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German officials: Former Auschwitz guard connected to 170,000 murders

Posted at 12:33 PM, Feb 16, 2015
and last updated 2015-02-16 12:48:42-05

DETMOLD, Germany — A 93-year-old man is believed to have selected more than 170,000 people for death in the gas chambers at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.

The former Nazi guard was charged last week, according to The Chicago Tribune.

German prosecutors say he was responsible for choosing people for the gas chambers during an 18-month period in 1943 and 1944.   They believe he was “fully aware” of the procedures at the camp when it came to murdering Jewish people, according to the Tribune. 

The man, who was not named, has reportedly admitted he was at Auschwitz during the 18-month time frame but has denied involvement in the killings.

Auschwitz was one of the most infamous death camps used during the Holocaust, with roughly 1.1 million people believed to have been killed there.