Ex-Okla. City Doctor Charged with Murders for Drug Overdose Deaths

Nine deaths from allegedly excessively high prescriptions

A former Oklahoma City doctor was charged Wednesday with nine counts of murder after eight patients died of drug overdoses and another reportedly caused a fatal wreck.

William Martin Valuck, 71, is also charged in Oklahoma County District Court with 72 counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, records show.

Prosecutors accuse Valuck of causing the deaths of Victoria Pretzer, Michelle Salazar, Jennifer Zimmerman, Paul Beesley, Christina Green, Joyce Curnett, SaShawn Saatian and Lorra Hilton by drug toxicity from excessive amounts of prescription drugs, according to court records.