Did these medical personnel play God?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/07/18/ho...ths/index.html

A doctor and 2 nurses in New Orleans are charged with having injected several patients with a "lethal cocktail" (described in the article). This was done on September 1, 2005, a few days after Hurricane Katrina hit land (on August 29th).

Do you think that what they did was murder, or a "mercy killing"? Did they have that right to even do that?

I'm a little conflicted on this. On one hand, they wanted to end the suffering these people no doubt had. After all, it was really hot and humid, they had no power, little food, and we all know how "quickly" the government responded with help to this area.

On the other hand, they were medical personnel, who's job is to keep people alive as long as possible (and hopefully reduce the suffering they go through). They should've did what they could've to keep these people alive, despite the fact that relief was slow in coming.

I suppose I'll side with "they shouldn't of killed them". Although I can understand why they did it, they should've tried to keep those people alive as long as they could (even though they were old). That way, if those people did die, you can't blame them as much, because what else could they have done? While those people would've no doubt suffered in their last few days, at least they'd have a chance at survival should help arrive.

Jam it back in, in the dark.