Niels Högel (born 30 December 1976) is a German serial killer and former nurse who was sentenced to life imprisonment, initially for the murder of six patients, and later convicted of a total of 85 murders.Estimates of Högel's alleged victim count have increased since his first conviction.
In 2017 a police investigation concluded that he was responsible for at least 90 deaths, and later that year German prosecutors stated there were at least 106 victims.
In October 2018, Högel confessed to murdering 43 patients.
By May 2019, he was believed to be the most prolific serial killer in peacetime Germany, with up to 300 victims over fifteen years.