William Husel found not guilty on all 14 counts of murder

"A core issue was how much is too much when a doctor prescribes fentanyl and other painkillers for critically ill patients when removing breathing tubes. Another was whether a doctor can end the life of a patient who is about to die, even for compassionate reasons.

Husel's defense argued that his dosing practices were for comfort care only and that death for his critically ill patients was imminent.

Prosecutors equated Husel's high dosing to what veterinarians might use to humanely put down animals — but unacceptable for humans. One expert witness said doses of up to 2,000 micrograms of fentanyl ordered by Husel for some patients were enough to kill an elephant. 

Husel prescribed the opioids, sedatives and paralysis-inducing drugs to patients during the night shift in the former Mount Carmel West hospital in Franklinton. Some of these patients were comatose. Others had multiple organ failures. 

But it was the large doses of fentanyl that Husel prescribed that became a prosecution focus. The state's experts testified that Husel's dosing was 10 to 20 times higher than was necessary to control pain during removal of breathing tubes during palliative extubations....

Several relatives testified that they were never told what specific drugs and dosages were being administered, and that Husel led them to believe that death would be natural after their removal from life support....

The defense also repeatedly maintained that there is no medically established level at which a fentanyl dosage will cause death...."

PS: Notable because the patients were incompetent and doctor acted through proxies. He might or might not have misled the proxies. Case apparently not covered by statute permitting euthanasia or assisted suicide. Verdict in effect vindicates doctrine of double effect.