Also present, according to Kane, was Jerry Summers, the childhood friend who would later wake up a quadriplegic after a Duntsch operation. GQ calls it the scariest podcast of 2019. Duntsch wrote that he accepted he was a cold-blooded killer. No autopsy was done (at the familys request) but it is well-documented that the stroke was due to a left vertebral artery injury due to Dr. Duntschs horrendous surgical technique, wrote surgeon Randall Kirby in a letter to the Texas Medical Board. Texas tort reform laws cap the amount that patients can sue physicians for malpractice at $250,000. Today, Duntsch is serving a life imprisonment term in a Texas prison, and he's now the subject of an NBC Peacock netstreaming series featuring some big-name, A . Christopher Duntschs case is perhaps unique to the justice systemits incredibly rare for a surgeon to be indicted, much less convicted, for the care he or she provided. He couldnt help it. Mary Efurd, 74, was to have two vertebrae fused, linked by a metal plate. Summers declined an interview in Memphis and would not answer questions on the phone. Finally, it was the Texas Medical Board (TMB) that acted too late, too little. Duntsch maintains that the practice didnt meet the promises it agreed to, and that it still owes him money. Duntsch says he was so distraught by Browns outcome that he placed a screw in Efurd 3 millimeters away from where it shouldve been, damaging a nerve root. According to Duntsch's colleagueDr. Randall Kirby, Glidewell's procedure was so botched that"Duntsch was forcibly restrained from continuing the surgery by the [operating room] team.". He was the oldest of fourhe has two brothers, Nathan and Matt, and a sister, Lizand attended a private high school. She also never reported Duntsch up the ladder. They described him as the bright, precocious little boy who had taken. He had a lot of animus to me personally. Podcast de Dr Death: La verdadera historia de Christopher Duntsch que Ce que l'ange de la mort de Netflix ne dit pas sur les motivations For the DA though she proved to be a good witness. Dr. Death is now also going to be a TV show with Christian Slater and Alec Baldwin playing main roles. Surprisingly, his superiors at The University of Tennessee also gave him glowing reviews. 5 years after 'Dr. Death,' doctors still come to - KXAN Austin On paper, the 40-year-old man who arrived in Dallas in the summer of 2011 was a completely different Christopher Duntsch than the one who was introduced to the public after more than a dozen. Within months, she says, he had offers in Dallas, San Diego, and New York. According to Dallas Magazine, Dr. Christopher Duntsch talked a big game. Unequivocally, testified an expert witness, a neurosurgeon should stop practicing after incurring multiple patient deaths and severe outcomes. Unlike Baldwin, Slater takes on a more brash and quirky doctor role as Dr Kirby, though both work side by side to help reveal the truth about Duntsch's botched surgeries. At morning meetings, Page would see Duntsch mixing a vodka orange. On July 1, 2011, Duntsch and Baylor Plano agreed to an inducement deal. Passmore was allowed to resign and still access his long-term disability insurance, which he says hed paid into for more than 10 years. Duntsch pleaded not guilty. Jamie Dornan was originally attached to play Christopher in the beginning. Duntsch then joined Dallas Medical Center. Something was wrong, one lawsuit alleges, whether it be impairment from drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or a combination of all three. His first and only surgery with Minimally Invasive Spine Institute was on a Thursday at Baylor Plano. The intended 45-minute procedure stretched over an hour before Duntsch finally emerged and told Mayfield's wife the surgery was a success. She was deposed over Skype since, at the time, she was stationed with the Air Force in the Middle East. Hes jailed on a $600,000 bond, and his trial is set for January 31, 2017. He is a graduate of Evangelical Christian School in the Cordova suburb of Memphis, where he starred in football. And there were plenty of other signs as well. Dr. Christopher Duntsch, Doctor Death Today: Where Is He Now? - Heavy.com The other, Discgenics, was more successful; it still owns the patent for the technology. Morgan didnt follow Duntsch after Baylor Plano. He was gone until Monday. Governor Greg Abbott, then the attorney general, even waded into the whole mess, filing a brief in Passmores suit in support of the law. The 30 Rock alum also heads up the cast of the Peacock series as a doctor, though he plays one of the surgeons working to take Duntsch down. While staying with his parents outside Denver, he was stopped for driving under the influence. Duntsch is now living out his life behind bars, but Young told CNBC'sAmerican Greed earlier this year that the former neurosurgeon still regularly talks with his two young sons. Nerve pain now fires through his back, the result of a screw lodged in a nerve bundle. This way, no one recognizes them as the inventors. Rohr is a very professional man, Passmore says. Copyright 2023, D Magazine Partners, Inc. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He was friendly, and we had good conversation. Eddie Redmayne dans le rle de Charlie Cullen et Jessica Chastain dans le rle d'Amy Nobody stopped him soon enough. He was born in Montana, but his family settled in a suburb east of Memphis where the median household income is about $30,000 higher than the rest of the country. He also had a credit card in his name connected to Duntschs account and would drive him around, balance his checkbooks, pick up dry cleaning. Joshua Jackson Previews 'Dr. Death,' Ponders 'Dawson's Creek - Variety It said, Anyone close to me thinks that I likely am something between god, einstein, and the antichrist. From the top of his class to life in prison: things did not go as he planned. Dr. Death now: Where is Christopher Duntsch now? He seemed really distraught and I was scared, she said of the father of her two children. Facebook Dr. Christopher Duntsch on his first day as a neurosurgeon. He says he showed the postoperative imaging to 16 radiologists over six months, all of whom said Morguloff was normal. A husband and wife pair of Russian stem cell scientists, Valery Kukekov and Tatyana Ignatova entered the picture. Investigations took patients and attorneys back to where Duntsch had had such a promising beginningin Memphis, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he earned both an M.D. Even the hospitals that he worked for kept enabling him, according to a report by the Dallas County prosecutors. Hospitals are liable only if the plaintiff can prove that the hospital was also malicious, that it knew of the risk and ignored it. Don tried to convince the jury that his son cared for his patients. But Hoyle says an X-ray later showed it was positioned too far to the left. A veteran investigative reporter in the medical field, her voice enthralls. Six weeks after her death on March 12, 2012, the medical examiner ruled her fate an accident. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. Not long after, Young said Duntsch broke into her apartment for the first time. Duntsch placed a surgical cage where the disc was, to widen the opening around the nerve roots and relieve the pressure that was causing Passmores pain. His father, Donald, was a missionary and a physical therapist. Kukekov and Ignatova say Duntsch took more credit than he deserved for the discoveries. Hoyle stepped in front of Duntsch to block his way. In April 2015, he was arrested for stealing $887.30 in Walmart merchandise: five pairs of sunglasses, five watches, two pairs of shoes, four ties, two briefcases, a wallet, cologne, necklaces, a walkie-talkie. He thought surgery might give him some relief, eliminate the need for drugs, solve both problems at once. Duntsch suspected that this had something to do with his vodka bottle and neurostimulants. It said he was $1 million in debt. It was a revision of a patient whom he originally operated on at Baylor Plano. In Dallas, Duntsch developed a reputation of frequenting upscale bars and hotels where he partied with his lifelong best friend and personal assistant, Jerry Summers. The shocking story of a madman with a scalpel. Robot, True Romance, Very Bad Things, and Robot Chicken. He alleged that Duntsch promised to pay him in stocks and out of his own salary but failed to follow through. The thing is, if you dont push this, with everybody else settling, theyre getting away with it again., 750 North St.Paul St. Dr. Duntsch is at number one. Was this a way of keeping the University of Tennessee's ranking up? Dr Death cast vs real people - See photos of Christopher Duntsch It took the Texas Medical Board one whole year to investigate and finally revoke Duntsch's license. Not a single doctor, surgeon, staff, or the pathologist of the autopsy every [sic] stated that I surgically caused vascular injury, he wrote. Henderson actually checked if Duntsch was a real doctor with The University of Tennessee, appalled at the damage to Efurd's spine. Dr. The very first complaint should have triggered an investigation. By this time, Summers, the childhood friend, had come to live with Duntsch, too. 33 of his 37 surgeries were botched, with two dead and 31 injured for life. He was the eldest of four. Duntsch told Morgan a different story. That same month, Kirby wrote, he, along with the Glidewell family, brought the case to prosecutors and asked to press charges. Some hospitals may be reluctant toreport doctors who have allegedly caused bodily harm topatients. But then came that fax, and he saw Duntschs name next to Kellie Martins. There was Kellie Martin, who died from massive blood loss after a surgery at Baylor Plano. But upon seeing that name, he took it to his boss, Dr. William Rohr. She told D Magazine they named the boys Aiden and Preston. Who Is Wendy Young, The Mother Of Christopher Duntsch's Children, And The world at large may have never heard of Dr. Death but for Laura Beil. Young puts Morgan there, too, although Morgan denied it in her deposition. His emails were crazy, Van Wey recalled in the docuseries. He was the eldest of four. Nurse who worked with Dr. Duntsch recalls his experiences - YouTube "A few weeks later I took my first son to visit him for Christmas and then I became pregnant," Young said. Death after botching 33 of38 surgeries over a two-year span, inside the apartment covered in blood, holding her gun in one hand and a knife in the other, she said. That was the same month the two started having sex. I dont want to be on Channel 8, I dont want to be on Inside Edition. He said Youngwho by now had given birth to their son, Aidenwas just his secretary and friend. In 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty. On average, a neurosurgeon generates more revenue for a hospital than all other specialties but invasive cardiology and orthopedic surgery. In an article in Texas Observer,author SaulElbein says that one of the doctors he spoke to likened Duntsch to Hannibal Lecter three times in eight minutes. They met as Duntsch was looking for opportunities in an operating room somewhere. How Old Are Christopher Duntsch Children? Sons Preston and Aiden Age It was something that made us all nervous, but we never had any proof, Boop said in the phone call. His mother, Susan, taught school. The Texas DA chose six patients to make their case to the jury: Lee Passmore, Barry Morguloff, Jerry Summers, Kellie Martin, Floella Brown, and Mary Efurd. Joshua Jackson as Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death." (Peacock/Scott McDermott/Peacock) The real Duntsch, a Texas-based surgeon, maimed or killed 33 of 38 surgical patients between 2011 and . 'Sociopath' Surgeon Duntsch Arrested for Shoplifting Pants I am ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold blooded killer. dicksonpost 2022-11-27 - Main Street Media of Tennessee But it was growing increasingly clear that his opportunities were running out. That July, Duntsch was firing off panicked emails to his business partners at 4 am on a Monday morning: My reputation has been ruined, he wrote. Henderson was brought in to operate two days later. He cant run or swim with his children. They turned around, away from the yelling. Whatever Duntsch set out to be when he first donned that white coat, being a media sensation for all the wrong reasons may not have been his goal. His fellow neurosurgeons found him to be fast-talking and cocksure, a bit of a loner. Every patient mentioned in this story who has sued, except for Passmore, has settled. Shes 33 now and doesnt live in Dallas anymore. Young said Duntschfollowed her and told her he could explain the bizarre scene. The real question is:Can this TV show bring about a change in medical law, or how hospitals treat their patients and doctors? St. Jude says there was no such program at the hospital at that time. She, after being in Duntsch's OR, would never walk again. Duntsch landed in jail on a $600,000 bond and waited for the trial to begin. According to ProPublica, Boop was aware of a complaint Duntsch used drugs before seeing patients. Their trysts were largely confined to his office at Baylor Plano, the same place where, she said in her deposition, he often drank vodka and did research after hours. They had discovered stem cells in human brain tumors. He has left a novels worth of defenses on the web, in PDFs, and in comments below news stories. TX report aims to boost teacher pay, working conditions Seven more doctors voiced complaints before TMB finally canceled Dr. Death's license. While Ignatova and Kukekov say they were in the labs, Duntsch focused on raising money. He said somebody had been there and they had hit him on the head, she said. But as Duntsch worked, Hoyle looked over and saw blood and not much else. He promises to take all pain and suffering away. We need to talk about this, Hoyle said, locking eyes with him. Passmore, an investigator by trade and by nature, started digging. The other survivors suffered damage, disability,and excruciating pain. Prosecutors argued that the disgraced doctor had used his scalpel and hands as weapons to seriously injure or kill his patients. Its less than a millimeter from the spinal canal. Brown had a massive stroke overnight that left her in a vegetative state, and her family chose to remove life support days later. He argues that the patients were just telling stories and that Passmore was fine after his operation. Because how can I do anything I want and cross every discipline boundary like its [sic] a playground and never ever lose., Duntsch also said he was prepared to embrace the very darkest part of himself. The arrest report said he was driving on two flat tires. According to court filings, he was supposed to be overseen by an attending physician in the operating room; this allegedly was not adhered to, either. She passedfromblood loss in the ICU. According to his lawsuit, Morguloff wound up with searing pain in his back and left leg from bone fragments lodged in his spinal canal during the operation, which were only discovered eight months later when he sought a second opinion. They all signed nondisclosure agreements that prohibit them from discussing their cases or their monetary awards. Who Is The Real Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch? - NickiSwift.com What made him cause damage, trauma and even death to his patients? You dont get to walk away from two or three years of medical training, in the middle of an internship or a residency, get to take time off and be slotted directly in the position you left in with no questions asked. Joshua Jackson stars as Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a twisted neurosurgeon who goes on a malpractice rampage in the halls of the hospitals that are inattentive and neglectful enough to employ him . Joshua Jackson Dissects the Psychology of 'Dr. Death' and - Yahoo! But Passmore is one of the lucky ones. He stayed in New York while everyone. Where Is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death Now? He Got A - Bustle But what Duntsch hadnt counted on was the Dallas County District Attorneys Office. Baldwin, 63, plays a more mature character to his onscreen partner Christian Slaters zany one, with the two pairing up in quest to end Dr Deaths medical career and bring him to justice. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing how easy. And professional marketing videos got him ready and willing patients. You, my child, are the only one between me and the other side, he wrote. Duntsch allegedly performed the operation and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. Duntsch had allegedly tried to steal the pair of pants by changing into the new pair in a Wal-Mart dressing room and placing his own pants into the shopping cart. He says that surgery happened earlier in the week, and that it was he who called Rimlawi and asked him to check on the patient. Passmore also learned about Kenneth Fennell, a 68-year-old who alleged in a lawsuit that, during a November procedure, Duntsch operated on the wrong body part. Duntsch moved to Colorado to live with his parents, while Young stayed behind in Dallas with the couple's son. In the deposition, she states that Duntsch snorted cocaine from a handy pile he kept on a dresser at his home. And scary as it may seem, it's only when we listen to podcasts like these, do we realize the reality of medical horror stories. Neurosurgeon Duntsch Found Guilty, Faces Life in Prison, In Duntschs Assault Trial, Questions About His Role After Patient Deaths, In Second Day of Testimony, Doctor Calls Neurosurgeon Duntschs Outcomes Catastrophic. After another disastrous outcome, this time at University General, Kirby and malpractice attorney Kay Van Wey decided to turn to the criminal justice system. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. In actuality, Duntschhad severely deformed Mayfield's spinal column and left him immobilized from mid-chest down to his toes. And, to successfully sue a hospital, they must prove that the facility acted with malicethat, in granting a physician privileges, it intended to harm the patient. Was it you? Young said in the docuseries. And when this podcast tells you all the gory details, you become that patient. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . Everything On His Family And Wikipedia Bio In it, he is yelling at Maria Lopez, the medical board investigator assigned to Duntsch's case in January 2013, demanding to know why he was still practicing. I look at my children, I felt like, How am I gonna explain this to them?. My entire house had been turned upside down.. I cannot recall a physician being indicted for aggravated assault for acts committed during surgery, says Toby Shook, a Dallas defense attorney who spent 23 years working as a Dallas County prosecutor. I cried when they said life imprisonment, Young said of the verdict. Their suffering becomes yours. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. It wasnt until lawsuits were filed that the alleged drug use became public. Passmore says the space above a disc in his lower spine had been blown out in the first surgery, and Duntsch returned to pick out the pieces. They lived in a future colleagues condo at the W Hotel while they looked for a home in Plano, close to where Duntsch would be practicing. The Real Story Behind the Dr. Death Podcast - Christopher Duntsch When Mary Efurd could no longer walk, Dallas Medical Center called in Dr. Henderson to salvage the botched surgery. To fellow surgeon Mark Hoyle, he said, "Everybody's doing it wrong. (She says this was a misunderstanding, that she had asked him to retrieve Aiden and bring him to the hospital.) In the Dallas medical community, Christopher Duntsch was seen as a rising star. As these cases became public record, rumors circulated of late-night partying leading into early-morning rounds, and whispers of drug and alcohol abuse became shouts. I dont know what it is, she said. But Duntsch kept going, as if he were fishing in a pond at night, saying he was working by feel, not sight. While the show features the exes as the parents to one son, they had two kids together in real life. It was the invention of me and my wife, because we made all primary experiments. Around this time, Drs. Whatever happened, he was gone from Minimally Invasive Spine Institutebut not from Baylor Plano. That venue is a civil or federal jury trial, and I would accept that if it gave the way forward to disclose, remedy, address what happened at DMC with these patients., Henderson, like Passmore, began his own investigation. This would be the first and last time Hoyle worked next to Duntsch. This is accomplished by: Establishing quality . Christopher Duntsch's medical license was suspended by the State Board after heavy lobbying from his former colleagues and wounded patients on June 26, 2013. But as the ultimate betrayal, some doctors violate this code of conduct in the worst possible ways. If he could do 50Shades of Grey and some scandalous modeling, playing a menacing Dr. Death should be a piece of cake, right? He went back to the sourcethe University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Did these doctors truly not see though Duntsch? She needed drug tests. But patient advocates and the surgeons that mobilized to rid him of his license say that Duntsch was the perfect storm. What made this well-recommended neurosurgeon harm his patients and himself? According to Young, there was even a ransom note for her and her two children written in blood. Wendy has reportedly been keeping a low-profile life since ending her relationship with Duntsch and since he went to prison.