He wanted to become a doctor, and not just any doctor - a neurosurgeon, operating on injured backs and necks. Kane also recalled a cocaine- and LSD-fueled night of partying between her, her ex-boyfriend, and Duntsch where, after the end of their all-night party, she saw Duntsch put on his lab coat and go to work. The surgical disasters of neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch led to his jailing in 2017, setting a legal precedent. ", "Assault trial begins for Dallas surgeon who once wrote of becoming 'cold blooded killer', "The State of Texas vs. Christopher Daniel Dunstch", "Life Sentence Upheld on Appeal For Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death", "What you need to know about 'Dr. He didn't wear underwear. Dr. Death: The Long & Bloody Road to Justice for Dallas' Deadly Doctor To see the rest of Dr. Christopher Duntsch's murder and maiming spree, and the fight to stop him, you'll need to purchase Peacock premium. But soon his patients started to experience complications, and the system failed to protect them. Dallas-based surgeon Christopher Duntsch was also the subject of a Wondery podcast titled "Dr. Death." (Dallas County Jail) The indictment accused Duntsch of wide-ranging malpractice, including . [16] In 2021, he was profiled on CNBC's American Greed. To become a neurosurgeon, one typically has to complete over 1000 surgeries in residency, but somehow, reporter Laura Beil discovered that Duntsch only completed 100. Duntsch had removed part of his femoral nerve. Christopher Duntsch, known as "Dr. Death" tried to explain himself in rambling emails, but he only made things worse for his criminal case. In October 2011, she registered articles of incorporation to form Duntsch's practice, the Texas Neurosurgical Institute. [9][24][19][7] After several days, Kirby was brought in to repair the damage and later described what he found after opening Glidewell back up as the work of a "crazed maniac". Duntsch, once a neurosurgeon, is the focal point of the new streaming Peacock docuseries "Dr. Death." D Magazine gave him the nickname in its reporting in 2016. [7] He likened what he found when he opened Efurd up to the results of a child playing with Tinkertoys or an erector set. [2][4][19][7], Duntsch moved to Dallas Medical Center in Farmers Branch, where he was granted temporary privileges until hospital officials could obtain his records from Baylor Plano. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Duntsch, aka Dr Death, was sentenced to life in prison in 2017, Dr Death - Trailer for the Peacock series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch. Dr. Duntsch said to Cheney, "I don't know why you're this way. Then, on December 6, 2011, he operated on seventy-four-year-old Mary Efurd. At the time, Duntsch was looking for operating prospects in Dallas, San Diego, and New York. [4][5] In 2017, he was convicted of maiming one of his patients and sentenced to life imprisonment. His mother, Susan, was a school teacher. Dr. Rimlawi called Baylor Plano and advised them against continuing a relationship with Christopher Duntsch, but this fell to deaf ears. I left with him and believed in him and then, you know, he just kind of fell apart.. They also believed that the charge would be easy to prove in court; Duntsch had been told repeatedly that he was not placing the hardware in the correct position, and fluoroscopy images from Efurd's surgery proved this. Duntsch also received forty percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. Watch the trailer for Dr . Premiering Thursday on . [18] He damaged patient Philip Mayfield's spinal cord, drilling into it and leaving him partially paralyzed from the neck down. Immediately, he started yelling and cussing at me, saying, 'How dare you? In my opinion, we had a serial killer in our medical community, Dr. Randall Kirbysays of Christopher Duntsch in "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story.". Homesick, Duntsch left Colorado after a year and transferred to Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. His sophomore year, he made it as one of the few walk-on players. 'Dr. Death' Peacock Review: Stream It Or Skip It? - Decider He is currently appealing this sentence. Where Is Christopher Duntsch's Wife Wendy Renee Young Now? Of those 38, 31 were leftparalyzed or seriously injured and two of them died from surgical complications. Christopher Daniel Duntsch (born April 3, 1971)[1] is a former American neurosurgeon who has been nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death[2] for gross malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients' spines and two deaths while working at hospitals in the DallasFort Worth metroplex. Officers took him to a nearby psychiatric hospital. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. Victim statements reveal more gruesome details of botched surgeries - WFAA i feel much better now ! Licensed to kill: lawsuit seeks to overturn Texas hospital shield law He hoped to play football, but his multiple transfers revoked his eligibility. Dallas Magazine states that Duntsch became key in supplying samples to scientists for research. During surgery, he cut a major vessel in her spinal cord. [4] In an article for The Texas Prosecutor, the journal of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, Shughart and the other members of the trial team recalled that their superiors were initially skeptical when they presented the case, but eventually found themselves in "overwhelming disbelief" that a surgeon could do what Duntsch was accused of doing. He is not eligible for parole until 2045; he will be 74 years old by then. His case is receiving renewed attention in the media. Soon after starting Efurd's surgery, Duntsch turned to Kissinger and told him he would be performing a craniotomy on Floella Brown. They created a method for culturing the stem cells of intervertebral discs outside of the body. [42] The four hospitals that employed Duntsch have ongoing civil cases against him. Death,' Dallas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch", "Texas neurosurgeon nicknamed 'Dr. Nicknamed "Dr. Death," the story of Duntsch's egregious medical crimes and the healthcare system that failed so many by allowing him to practice received the podcast treatment in 2018 from Wondery, the team behind "Dirty John.". Dr. Death: Disgraced surgeon at center of podcast, show has CSU roots [37][4], Over objections from Duntsch's lawyers, prosecutors called many of Duntsch's other patients to the stand in order to prove that his actions were intentional. The day after Mary Efurd's surgery, she awoke in excruciating pain and could not turn over or wiggle her toes. Duntsch pierced and blocked her vertebral artery with a misplaced screw and refused to stop despite the massive blood loss. Passmore met with Dr. Duntsch and was impressed by his confidence; he would fix him. He then packed it with too much of a substance intended to stop the bleeding. Christopher was raised along with his three younger siblings in a wealthy suburb in Memphis, Tennessee. He is not eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74 years old. The day that Brown suffered her stroke, Duntsch operated again. The hospital called Rimlawi when it couldn't reach his colleague. Duntsch had his surgical rights temporarily suspended after his botched surgery on Summers and his first patient back was 55-year-old Kellie Martin. Kirby, Henderson, and another doctor decided to contact the district attorney, convinced that Duntsch's malpractice was so egregious it was criminal. Baylor officials took Summers' accusation seriously and ordered Duntsch to take a drug test. The Dallas district attorney's office subpoenaed every hospital on Duntsch's CV for records of his surgeries. Duntsch moved to Denver, Colorado, and went into a downward spiral. Where Is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death Now? He Got A - Bustle There were two names on the top page: Kellie Martin and Christopher Duntsch. A disc in his lower spine had blown out, and the pieces had to be picked out of the space above. At the time of their meeting, Young was working as a dancer in a strip club. Wendy Young had just given birth to their son and lived there with him. She came in to have two vertebrae fused, but when she woke up she experienced severe pain and couldnt stand. [15], Duntsch joined Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano (now Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano) as a minimally invasive spine surgeon with a salary of $600,000 per year, plus bonuses. After the operation, Brown woke up and seemed fine, but early the following day; she lost consciousness. During his tenure at Baylor Plano, Kimberly Morgan assisted in every surgery with Duntsch. Duntsch initially attended Millsaps College to play Division III college football, and later transferred to Division I Colorado State University. Despite this refusal, Duntsch was allowed to finish his residency. [13] In 2010, Duntsch moved to Dallas. An MRI revealed that multiple bone fragments in his spinal canal were compressing and adhering to his S1 nerve and that Duntsch had installed the hardware incorrectly. Duntsch is at the O. In his first surgery after his suspension lifted, he nicked the vertebral artery of Kellie Martin, a 55-year-old Garland woman. Jurors convicted Duntsch Tuesday of injury to an elderly person in the botched July 2012 surgery that put Mary Efurd in a wheelchair. Just weeks after permanently maiming Morguloff, Dr. Duntsch operated on his lifelong friend and roommate, Jerry Summers. Summers remained quadriplegic for the rest of his life. The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. ", "Plano's Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against former neurosurgeon", "Barry Morguloff's suit against the Baylor Health Care System", "Was Wendy Renee Young Dr. Death's Wife? [16][24] Henderson described Duntsch's surgery as an "assault", and concluded that Efurd would have been bedridden had the salvage surgery not been performed. He later recalled that he read about Martin's death on the day before the surgery, but Duntsch cursed him out when he called to ask about it. 0:57. Dr. Death is based on the podcast of the same name, produced by Wondery. Convinced that he was a clear and present danger to the public, they urged the Dallas County district attorney's office to pursue criminal charges. "As his victims pile up, two fellow physicians and Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart set out to stop him.". He was held in the Dallas County jail for almost two years until the case went to trial in 2017. Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher Duntsch stuffed Glidewell's throat with a surgical sponge to attempt to stop the bleeding. I am sorry in advance that this blog post is so long. Floella Brown went under Dr. Deaths knife in July 2012 and shortly after her surgery, she suffered a massive stroke caused by Duntsch slicing her vertebral artery during surgery. In addition, a neurosurgeon hired to review Brown's case found that Dr. Duntsch had misdiagnosed the source of her pain and was operating in the wrong place. Finally, the board permanently revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. If you had back pain, and had tried everything else, Dr. Duntsch could give you the spine surgery that would take your pain away. He was told he would never be able to walk again. Who is Christopher Duntsch and what did he do? | The US Sun Duntsch told Mayfield's wife it went well, but she instantly knew something was wrong as she walked into his room. But, he can only walk 30 feet at a time and cannot stand for more than a few minutes. In March, the following spring, police were called to a bank in Northeast Dallas after a man with blood on his hands and face was seen beating on the doors. Christopher Duntsch was nicknamed Dr. Death due to the injuries he caused his patients. Many readers may recognize the name Christopher Duntsch, a doctor who allegedly was negligent in his practice for years before finally being stripped of his medical license. Philip Mayfield, one of Christopher Duntschs patients, who was paralyzed after his surgery. Christopher Duntsch was a neurosurgeon who radiated confidence. Then came the fax, and he saw Duntsch's name next to Kellie Martin's. and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Center. Kirby claimed that it looked as if Duntsch had tried to decapitate Glidewell and contended that such a botched surgery has not happened in the United States of America before. Film & TV 'Dr. Death' Condemns Christopher Duntsch, but the Real Culprit Is Texas's Broken Health-Care System I helped break the story on the convicted surgeon, but Peacock's dramatized . After he arrived in town, he secured a deal with the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and was given surgical rights at the hospital. He claimed he was the best in Dallas. Prince Charming, Im gonna change your life, Wendy Young said of the promising start to her romance with Christopher Duntsch. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Left: Christopher Duntsch in surgery, Right: Christopher Duntschs mugshot. My experience with this doctor has been great. During a deposition, Megan Krane recalled Duntsch eating a paper blotter of LSD and taking prescription painkillers on his birthday. Here's All That Has Happened to the Real Christopher Duntsch A - Yahoo! Having exhausted his football eligibility, Duntsch decided to switch to a career in medicine. Dr. Christopher Duntsch's patients ended up maimed and dead, but the real tragedy is that the Texas Medical Board couldn't stop him. He's serving a life sentence for gross malpractice that resulted in two direct fatalities and the maiming of more than 30 neurosurgery patients, as told by Laura Beil, the journalist who hosts the Dr. Death podcast, on which the eponymous show is based. The Terrifying True Story Behind Peacock's Dr. Death - E! Online He didn't contact a lawyer, although he struggled with the decision. Unfortunately, when Fennell woke up from surgery, he was paralyzed from the waist down. He completed a spine fellowship program at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis for his surgical residency, spending the standard five years on neurosurgery and one-year learning general surgery. Duntsch arrived at the hospital about 45 minutes after Efurd's surgery had been scheduled. The Untold Truth Of Dr. Death - Grunge.com They have two sons. The criminal conviction of Christopher Duntsch, MD, PhD, holds important lessons for risk managers. The surgery was scheduled for December 30, 2011. One of the patients who suffered disastrous consequences was Jerry Summers, the boyfriend of Megan Kane and a friend of Christopher Duntsch. He proved to be Duntsch's last surgery; University General pushed him out soon afterward. Where is Kim Morgan Now? With Brown still in the ICU, Duntsch took another patient into surgery that morning. Just one day after his suspension had ended, Duntsch operated on Kellie Martin. He is very caring and took the time to help me understand my pain issues. Ellis Unit prison in Huntsville, Texas. Duntsch's trial has been called a precedent-setting case, as it's the first time that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work and malpractice involving botched surgery. A Surgeon So Bad It Was Criminal ProPublica In his deposition, Summers admitted he made up the pre-surgery cocaine binge because he felt Duntsch had abandoned him, as both his doctor and his friend. WFAA-TVChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. Dr. Christopher Duntsch appeared to havean impressive resume, but left a trail ofpain and devastation for those who trusted him with their health. Where Is Christopher Duntsch Now After His Appearance on - Distractify The series peers into the torturous crimes of . The Legislature has also made suing hospitals difficult. One of the early investors in DiscGenics, Rand Page, said Duntsch would be mixing a vodka orange juice during their morning meetings. Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? - The US Sun The operation should have taken less than ninety minutes; it ultimately lasted four and a half hours. Dhruv Trivedi. ", "Greg Abbott Enters Fray in Lawsuits Involving "Sociopath" Doctor", "Abbott sides with Baylor hospital in neurosurgeon lawsuit", "Who Are Robert Henderson And Randall Kirby, The Surgeons Who Tried To Stop 'Dr. She was 27, and he was 40. Kirby was shocked; he called the owner of University General and warned him that Duntsch would hurt someone, and the hospital would be over. [4][49], Last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:48, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Plano, Texas District and County Attorneys Association, "Dr. Duntsch defense expert: "The only way this happens is the entire system fails the patients", "Plano Doctor Suspended After Two Patient Deaths", "Former Neurosurgeon Faces Life In Prison After Guilty Verdict", "What Was Dr. Christopher Duntsch's Background And Why Were People So Impressed With The Man Later Known As 'Dr. [23][19][24], While operating on Efurd, Duntsch severed one of her nerve roots during spinal fusion surgery while operating on the wrong portion of her back, twisted a screw into another nerve, left screw holes on the opposite side of her spine, failed to remove the disc he was supposed to remove, and left surgical hardware in her muscle tissue so loose that it moved when touched. Due to these legal hurdles and costly lawyer fees on the plaintiff's part, few hospitals end up having to pay out after facing a malpractice lawsuit. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeons criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselvesunderneath the spiraling doctors knife. It stars Joshua Jackson as Duntsch, Alec Baldwin as Robert Henderson, Christian Slater as Randall Kirby and AnnaSophia Robb as Michelle Shughart. At the time, hospitals were not required to report doctors who only had temporary privileges. He was nicknamed Dr. D. and Dr. Death for malpractice resulting in the maiming of several patients and killing two of them while working at hospitals in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He is a graduate of Evangelical Christian School in the Cordova suburb of Memphis, where he starred in football.[7]. All the while, the operating room staff questioned whether Duntsch was putting hardware into Efurd in the right places and noticed he kept drilling and removing screws. He knew this couldn't have been a one-time mistake. 'Dr. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients - Peoplemag Passmore focused on recovery and getting back to work in the months following his surgery. Former teammates later said that, while Duntsch trained hard, he lacked talent at the game. The Judge overseeing this case is GINSBERG, CARL. Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. He secured investments in Discgenics from local spine surgeons, including Dr. Robertson and Dr. Kevin Foley, a prominent Memphis neurosurgeon Duntsch spent a year training under as part of the surgery fellowship at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic. Before he was "Dr. Death" on Wondery's hit 2018 podcast, disgraced former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was a student at Colorado State University. [16] Kirby also recalled that Duntsch's skills in the operating room left much to be desired; as Kirby put it, "he could not wield a scalpel".[4]. Christopher Daniel Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971, and raised alongside his three siblings in an affluent suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. Prosecutors put a high priority on that charge, as it provided the widest sentencing range, with Duntsch facing up to life in prison if convicted. "[4] The Texas Medical Board revoked Duntsch's license on December 6, 2013. From 2017: https://bit.ly/3hXJccx Boop said that Duntsch spent his final year as an attending physician and could not operate independently. However, on January 6, 2012, a week after the surgery, Dr. Duntsch performed another operation on Passmore. However, things soon went south. "Based on a hit podcast and inspired by the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a young and charismatic star in the Texas medical community," Peacock explains about the series. As a young neurosurgeon in Texas, Duntsch killed . Was Wendy Renee Young Dr. Death's Wife? - Heavy.com During surgery, Duntsch damaged Summers' vertebral artery causing it to bleed uncontrollably. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary. executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could have avoided prison. Before his license was revoked by the Texas Medical Board, he was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 . While they were in the lab working, Duntsch went to work raising money for a company he called DiscGenics. B. Ellis Unit outside Huntsville. Duntsch's next stop was at Dallas Medical Center. [7] While operating on Jacqueline Troy, Duntsch cut one of her vocal cords and an artery and also damaged her trachea. Everything went perfect in there." Christopher Duntsch | True Crime Buzz | Oxygen Official Site Dr. Fulton never worked with Duntsch again. 'Dr. Death': Who Is Kim Morgan, and What Happened to Her? His name appeared on several papers and patents, and he took part in a number of biotech startups. An anesthesiologist and Dr. Anson Fulton, who assisted with the surgery, warned Duntsch about the blood loss, and he continued to ignore them and operate. [9][16], As part of their investigation, prosecutors obtained a December 2011 email in which Duntsch boasted that he was " 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. The Legislature not only puts the burden of proof on the plaintiff instead of the defendant in medical malpractice cases, but it also allows hospitals to keep information about doctors confidential. Christopher Duntsch was sentenced to life in prison in February 2017 for his heinous acts. Morguloff sought a second opinion on his excruciating pain from Dr. Michael Desaloms. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. In a long running series of complaints, a Texas doctor has been found guilty of a felony in one medical malpractice case. Officers said he was driving on the left side of the road with two flat tires. Baylor wanted Duntsch operating quickly and often so they could be reimbursed for the monies they had advanced to him. Unfortunately, it's all too real. It had come from Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Texas man recalls losing his wife to 'Dr. Death' in shocking doc: 'My Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana on April 3, 1971. [14] He persuaded Young to come with him; Young agreed, since she had grown up in the Dallas area. The lead investigator on the case later revealed that she wanted Duntsch's license suspended while the ten-month probe was underway, but board attorneys were not willing to go along. He refused to acknowledge anything was wrong, hindering the, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:48. Ghostbar, Dragonfly at Hotel Zaza. How could Dr. Christopher Duntsch practice medicine for as long as he did without being stopped? However, red flags surfaced early on, as nurses wondered if Duntsch was under the influence of drugs while on duty. They didn't have enough evidence to stop him because he hadn't done anything wrong yet. [38] Shughart countered that the 2011 email, sent after his first surgeries went wrong, proved that Duntsch knew his actions were intentional. He performed only one surgery with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute. Mayfield was taken to a different hospital and told his spinal cord had already been deformed, and the damage was irreversible. Jerry Summers believed that his best friend Christopher Duntsch was a talented neurosurgeon who would cure his chronic neck pain. As the trial team put it, the "scary pattern" of Duntsch's actions became apparent to the others in the office, leading the DA to give the green light to take the case to a grand jury. 0:05. Christopher Duntsch wrote that he was ready to become a "cold blooded killer". Getty Dr. Duntsch, aka "Dr. Death", operated on his last patient in 2013, before he was arrested. [33][34] The indictments were made four months before the statute of limitations were to run out. Duntsch recommended fusing Morguloff's L5-S1 vertebrae, and the surgery was scheduled for January 11, 2012. His very first operation at the hospital would once again turn deadly. He will be up for parole in 2045, when he is 74 years old. When other doctors discovered the sponge, Duntsch refused to return to help remove it. Glidewell was left with only one vocal cord, permanent damage to his esophagus and partial paralysis on his left side. 7 chilling thoughts of jailed neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch Duntsch focused on his research for a while but was recruited from Memphis to join the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute in North Dallas in the summer of 2011. 'Hot TikTok doc' urges young people to get jabbed - warning of dangers of long Covid, Daughter, 39, guilty of stabbing mum to death before setting house on fire and dumping her dismembered body in river, Pregnant beautician loses baby after savage beating by monster husband who kidnapped her amid divorce row, Shocking moment man is crushed to death by an enraged elephant after crowd taunts herd of jumbos. According to D Magazine, a doctor at the hospital where Duntsch worked said that Duntsch had been sent to an impaired physician program after he refused to take a drug test. Joshua Jackson went to the dark side to play Dr. Christopher Duntsch, who's serving a life sentence for maiming a woman during surgery, in the new Peacock series Dr. Death. I dont know if hes there to harm me or what his true intentions were, Wendy Young said of the harrowing alleged encounter with Christopher Duntsch. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing Passmore told D Magazine during an interview that he is uncomfortable receiving any attention but knows he must do so if anyone is going to listen. Yet, in April 2012, he returned to work just four months after surgery. Then check out the horrifying story of Simon Bramhall, a surgeon who admitted to burning his initials into patients livers. The problem was that Dallas Medical Center did not perform those or even have the proper equipment to do them. When Morgan asked Duntsch about the woman in his house, he said she was just his secretary and friend. Donald Duntsch was a gridiron football standout in Montana, and . Duntsch had also installed hardware into her muscle, not her bone, so loose that it moved when you touched it. It was.