Unmisig and John Landis were struck by his charisma. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. On one occasion, Swango picked up a bucket of fried chicken from a fast food restaurant for his fellow doctors on duty at Ohio State University. The End: Michael Swango meets his fate. "If I could see him today? Thu, 20 Nov 2014 05:24:34 GMT Note: this is the conclusion to a three-part KHQA special report. September 8, 2018 10:43am. The television special she had seen outlined the unusual behavior of Swango, including the fact that death appeared to follow him almost everywhere he worked. Swango was arrested in October 1984 for poisoning his co-workers, and during a search of his apartment, police found Tero ant poison, books on Satanism, guns, survival knives and recipe cards for pesticides, botulism and cyanide mixtures, according to the Los Angeles Times. Five of his co-workers became violently ill, according to The New York Times. Born in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1957, Guzman started his journey into the drug world early by growing marijuana with his father. A former doctor admitted Wednesday he fatally poisoned three patients in a Long Island hospital. No doubt Swango wanted these pictures for his scrapbook of death. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, List of serial killers in the United States, List of medical and pseudo-medical serial killers, 2011 Stepping Hill Hospital poisoning incident, "Former Doctor Charged in Death of 3 Patients", "Man to Admit to Murdering 3 L.I. Everyone. Sackman said. Only with their help can people like Sackman and his team bring justice to those who were the victims of murderers like Swango. I always like to say thank you to the very professional doctors and nurses who brought these cases to our attention. Eventually, the school allowed him to graduate one year after his entering classmates, on condition that he repeat the OB/GYN rotation and complete several assignments in other specialties. If Michael Swango killed as many people as those who investigated him believe, he was astonishingly prolific. What motivated you to hurt and kill people?" The federal indictment came after the victims bodies were exhumed and tested positive for poison. February1984: A nursing student reports that Swango tampered with an IV just before the patient suffers a seizure and respiratory arrest. It was at this stop that he notoriously poisoned his own ambulance colleagues with arsenic, a move that resulted in five years in prison on aggravated battery charges. Swango was released from prison in 1987, after serving only two years. Michael Swango, seen here preparing for his 1985 trial in Quincy, would end up in a place unlike any other. [1] Kinney went back to Virginia soon afterward after suffering from violent migraines. While he worked in Rhodes Hall at OSU, nurses noticed that apparently healthy patients began dying mysteriously with alarming frequency. Combine that with his skill in administering poisonous doses of chemicals that were difficult to track and his smooth people skills, it becomes more clear how he was able to avoid detection. The infamous ADX Florence has earned the nickname The Alcatraz of the Rockies because of its extreme security. In 1987, however, he was caught red-handed by a staff member while robbing the offices of the Farmers Union and he shot the man and then killed a truck driver as he fled the building. Swango was an exemplary student and high school valedictorian. In fact, one of the good things to come about from the case is how medical credentialing has improved dramatically, because nobody wanted to hire a guy like this ever again.. He sought medical work in other states including South Dakota, but was rejected after it was discovered he had forged documents and lied about his criminal past, reported, Standard procedures for checking applicants were not followed, former school dean Dr. Jordan Cohen told, As part of his residency, Swango began seeing patients at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northport, New York. And shortly thereafter, Swango did the same. They told him that on the day he was due to be released, he would be extradited to Zimbabwe to face charges of murder and attempted murder. It was originally nicknamed the Diamond Tooth Gang because of the glass shards that some members put in their teeth. local. Michael Swango is a convicted serial killer who used his position as a medical student, paramedic and later as a physicianto poison colleagues and patients. Swango's father was a career United States Army officer who served in the Vietnam War, was listed in Who's Who in Government 19721973, and became an alcoholic. Now 68, Swango is incarcerated atUSP Florence ADMAX, a maximum-security federal penitentiary in Colorado known as The Alcatraz of the Rockies., To learn more about Dr. Swango, watch Oxygen's series "License to Kill.". Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He murdered a number of our nations heroes in Veterans hospitals. [17] He was sent to ADX at his own request; he had been stabbed by another inmate while serving time for lying to the VA, and feared he would be attacked again if he were placed in general population. To say that a serial killer is too personally culpable and too extreme to provide meaningful lessons on patient safety ignores the critical . Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Bioethics: Quiz 2 Flashcards | Quizlet One day, Swango brought a box of doughnuts to work. [1], Faced with hard evidence of his fraudulent activities and the possibility of an extended inquiry into his time in Zimbabwe, Swango pleaded guilty to defrauding the government in March 1998. On August 23, 1985, Swango was convicted of aggravated battery for poisoning co-workers. Oct. 2000: Swango pleads guilty in Columbus to the 1984 slaying of 19-year-old Cynthia McGee, a Dublin native who died at University Hospital while recovering from an automobile accident. His coworkers and other acquaintances also became violently ill after eating food that Swango had access to or had prepared. They met at the police headquarters, and Swango looked . Because of her considerable clinical expertise, Thomesen was able to review documents and evidence and give a criminal profile of Swango, along with her assessment of why he had committed such crimes. The story of Michael Swango is perhaps not quite as well-known as that of other prolific killers such as Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez, but this . [15] Over the span of 1996 to 1998, Rudolph committed four bombing attacks, two at abortion clinics and one at a lesbian bar. [1] Upon his return from Vietnam, John Swango became depressed and he and his wife Muriel divorced. Michael Swango was born in Tacoma, Washington and raised in Quincy, Illinois, the middle child of Muriel and John Virgil Swango. In August 1985, he was found guilty of aggravated battery and sentenced to five years in prison, reported. This included the date for a drop of classified material in a nearby park, where he was apprehended. MIT says not true. Swanson went to rob a store and in the process, he had to kill the storekeepers. At various stops during his career, some colleagues had reported seeing Swango inject patients with an unknown substance shortly before they died. [5] Hanssen pled guilty to escape the death penalty and was convicted of fourteen counts of espionage and one count of attempted espionage. [1], Despite a very poor evaluation in his dean's letter from SIU, Swango gained a surgical internship at Ohio State University Medical Center in 1983, to be followed by a residency in neurosurgery. "Why? Dan Cook saw something in Swango long before 1984, when he was one of Michael's teachers at Christian Brothers High School in Quincy, the school from which Swango graduated as valedictorian in 1972. He had taken phone calls before about tips that led nowhere, but this phone call would prove to be like no other he had ever received. They feared that if they could not find enough evidence to convict Swango, he was likely to kill again. Between 1978 and 1995, Kaczynski sent sixteen hand-made bombs to figures he felt represented technology, killing three people, and injuring twenty-three. August1985: Convicted in the nonfatal Illinois poisonings. In 1989, he was working at a medical-career vocational school in Newport News, Virginia, when three co-workers became ill. although no charges were ever filed, according to CBS News. He was sentenced in 2000 to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, and is serving his sentence at ADX Florence at his own . 2023 www.columbusmonthly.com. Not only were the killings performed by a certified doctor who was sworn by oath to do no harm in hospitals surrounded by other patients and medical colleagues but he also managed to elude criminal charges for years while continuously finding employment in new locations. Is this April 1? Sackman asked himself. in Colorado for the death of four of his patients, though many suspect him of dozens more that have not been proven. His subsequent guilty plea that October in the McGee murder earned him another life sentence, according to CBS News. Was he a good boy during that time? He was once a sergeant at an Air Force base in Minot, North Dakota, but while he was stationed there, he began a string of burglaries. Inside America's Toughest Federal Prison - The New York Times During his time there, several employees sought medical attention with complaints of persistent and increasing stomach pains. Although he was a brilliant student, he preferred to work as an ambulance attendant rather than concentrate on his studies. Michael Swango aka David J. Adams, Michael Kirk, Jack Kirk, Michael Swan, Dr. Death is believed to have committed as many as 60 murders including his patients and colleagues. His co-workers found him unusually grim. What's life like in Supermax prison? | CNN Another suggested that murder was"the only way I have of reminding myself that I'm still alive." . Valery was called by the FBI to discuss holding Swango. He sought medical work in other states including South Dakota, but was rejected after it was discovered he had forged documents and lied about his criminal past, reportedThe New York Times. It was a little harder to get information on a persons background than it is now, Sackman said. While there, he murdered at least three victims by lethal injection Thomas Sammarco, 73, George Siano, 60, and Aldo Serini, 62, according to, After Stony Brook was tipped off to Swangos nefarious history, he was fired and effectively blacklisted from the medical industry in the U.S., reported, Before police could conduct a full investigation into the suspicious deaths at the Northport VA Hospital, Swango fled the country to Zimbabwe. Joaquin Guzman, aka El Chapo, is one of the most notorious drug traffickers and murders in the world. Sat, 29 Apr 2023 03:46:54 GMT (1682740014467), Michael Swango, seen here preparing for his 1985 trial in Quincy, would end up in a place unlike any other. A nurse would later tell police she saw Swango injecting an unknown substance into a patients IV right before they stopped breathing, according to theLos Angeles Times. The two-part series finale tells the story of Dr Michael Swango - a high school valedictorian, distinguished Marine, and a cunning serial killer. In the early 2000s, authorities charged him and 28 other gang leaders with a litany of charges in an attempt to sentence many of them to death. Wed, November 19th 2014, 9:24 PM PST. "Behind the Murder Curtain: Special Agent Bruce Sackman Hunts Doctors and Nurses Who Kill Our Veterans. He could have been great. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. history. Deep in the mountains of Colorado, Americas only supermax prison houses the nations most violent inmates. [1], Swango's conviction led to recriminations at OSU. [14], Additionally, prosecutors found evidence that Swango lied about the death of Cynthia Ann McGee, a patient he treated during his internship at OSU. FARC was offered a deal by the Colombian government that they would not extradite Palmera if FARC released 63 political and military hostages, but they refused. The AMA review spotted his conviction for poisoning, and once again Swango was on the run. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Aryan Brotherhood today is the largest and most deadly prison gang in the United States.[27]. It takes a team to do it. Swango is arrested and charged, but goes into hiding. He immediately jumped back into the medical profession, claiming his battery conviction was the result of a bar fight, and at one point changing his name to David Jackson Adams. Four months later, Kinney died by suicide, and arsenic was found in her body at the time of her death. There were still many victims in Zimbabwe. Is Dr. Michael Swango Still Alive? The sedative caused him to lapse into a coma, and Harris died on November 9, 1993. All rights reserved. He forged a Restoration of Civil Rights letter from Virginia Governor Gerald L. Baliles, falsely stating that Baliles had decided to restore Swango's right to vote and serve on a jury, based on "reports from friends and colleagues" that he had committed no further crimes after his "misdemeanor" and was leading an "exemplary lifestyle". After his release, Swango ended up in New York,where he killed at least three people at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In March 1997, he applied for a job at the Royal Hospital in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, using a false rsum. Michael Swango - Wikipedia He eventually resurfaced again at Northport, where he came to the attention of Sackman before bolting to places unknown. In the 1980s, he began to take a deeper interest in his religion and became inspired by the Iranian revolution. [1], Swango's lackadaisical approach to his studies caught up with him a month before he was due to graduate, when it was discovered that he had faked checkups during his OB/GYN rotation. And when scrutiny would come closing in around him or his superiors would discipline him for infractions, he would eventually move on to another health care outpost, ready to take up another role that put him in a position to begin his work all over again. He is serving fifteen consecutive life sentences.[6]. [13] The government used this time to amass a dossier of Swango's crimes. Before the long arm of the law could catch up to him, he flew to Africa, where his penchant for poisoning people and murder continued. If in fact our society let him out then I think there would probably be more anger, but knowing that he's in a place where he'll never hurt anybody again, I'm good with that," Unmisig said. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, he was a featured speaker on the subject in far-away locales like Europe, Dubai, Sweden and across the United States. With nothing immediate to move on, Sackman left. Serial killer nicknamed "Dr. Death," serving three consecutive life terms. In 1984, Swango claimed he discovered the dead body of patient Ricky DeLong, 21, while performing his rounds. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A former doctor who prosecutors say enjoyed killing people pleaded guilty Wednesday to fatally poisoning a woman at Ohio State University's hospital in 1984 while she was under his care. Authorities in Zimbabwe would later issue a warrant for his arrest on charges that he poisoned seven patients, including five fatalities, according toThe New York Times. Thats where we arrested him.. He is proud of his work on the case as well as the others on which he has worked, but he is not a one-man show. [16] On September 6, he pleaded guilty to the three murder counts, as well as counts of wire fraud and mail fraud, before Judge Jacob Mishler. While in school, Swango worked part-time as a paramedic and would never miss a shift, reported theChicago Tribune. Swango proved to be a very smooth interview, deftly deflecting questions. Currently, Michael Swango is 68 years, 6 months and 8 days old. February1985: Ohio State law school dean James Meeks investigates the universitys handling of Swango during his internship. Later, it emerged that OSU officials feared that Swango would sue if he were fired without cause, and resolved to quietly push him out of the hospital as soon as possible after his internship ended. "Behind the Murder Curtain: Special Agent Bruce Sackman Hunts Doctors and Nurses Who Kill Our Veterans.". Updated. Such was the case for the patients of infamous physician and serial killer Michael Swango. Thats true the world over, Sackman said. We started doing the background investigation and followed from when he was in medical school to the time he came to us, and thats when we found he left a trail of suspicious deaths as far back as medical school, Sackman said. KHQA asked three of the men who knew him what they would say to Michael Swango today, if given the opportunity. Michael Swango | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom By that time, Swango had fled the country. He's still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet, " they said. Medical serial killers kill so many people that even when they cooperate, they cant even remember. And, for a short time, he was also a South Dakotan. Swango, awaiting trial and still spending time with a girlfriend in Columbus, contacted Harp and asked to see the items the police had taken. When not studying, he was frequently seen jogging or performing calisthenics on the Quincy University campus, and he was known to perform pushups as a form of self-punishment when criticized by instructors. He crossed the border to Zambia and subsequently to Namibia, where he found temporary medical work. These clippings confirmed toxic levels of arsenic in the hair. He immediately jumped back into the medical profession, claiming his battery conviction was the result of a bar fight, and at one point changing his name to David Jackson Adams. [1], In the meantime, Swango had sensed that authorities were closing in on him. He falsified his criminal record, changing his aggravated battery conviction and prison sentence into a misdemeanor for getting into a fight with coworkers, resulting in six months in prison as opposed to the five years he actually received for felony poisoning. That gave us a window to start the investigation and make a determination on whether he had killed anyone, Sackman said. Michael Swango. Below we countdown to Michael Swango . In the beginning, he shot Vicky Bowman-Hall at a convenience store in Algona. Real Name: Joseph Michael Swango Aliases: Michael Kirk, David Jackson Adams, Jack Kirk, Michael Swan, "Double-O Swango" Wanted For: Making False Statements, Questioning in Murders Missing Since: October 1993 Details: On February 7, 1984, at the State University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, an intern, Dr. Michael Swango, checked on a sixty-nine-year-old woman, Rena Cooper, who was recovering . Rudolph enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after this but was discharged for marijuana use. In late 1994, Swango used forged documents and false information to secure a job as a physician at Mnene Lutheran Mission Hospital in the city of Bulawayo. Although everyone there has a horrific record, these are ten of the worst of the worst. Investigators believe the death of Cynthia Ann McGee, 19, began a string of poisonings by Michael Swango, who last month pleaded guilty . Sources: Media reports; Meeks report; Blind Eye, by James B. Stewart. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. But he never thought hed become wrapped up in a serial killer investigation. Their answers reflect what many still wonder. Lessons from the Worst-Case Scenario. ", 'Dateline' investigates case of Sarah Jean Hartsfield, former Minnesotan accused of killing husband, Karla Jo Nieland was murdered at a 1981 Minnesota farm party. Man to Admit To Murdering 3 L.I. Patients - The New York Times He was sentenced in 2000 to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, and is serving his sentence at ADX Florence at his own request. But his partner had seen the program, and was sure the reporters working on it would not have gone on the record with their story if they had not been sure. It takes medical examiners to help prove the causes of deaths that at first blush may seem unremarkable. Not all of Swangos poisonings ended in death. POISONOUS PASSION - Daily Press Michael Swango's story began right here in the Tri-States, but few could have ever guessed where it would end. Dr. Joseph Michael Swango's Disturbing "House of Horrors - YouTube He is serving a life sentence. But for years in the 1980s and 1990s, he stalked the rooms and hallways of hospitals across the country, where he developed a suspicious reputation after his patients would begin mysteriously dying on his watch. Swango was cleared by a cursory investigation in 1984. From his earliest days working as a volunteer ambulance driver during his undergraduate years, patients seemed to die around Swango at a higher than normal rate. Ive heard and Ive read and weve discussed that it was somewhere in the vicinity of 60 people. In 2006, Bingham and several others were convicted of murder and racketeering, but federal prosecutors failed in securing the death penalty. Without them, we wouldnt even be having this conversation, Sackman said. Dr. Michael Swango is serving three consecutive life sentences in connection with the murders of three patients in Northport, New York. Unbeknownst to the FBI, it was Hanssen himself who had revealed them. It seems Michael Swango has nothing more to say. Abdul Rahman Yasin is still at large, and the FBI is offering up to $5 million for any information that leads directly to his arrest. Former SIU medical student turns serial killer Double-0 Swango sentenced to life in prison Less than two years after he graduated from the SIU School of Medicine in 1982, Michael Swango committed his first murder. John Roca/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images report from 2007 describes this maximum-security prison as a 21st century Alcatraz, where many inmates spend 23 hours a day locked in their cell. Thu, 20 Nov 2014 05:24:34 GMT Note: this is the conclusion to a three-part KHQA special report. There, he met the alleged killer in the flesh. Don't let the nickname "Shorty" fool you. KHQA? Overwhelmingly, medical professionals are the salt of the earth., Courtesy / Sioux Falls Argus Leader file photo. Could be. An autopsy would later reveal that a ball of gauze had been placed down DeLongs throat. [22] He developed a deep resentment for what he called industrial-technological society. It was those who came forward and told us about it. He was sentenced to two life sentences for one of the abortion clinic bombings that had killed a police officer, and later two more life sentences for the Atlanta bombing. Dr. Michael Swango is one of the prolific medical serial killers in history. At the time, a unanimous vote was required for a student to be dismissed.
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