Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Husel attended St. Ignatius High School where he excelled in basketball as a captain for his senior year.
[5] Having completed his residency and fellowship in critical care medicine from the Cleveland Clinic (2013), Husel found work as an intensive-care doctor at the Mount Carmel West Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where he was described as highly intelligent.
[1] In February 2015, Husel began to prescribe fentanyl to his patients during terminal extubation while his colleagues chose a different opioid analgesic (morphine sulfate).
Mount Carmel then contacted the State Medical Board of Ohio, meeting with the Franklin County prosecutor on the same day.
[11] In her opening statement, Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Janet Grubb told the jury that Husel prescribed "unwarranted and unprecedented" dosages of fentanyl, more than was medically necessary to ease pain, and that his actions caused the patients' deaths.
Baez also showed the jury part of a media playbook Mount Carmel Health System had created for handling the scandal, including a page discussing who the "villain" would be.
[12][13][14][15] The State's second witness, pharmacist Talon Schroyer—who had previously worked the night shift at Mount Carmel—testified on February 23 that he thought Husel's fentanyl orders were “unusual” but was unsure if they might be a result of possible drug diversion.
During cross-examination of Schroyer, defense attorney Diane Menashe argued that Husel had saved the lives of several of the alleged murder victims by providing lifesaving interventions (such as CPR and medications like vasopressors).
Ely, who specializes in pulmonary and critical care medicine, testified about each of the 14 patients Husel was accused of murdering.
On March 2, jurors heard from former Mount Carmel West Vice President Larry Swanner and Dan Roth, chief clinical officer of Trinity Health.
[22][23] On March 4, Judge Holbrook ruled that Larry Swanner would be recalled to clarify some of his testimony—specifically what report he relied on to conclude that Husel was the only doctor in the health system ordering fentanyl doses of 500 micrograms and above.
[38] Zivot testified that the drugs administered by Husel were intended and indeed ordered for comfort care at end of life.
Prosecutors objected to Zivot's testimony because he acknowledged that he had spoken to Husel as part of his review of the medical records, which is barred by Ohio evidence rules.
Nurses under Husel, Zeyen said, were "enthralled" to be working with someone like him, who completed a residency at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic.