some Name famous serial killers?
Jack the Ripper Jeffrey Dahmer John Wayne Gacy Ted Bundy
Do You Know?
Jack the Ripper (7)
Jeffrey Dahmer (31)
John Wayne Gacy (33)
Ted Bundy (20+)
Harold Shipman, M.D.
Graph showing death rates by physicians
Why don't we know these names?
Harold Shipman, MD Michael Swango, MD Michel Pettiot, MD (63 murders in 1940's) John Adams, MD (40 murders in 1950's)
Orville Majors, Donald Harvey, Genene Jones,
First Exposure
22 y/o mother of 4 transferred after 19 days at another hospital Initially, 2 week N/V/D, cough, rash, weakness. Was pancytopenic, pneumonia ascending peripheral paralysis Day#18 seizure and ventricular fibrillation ("Torsades de pointe") Multiple episodes VF, +/- response to lidocaine and Mg+2. Neuropathy worse
Case continued
Neuropathy worse, needs ventilator to breath D# 54, family priest comes in with story of confession about arsenic-laden OJ given to patient at party. Testing yielded normal urine but severely elevated hair levels in a pattern that suggested acute-on-chronic exposure 1984 - while a resident on Dr. Bauman's cardiology rotation.
CHICAGO'S POISONING HISTORY
Johann Hoch - "The Stockyards Bluebeard"
1892-1905 murdered 12+ of 24 wives with arsenic. Collected assets. Hanged 2/23/1906
HH Holmes
Dr Holmes built a drugstore empire based in SouthSide of Chicago. Remains of > 200 people found in his castle. Spree lasted from 1893-1896. Considered the first sensational crime trial in American crime history "The devil and the White City"
Tille Gburek
Chicago "psychic", known for predicting exact date of 5 husbands and 3 neighbors deaths - arsenic
MODERN CHICAGO
Tylenol murders
9/29-10/1/82, seven deaths from cyanide-laden Tylenol capsules
Never solved, appears purely random act of poisoning After publicity of case, following month had 270 reports of product tampering, 36 were proven true in the U.S. Lead to development of two innovations
Dosage form? Packaging?
CHICAGO Summer 2002
July- 12 y/o severe Cerebral palsy, non-diabetic, found unresponsive by family member (no family member was diabetic, EMT found glucose = 0 Multiple D50W's and dextrose infusions over next 16 hours to maintain glucose of 40-60 Blood insulin 400 (20 x nl), no c-peptide 9/9/02 67 ovarian cancer with mets, presents with A fib. Admitted to CICU. Digoxin 0.25 iv ordered, 2.5 mg given experienced RN (?)
ILLINOIS HISTORY
Michael Swango (30+) "00-Swango" Born 1974 Quincy Medical school at SIU didn't graduate 1984 Quincy paramedic - co-workers always got sick when he brought doughnuts, soda, iced tea (Ant poison [Arsenic] found mixed with sugar in home. Charged and convicted aggravated battery 5 yrs prison. Lied about graduation and licensure, worked in hospitals in 5 states (inc Harvard) and Zimbabwe. Always large number of deaths noted during his duty "Blind Eye" by James B. Stewart
Toxicomaniacs
Michael Swango Helene Jegado 1800s (23+)
arsenic to families she worked as maid for.
Jane Toppan (31+)
Boston 1840s, private nurse with "special cocktails" except too many died
Graham Young
1980s. 2 deaths, many poisonings, many compounds.On arrest enough poison to kill> 300 in home "Young Poisoner's Handbook" movie
Nurses
Mercy Killers
K Gilbert (4+) 96-7 NC epinephrine Richard Diaz (12+) CA succinylcholine Orville Majors (70-130) 1993-5 epi, Indiana KCL Don Harvey (37-80+) 1970-1987, Edson Guimares (5-131) Sao Paulo RN tech KCL, C Malevre (4-30 Paris 1997-8) Queen of euthanasia, W. Wagner gang Austria (45-200) 1983 MSO4/water
Others
E Saldivar resp therapist (50+) Glendale 19891997pancuronuim, A Nessitt nursing home administrator Norway 22+ curare Midwife (36 women) gang, Hungary (80-300 men) 1914-1929 arsenic
U.S. Mercy Killers 1980-1990's
Nurses, alone or in groups, arrested for 172-240 suspicious deaths in 7 U.S. hospitals during 1980's 4 Nurses arrested for 123-195 deaths in 1990's in 4 U.S. hospitals Kevorkian? , Philip Nitschke? (Aussie), Christine Malevre (French)?
Mercy Killers 2000's
Hungarian Nurse ("Black Angel") 30-40 Dutch nurse 14+ deaths mostly elderly or vry young children, avidly read biographies on serial killers Japanese nurse 10+ deaths in his care, all children (vecuronium) Nurse, Texas arrested 7/2002 for 15 deaths 11 days mivacurium West Palm Beach nurse used propofol, charged with 1 death. Investigating others
Extortion
Usually isolated poisoning, product tampering with lawsuit against manufacturer desired result. Australia 1999 - Dennis Donald Fountain arrested for lacing strychnine into tampering OTC painkillers, three people hospitalized. Companies pulled product off shelves, est $72 M lost revenue Then threatened two manufacturers he would use their product next for $1 M in cash
Pharmacist Poisoners?
No known current (at least to me) Closest thing to it "The non-Poison killer", Robert Courtney Kansas City MO, pharmacist caught by sales representative who was reviewing billing ordering records for chemotherapy He was diluting products Gemzar and Taxol
Nanjing China
At least 40 dead (up to 100) Breakfast shop serving middle school kids and migrant workers Rival shop owner contaminated food with tetramine (banned rodenticide since 1991) At least 150 dead over past 12 months in similar events
CURRY POISONINGS
1998 - 4 deaths and 63 ill after eating food at picnic. Arsenic found in curry. Two years to find ...