The other, Discgenics, was more successful; it still owns the patent for the technology. 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. 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. But today, about five years after the Passmore surgery, Duntsch sits in Lew Sterrett Justice Center awaiting trial, the rare physician to be indicted on multiple counts of aggravated assault related to what happened in his operating rooms. She had clinical experience and often spent time with Duntsch when he was conducting research. Boop also said that Duntsch spent his final year operating as an attending physician, and was not allowed to operate independently. Finally, it was the Texas Medical Board (TMB) that acted too late, too little. He performed his first operation at Dallas Medical Center on July 24, 2012; the hospital issued temporary privileges while it verified his credentials. Prosecutors argued that the disgraced doctor had used his scalpel and hands as weapons to seriously injure or kill his patients. 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 as Dr. Christopher Duntsch Asked if he had a chance to meet with Duntsch, who's now serving a life sentence for maiming Mary Efurd during what should have been routine surgery,. Duntsch was described asa precocious boy and a bright student. Where is Christopher Duntsch aka Dr. Death Now? - The Cinemaholic Im the only clean minimally invasive guy in the whole state. Thats according to Dr. Mark Hoyle, who was the general surgeon during Passmores surgery. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Yet, instead of saving lives and using his knowledge for good, the opposite happened. 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. These medical professionals do irreparable harm to their patients. Many ofDuntsch's patient-turned-victims filed malpractice suits, according to Dallas News. By 2011, Duntsch had been sued by Discgenics former chief operating officer, a high school pal who joined when it was founded. Dubbed "Dr. Death," the case gained national attention, revealing how easy. Kane came into the picture as a deposition witness. The life in prison sentence was a deathblow to Duntsch, who, according to his father, was now a humbled man who had lost everything. The Hippocratic Oath is sworn by all doctors and binds them to do no harm. Hoyle stepped in front of Duntsch to block his way. Though Christopher Duntsch moved to Dallas with girlfriend Wendy Young, he soon hired nurse practioner Kimberly Morgan as his assistant and began a romantic relationship with her. It was clear to anyone whos not a complete idiot that they were a thing, he says. And what stops another physicianfrom turning into the next Dr. Death? One of the early investors in Duntsch's company Discgenics was Dr. Rand Page. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Joshua Jackson (right) portrays Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr Death, on the new Peacock limited series, Alec Baldwin (right) plays Dr Robert Henderson, The role of Dr Randall Kirby is portrayed by Christian Slater (right), Credit: Dallas Surgical Specialists/ Barbara Nitke/Peacock, AnnaSophia Robb (right) takes on the role of Michelle Shughart, Dominic Burgess (right) is Jerry Summers on the series, Molly Griggs (right) portrays Wendy Young on Dr Death, Dr Death - Trailer for the Peacock series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch, Dr Death cast vs real people See photos of Christopher Duntsch, Michelle Shughart & more. His emails were crazy, Van Wey recalled in the docuseries. He couldnt help it. Now, one of the several complaints against the . According to court documents, Rimlawi soon grew suspicious of Duntsch. In her deposition, Morgan said Baylor Plano President Jerri Garison called both of them to her office and told them what Summers had said. Plano surgeon Christopher Duntsch left a trail of bodies. A veteran investigative reporter in the medical field, her voice enthralls. "A few weeks later I took my first son to visit him for Christmas and then I became pregnant," Young said. Duntsch has maimed or killed. Hoyle, the surgeon who exposed the incision in Passmore, had also filed a complaint with the board. Within months, she says, he had offers in Dallas, San Diego, and New York. She also says they snorted cocaine from a small pile that he kept on a dresser in his home office. 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. Wendy Renee Young and Christopher Duntsch were parents of two kids, Preston and Aiden. But police say an email Duntsch wrote in 2011 points to his mind-set in the months before he "intentionally, knowingly and . Over this period, Duntschperformed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition,paralyzed, ordeceased. Due to his actions, Brown suffered a stroke that night, but Duntsch didn't responded to hospital pages. The damage is irreversible. And professional marketing videos got him ready and willing patients. According to Young, there was even a ransom note for her and her two children written in blood. Ignatova believes this to be deliberate. Soon though, red flags began to pop up. They numbed the pain radiating from his lower back, down each of his legs. Doctor convicted of botched surgery gets life sentence - USA TODAY St. Jude says there was no such program at the hospital at that time. It said, Anyone close to me thinks that I likely am something between god, einstein, and the antichrist. Two of his patients, Floella Brown and Kellie Martin, died.. St. Jude refuted this by saying there was no such program there at that time. After another disastrous outcome, this time at University General, Kirby and malpractice attorney Kay Van Wey decided to turn to the criminal justice system. When Duntsch tried to reposition it, he stripped a screw; the cage wasnt going anywhere. Duntsch began cheating on. Dr. Christopher Duntsch, better known as Doctor Death, is serving a life sentence at a Texas prison today. Christopher Duntsch was just a regular guy who became Dr. Death after he decided to be a neurosurgeon. Former Texas Neurosurgeon 'Dr. Death' Christopher Duntsch Subject Of Dr. Duntsch is at number one. This posterior longitudinal ligament is one of the spines two major stabilizers. Maybe thats how they do it in Tennessee, but according to my training, thats not how they do it here. According to Texas Medical Board records, Summers vertebral artery was damaged, and he lost more than two liters of blood while intubated. It is during this period that Duntschs carefully built faade began showing its first cracks. I cant write on this form, Oh, by the way, I heard from Dr. Henderson about what sounds like major patient issues that you ought to look into, Foley said in the call. According to an article by WFAA, Christopher Duntsch's father Don stated his son had called him, completely beside himself, when he botched several surgeries. Not long after, Young said Duntsch broke into her apartment for the first time. "Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story" and the scripted series "Dr. Death," starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slaterare both available to stream on Peacock now. But Passmore is one of the lucky ones. 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. He didnt not want to. Christopher Duntsch, 44, faces up to life in prison if convicted. When the story about Christopher Duntsch finally broke, it affected his patients, or rather, hisvictims, but many people missed it. He had a lot of animus to me personally. Kirby reported having direct knowledge of seven patients that Dr. Duntsch was taken to jail for what Young referred to as a time out but his erratic behavior wouldnt end there. And, seeing as how the hospital was asking specifically about that training, Foley said he didnt feel comfortable expressing concern about what hed heard was happening in Dallas. At Baylor Regional Medical Center, during a simple laminectomy, Duntsch slashed one of Martin's major arteries butrefused to admit his mistake. It was the invention of me and my wife, because we made all primary experiments. After youve spent a night using cocaine, most people become paranoid and want to stay in the house. At that point, the administration revoked his privileges. His investors took him to court. At this point, Im like freaking out, and I just, I leave.. Duntsch, again, maintains this wasnt true. Christopher Duntsch: The Remorseless Killer Surgeon Called 'Dr. Death' It was a revision of a patient whom he originally operated on at Baylor Plano. Or was Duntsch just good at hiding his true self? That only lasted for a short while, as he dove deep into the role to bring out the evil of the real-life character in the eight-episode series, he told New York Post. He also needed his legs. A few months after the shoplifting arrest, Duntsch was charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and injuring an elderly person for the damage he did on the operating table. I thought is this somebody that youve pissed off? Around May 2013, Henderson got a call from Foley, the fellowship supervisor. Christopher Duntsch Early Life Story, Family Background and Education. Christopher Duntsch was born in Montana and spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. Meanwhile, Duntsch was struggling financially and started racking up a series of strange arrests. At the time, Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before the Texas Medical Board revoked his license. If a person died in the fourth-floor apartment of a complex in Collin County, Passmore was the one who hiked up those four flights with somewhere around 20 pounds of gear on his back and got that body back down. His father, Donald, was a physical therapist and Christian missionary, and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. July 19, 2021 The former neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch was finally brought to justice after injuring and maiming over 30 of his patients during surgery and allegedly causing the deaths of two more. Dr. In the months following his surgery, Passmore focused on recovery and getting back to work. 53, and Andre Agassi, 52, are proud parents as they . An "In Memoriam" tribute for him is shown at the end of the final episode of the Peacock series. Likely due to Duntsch'sattemptto staunch the blood loss, Brown suffered a buildup of pressure in her brain. Mayfield also developed syringomyeliain 2014 - fluid-filled cysts that emerged within his spinal cord, which compressednerves to cause more pain and damage to the sensitive area. 'Dr. Death' on Peacock: The True Story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch and Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. The university said, We cant let you see his personnel file. I have lost both companies. He would file for bankruptcy years later, and the filings show that Duntsch has had no managerial role with Discgenics since 2012, when he was removed as a board member and as chief science officer. They'd requested an investigation into his matter, deeming him to be a threat to the general public. Duntsch also received 40 percent of all revenue he generated beyond $800,000 each year. Prodigal Son actress Molly Griggs takes on the role of Wendy Young, who was Duntsch's girlfriend and is the mother of his kids. She worked with Dr Henderson and Dr Kirby to bring Duntsch to justice, talking to everyone from his life, both from after he became a doctor and from when he was still training to be one. Unlike Summers, Brown, 63, suffered from hypertension and was a stroke risk. Facebook Dr. Christopher Duntsch on his first day as a neurosurgeon. In July 2015, indictments came through. And yet nearly all who met him said they liked him immediately. A grand jury returned five indictments of aggravated assault and one of harming an elderly person. In addition, he began to experience random fainting episodes andcomplex regional pain syndrome, a rare nervous system disorder causing skin blistersthat then slough off, as well as chronic pain and skin sensitivity. I think he built up this idea in his head of who he was and what he was going to do with his life and now all of that has disappeared and wasnt coming back, I think he finds himself in a state where hes struggling to figure out, who am I now? Shughart said in the series. Duntsch was also arrested for driving under the influence while staying with his parents in Colorado and found himself in handcuffs another time in April of 2015 after he was arrested for stealing $887.30 in Walmart merchandise, according to the D Magazine. His dad is a physical therapist. Duntsch pleaded not guilty. Ghostbar, Dragonfly at Hotel Zaza. She was a National . With such goings-on, Duntsch got himself kicked out of his own company. 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. 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. Duntsch did his surgical residency at The University of Tennessee. 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. The real question is:Can this TV show bring about a change in medical law, or how hospitals treat their patients and doctors? What turned Dr. Christopher Duntsch into Dr. Death? This very friend would later end up a quadriplegic under Duntsch's weapon of a scalpel. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Duntsch could have turned it into something good and meaningful. Quality Policy. Thus, his license was revoked for good on December 6, 2013. GQ calls it the scariest podcast of 2019. Duntschs reputation took another dive in April of 2015 when he was arrested for shoplifting at a local Walmart. Young let him buy her an appletini, and they hit it off. Duntsch declined a jailhouse interview, but he has called the allegations preposterous. He later told Duntsch to his face that he was dangerous. They went on to have two children. Again, he never revealed what went wrong to the other staff. 11:15 PM on Mar 1, 2014 CST. 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. His screams poured out of Baylor Planos intensive care unit and down the hallway, creating a panic in his mother. Such behavior did not go unnoticed by the other doctors. Wendy has reportedly been keeping a low-profile life since ending her relationship with Duntsch and since he went to prison. That's when he moved to Colorado to live with his parents. That said; the 12 jurors did what the Texas Medical Board should have done. I didnt really know how to feel anymore, but while he was out in Colorado we kept in contact.. He secured investments in Discgenics from local spine surgeons, including Robertson and Dr. Kevin Foley, a prominent Memphis neurosurgeon under whom Duntsch would spend a year training as part of a minimally invasive spine surgery fellowship at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic, one of the largest neurosurgery practices in the United States. 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. In April 2012, just over four months removed from that initial surgery, Passmore returned to work. Was he was only in it for the research prestige and the money? The fault also lies with the Texas law. DR. DEATHTHE KILLER SURGEON - HOME - Dying Words On April 9, 2013, Mayfield underwent surgery performed by Duntsch to remove a troublesome disk from his spine. It was a downward spiral pretty rapidly after he lost his license, Young said in the docuseries. Lee Passmores friends and family heard him before they saw him. He wasn't concerned about the drugs in his system while he did his rounds. He seemed really distraught and I was scared, she said of the father of her two children. Young puts Morgan there, too, although Morgan denied it in her deposition. Who Is The Real Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch? - NickiSwift.com We certainly would not knowingly allow one person to compromise the level of quality care that we have worked so hard and invested so much to achieve for our patients and our community.. Where Is Dr. Christopher Duntsch aka . And yet the actual tragedy is that someone could have stopped it. The deal required Duntsch to gain privileges at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Days after Duntsch returned, he was fired. You, my child, are the only one between me and the other side, he wrote. Rohr is a very professional man, Passmore says. A few weeks later I took my first son to visit him for Christmas and then I became pregnant, Young said. A Surgeon So Bad It Was Criminal ProPublica DiscGenics' mission is to improve the lives of those debilitated by degenerative diseases of the spine through development of innovative regenerative therapies. Slater plays Dr. Randall Kirby while Baldwin is Dr. Robert Henderson. In November 2011, Passmore was hooked on prescription opiates. Plano's Baylor hospital faces hard questions after claims against Dr. Death now: Where is Christopher Duntsch now? This is accomplished by: Establishing quality . 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. Next week marks the five-year anniversary of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch being sentenced to life in prison. There's so much news out there, headlines can slip through the cracks. Also Read: Made For Love: Who Are Caleb Foote Parents? Duntsch had been suspended from operations . There Duntsch secured a job as a minimally invasive spine surgeon at. And yet they occurred in Duntschs operating rooms over a period of just two years. Dr Death cast vs real people - See photos of Christopher Duntsch Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. In the Dallas medical community, Christopher Duntsch was seen as a rising star. For years, hed focused on research. But hospital after hospital passed the buck. Kim Morgan Now: Where is Nurse and Christopher Duntsch's Ex-Assisstant Duntsch suspected that this had something to do with his vodka bottle and neurostimulants. It said he was $1 million in debt. Baylor asked him to resign immediately. I cried when they said life imprisonment, Young said of the verdict. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our incredible journalism, in print and digital. They met as Duntsch was looking for opportunities in an operating room somewhere. And you are one of the lucky ones." Armed with Baylors declaration that it never amended his privileges, Duntsch found work in four months. Matt Goodman is the online editorial director for. 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. The 78-year-old Denton County man was then Dr. Christopher Duntsch's first patient when the surgeon started performing spinal fusions in 2011. Morgan was present in the operating room during Passmores surgery. The Untold Truth Of Dr. Death - Grunge.com At University General Hospital, Kirby had been granted emergency privileges to operate on a Duntsch patient named Jeffery Glidewell. [7] Now keep in mind, Morgan herself was at the wrong end of some of these suits. A neurosurgeon reviewing the case for the court found an errant screw had not only opened Brown's arterybut blocked it, and that Duntsch hadmisdiagnosed Brown, operating on the wrong area entirely. In 2017, he was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty. We discovered it.. Because of a valuable patent the company owned, they let him through the gates and out into the world. She, after being in Duntsch's OR, would never walk again. Dr. Death: The Shocking Story of Christopher Duntsch, a - D Magazine According to Irving-based physician recruitment firm Merritt Hawkins, a single neurosurgeon produced his or her hospital an average revenue of $2.45 million in 2015. He kept her on after splitting from Rimlawi and Won. It took the Texas Medical Board one whole year to investigate and finally revoke Duntsch's license. Duntsch moved to Colorado to live with his parents, while Young stayed behind in Dallas with the couple's son. Will it help patients protect their rights? And there were plenty of other signs as well. 'Dr. Death' tells true story about killer surgeon The door opened and Young found Duntsch, who had earned the moniker Dr. Lee Passmore cant feel his feet. In September 2014, after he and Young had separated, Duntsch was arrested for jumping the fence of Youngs sisters Garland home and attempting to take their child, Aiden. Christopher Duntsch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. His CV proclaims that he earned a doctorate in microbiology from the prestigious St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, graduating summa cum laude. They described him as the bright, precocious little boy who had taken. He works out, he reads, he studies the Bible. It was sent on a Friday at 4 am. It was the same with Dallas Medical Center where hedid not face any action. Young elaborated in a 2016 D Magazine story on Duntschs troubled career that Duntsch told her his attacker had been an investigator hired by an attorney representing his angry patients, but that account was never verified. He will not be eligible for parole until 2045, when he will be 74-years-old. (Neither responded to requests for comment for this story.) I agree completely with Dr. Hoyles complaint to the board when he stated that Dr. Duntsch is the most careless, clueless, and dangerous spine surgeon either of us has ever seen, Kirby wrote. He had a room upstairs in the Plano house. He said Youngwho by now had given birth to their son, Aidenwas just his secretary and friend. Duntsch hired Morgan while he was still with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, and she began on August 29, 2011. During the 45-minute surgery, Duntsch cut through one of Martin's arteries. She assumed Morgan was only helping with research. For the DA though she proved to be a good witness. 'Dr Death' Stars Share Why They Think Christopher Duntsch - TheWrap 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. From the top of his class to life in prison: things did not go as he planned. The civil attorneys in these cases were able to land a rather damning e-mail sent from Duntsch to his girlfriend/physical assistant.The girlfriend was Kimberly Morgan, and in the e-mail to her, the ramblings of a mind gone wrong are clear. Wendy Young Says Christopher Duntsch Broke Into Home Covered In Blood Duntsch, Kukekov, and Ignatova are listed as its inventors. And not just Dallas CountyI dont recall hearing about it anywhere.. She arrived brain-dead. 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 43-year-old new dad, who welcomed his first child with wife Jodie Turner-Smith last year, brought his WB experience to portray the charming aspect of the surgeon, as the other characters often call him on the show.

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