Ex-Air Force nurse acquitted of killing patients

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November 21, 2009

The Associated Press Associated Press Sat Nov 21, 2009, 06:39 PM EST

Ex-Air Force nurse acquitted of killing patients

SAN ANTONIO — A military judge in Texas has found a former Air Force nurse accused of killing three terminally ill patients not guilty of murder.

Capt. Michael Fontana was accused of administering excessive dosages of painkillers to speed the patients' deaths.

Presiding over the court martial Saturday, Col. William Burd said Fontana was not guilty on all counts.

Speaking after the ruling, Fontana said he never regretted the treatment he gave and that he hopes he can return to nursing.

Fontana has been in the Air Force since 2006 and served a tour in Iraq in 2007. He worked as an intensive care nurse at Wilford Hall, which primarily serves military personnel and retirees but provides emergency and trauma care to some civilians.

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