murder of Rebecca Walls
  14. Murder of Melissa Penix

After starting their deliberations around 10 a.m., the only on-the-record activity from the jury came after 5 hours when jurors asked about obtaining copies of articles referred to by expert witnesses during their testimonies. Attorneys agreed on a specifically worded response from the judge about why they could not have copies of those articles for reference.

During closing arguments Monday, the prosecution attempted to drive home their allegations that Husel ordered fatal doses of the painkiller fentanyl and other drugs for 14 patients, with the removal of a ventilator. Meantime, defense attorneys tried to convince the jury that the doctor was providing the patients comfort care.

A week-long delay stalled the delivery of those closing arguments last week. A possible reason for the postponements came to light when the Ohio Supreme Court confirmed it had received an affidavit of disqualification to have Holbrook removed from presiding over the case. The affidavit was filed along with a motion to seal it, keeping its contents concealed for the time; therefore, it is not known who filed the request nor the reasoning for it.

The prosecution called 53 witnesses during the trial, compared to the one witness called by the defense.

The dozens of witnesses called by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office team ranged from former Mount Camel executives, nurses, and pharmacists to victims’ family members, a Columbus Division of Police detective, and expert doctors.

“This case is a mountain — a mountain of evidence, information, technical data, and criminality against 14 innocent and seriously ill individuals,” said Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Janet Grubb.

Husel’s defense team, comprised of Columbus attorney Diane Menashe and Florida-based attorneys Jose Baez and Jamie Lapidus, called one expert witness: Dr. Joel Zivot, a physician from Emory University.

“William Husel was exercising compassion to his patients and tried to free them from pain and let their last moments on earth be ones of peace,” Baez argued.

CLICK HERE for a detailed recap and summary of every day of testimony from the six-week trial.

Prosecuting attorneys include Grubb, David Zeyen, Paula Sawyers, Taylor Mick, and Corinne Buker.

That team asserts this case started years before Mount Carmel says they received the first complaint about Husel’s care of patients in the ICU at the now-shuttered hospital.

Timeline of case