An Italian doctor is facing a life behind bars for murdering 10 people including his patients through lethal cocktails of analgesics and anaesthetics.
According to a report by Euronews, Leonardo Cazzaniga, 65, a former emergency physician at Saronno Hospital was slapped by the Milan Court of Appeal with murder charges for intentionally killing eight people under his care.
He was also convicted for killing his mistress’ husband and father-in-law.
However, Cazzaniga was acquitted on appeal for three other murders by the Milan Assize Court.
Cazzaniga’s mistress, Laura Taroni, 44, a nurse, was also convicted for two intentional homicides. She was slapped with a 30-year jail time on appeal last February for murdering her husband, Massimo Guerra, and her mother, Maria Rita Clerici.
Guerra died in June 2013 from an overdose.
Italian press described the two killers as “diabolical lovers.”
Defence lawyers suggested that the lovers were consistent with standard palliative care but that the prosecution pointed out that a young woman who was one of the victims had died after being admitted to the Saronno Hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
According to police, Taroni admitted to feeling the need to kill someone.
“From time to time, I feel like killing someone, I need it,” she was quoted as saying.
Both Cazzaniga and Taroni have been incarcerated since 2016 and are expected to file a motion for reconsideration.
Image by Parentingupstream from Pixabay
