Why is the Ex-Air Force nurse on trial for killing 3 patients (AP)?”
By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press Writer Paul J. Weber, Associated Press Writer – Mon Nov 16, 6:26 am ET SAN ANTONIO – Attorneys for a former Air Force nurse charged with killing three elderly patients by giving them lethal doses of medication say it would be negligent to undertreat pain for the terminally sick in their final days. Capt. Michael Fontana faces three counts of murder when his military court martial begins Monday at Lackland Air Force Base. He faces life in prison if convicted. Fontana is accused of knowingly giving deadly amounts of painkillers to three civilian patients placed on do-not-resuscitate orders last year at Wilford Hall Medical Center, the Air Force’s largest hospital. His attorneys say Fontana was a competent and caring nurse who comforted the ailing. “It is recognized in end of life care that death is expected with this patient population and may coincide with medication administration simply due to the type and amount of medication that may be required to
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A former military nurse is on trial accused of killing three terminally ill patients at the Air Force’s largest hospital last year. Capt. Michael Fontana was set Monday to begin a military court martial at Lackland Air Force Base. He is charged with three counts of murder and faces life in prison if convicted. Military prosecutors say Fontana knowingly gave lethal doses of painkillers to three civilian patients placed on do-not-resuscitate orders at Wilford Hall Medical Center. Doctors have described the dosages as alarmingly high. Elizabeth Higginbotham, Fontana’s attorney, said Fontana was a competent and caring nurse who did his job to comfort the ailing. She said Fontana will plead not guilty.
