Psychiatrist Convicted in Drug Deaths
F A R M I N G T O N, Utah, July 11 -- A psychiatrist accused of killing fiveelderly patients by prescribing fatal doses of morphine wasconvicted of manslaughter and negligent homicide.
Robert Weitzel, 44, was found guilty Monday of two counts ofmanslaughter and three counts of negligent homicide. Sentencing wasset for Aug. 17, with Weitzel facing two to 33 years in prison.
Weitzel’s attorneys argued that the patients were terminally illand he was merely trying to ease their pain in their final moments.
A Pattern of Euthanasia
Davis County Attorney Mel Wilson told the jury that Weitzel hada definite “pattern of euthanasia,” which is illegal in Utah, indealing with five patients who died in a 16-day period beginning inDecember 1995.
He said the doctor “blasted” four of the five patients withanti-psychotic drugs until they seemed to be near death, thenadministered lethal doses of morphine.
“You have to use your common sense and you have to look atthese patterns of conduct this doctor has engaged in,” Wilson toldthe jurors.
The one exception to Weitzel’s pattern of euthanasia was EllenAnderson, 91, the first to die, whom Weitzel gave morphine as soonas she was admitted to the Geriatric-Psychiatric Unit at the DavisHospital and Medical Center in Layton.
Wilson said Weitzel caused her death through “depravedindifference.”
Reasonable Doubt?
In addition to Anderson, Weitzel was accused in the deaths ofEnnis Alldredge, 85; Mary Crane, 72; Judith Larsen, 93; and LydiaSmith, 90.
Defense attorney Peter Stirba said there was no reason tobelieve Weitzel did anything but fulfill his ethical obligation tohis dying patients.
“There’s reasonable doubt written all over this case,” Stirbasaid. “It’s not about murder, it’s not about manslaughter, it’snot about negligent homicide. It’s about one thing: End of lifecare.”
He said medical records showed Weitzel did nothing wrong.
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