Shes 33 now and doesnt live in Dallas anymore. According to him, Duntsch had a "great work ethic" and no areas of weakness. Finally, it was the Texas Medical Board (TMB) that acted too late, too little. 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. It was the same with Dallas Medical Center where hedid not face any action. She was a stay-at-home mom to their two children, Preston and Aiden; her income was tied to Duntschs. AnnaSophia Robb, 27, portrays Michelle Shughart, the assistant district attorney on Dr. Death's case. He filed for bankruptcy in Denver, and wound up selling off the shares in Discgenics for a tenth of their value. How old was Millie Bobby Brown in Stranger Things season 1? But its the only way to get anybody to listen. Duntsch declined a jailhouse interview, but he has called the allegations preposterous. To fellow surgeon Mark Hoyle, he said, "Everybody's doing it wrong. Christopher Duntsch The Dallas County DA, along with fighting against these very laws, was also running out of time. She says she never saw him drunk or high or suffering from withdrawal symptoms. He told Morgan that Young, who was pregnant at the time with their first son, was his close friend and secretary. Or, they should be: the scientists names are misspelled. Christopher Duntsch Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth At The University of Tennessee, his supervisors were also investors in Duntsch's company, Discgenics. Duntsch maintains that the practice didnt meet the promises it agreed to, and that it still owes him money. Over this period, Duntschperformed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition,paralyzed, ordeceased. Christopher Duntsch was an American doctor and specialized as a spinal surgeona deadly spinal surgeonwho killed three of his patients and maimed 31 others during a two-year span. A veteran investigative reporter in the medical field, her voice enthralls. NovoStem Therapeutics, which attempted to monetize the cancer stem cell discovery, failed after taking a funding hit during the 2008 recession. Where is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death now? - The US Sun Duntsch made a major miscalculation when he ventured south into Dallas to practice. Yet, instead of saving lives and using his knowledge for good, the opposite happened. In the deposition, she states that Duntsch snorted cocaine from a handy pile he kept on a dresser at his home. He was the eldest of four. Wendy Young knew her ex-boyfriend Christopher Duntschs medical career was unraveling, but she wasnt prepared for what she said was his bizarre behavior that coincided with his fall from grace as a surgeon. A couple of months later, FloellaBrown came to Duntsch for a cervical fusion to alleviate her neck and shoulder pain. Meanwhile, Brown went brain dead and passed away. There are 31 people left alive today, irreparably damaged by Dr. Death's grievous malpractices. He, too, had an injury to his left vertebral artery, and the incision was far from where it shouldve been and had begun to leak pus. The world at large may have never heard of Dr. Death but for Laura Beil. He gained experience writing grants, and earned more than $3 million in local, state, and federal funding for research projects where he served as principal or co-principal investigator. Surprisingly, his superiors at The University of Tennessee also gave him glowing reviews. Talking to the Dallas Morning News in 2014, Duntsch said he provided the test and was clean. While some called his eventual downfall greed-related, who knows what evil the human mind is capable of. Dr. Death: The Shocking Story of Christopher Duntsch, a - D Magazine TX report aims to boost teacher pay, working conditions Of that set, two died and 31 were paralyzed or seriously injured. Currently, Discgenics has no mention of Duntsch at all, his history with the company, or that he's the massive elephant in the room. He promises to take all pain and suffering away. She was deposed over Skype since, at the time, she was stationed with the Air Force in the Middle East. Dr Death, un nuevo programa que llegar a Peacock el jueves (15 de julio), se basa en la historia de la vida real de Christopher Duntsch, un ex neurocirujano que era, como dijo un famoso titular de ProPublica, "tan malo que era criminal".. Joshua Jackson interpreta a Duntsch, que ahora tiene 50 aos y cumple cadena perpetua despus de ser condenado en 2017 por mutilar a uno de sus . When he finally turned up again, he was made to attended a program for impaired physicians. And there were plenty of other signs as well. He alleged that Duntsch promised to pay him in stocks and out of his own salary but failed to follow through. Somebody knocks back and I am like Who in the f---is in my house, Young recalled in the four-part Peacock docuseries, (And if you want to dive even deeper into the story, you can also watch the scripted drama, on Peacock, starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater. When the Texas Medical Board revoked his license, Duntsch's reign of surgical terror had run its course. He ran two labs, is listed as one of three inventors on a successful patent, raised millions of dollars in grant funding, and once gave a tour to the governor of Tennessee as he explained the stem cell research occurring at the university. He was the first surgeon to do so, but not the last. He had a lot of animus to me personally. Now keep in mind, Morgan herself was at the wrong end of some of these suits. For years, hed focused on research. A longtime field agent for the Collin County Medical Examiner, Passmore needed knowledge from his training at scenes. We need to talk about this, Hoyle said, locking eyes with him. And what stops another physicianfrom turning into the next Dr. Death? 33 of his surgeries went horribly wrong. Dr Christopher Duntsch wrote about plans to kill his patients Duntsch harmed many of his patients, including his childhood friend Jerry Summers. According to a police report obtained by The Texas Observer, Duntsch was captured on camera trying to steal $887 worth of merchandise, including pants, briefcases, cologne, watches and sun glasses. Duntsch allegedly performed the operation and flew out to Las Vegas without securing a call physician. For the DA though she proved to be a good witness. 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. I'm the only clean minimally invasive guy in the whole state." At morning meetings, Page would see Duntsch mixing a vodka orange. 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. 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. In reality, he makes everything so, so much worse. While staying with his parents outside Denver, he was stopped for driving under the influence. After his license was revoked from the Texas Medical Board, Young and Duntsch were evicted from their home. Who Is The Real Dr. Death, Christopher Duntsch? - NickiSwift.com But Morguloffs suit describes him being in excruciating pain and telling nurses that his pain was a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. He seemed really distraught and I was scared, she said of the father of her two children. But upon seeing that name, he took it to his boss, Dr. William Rohr. Attorney James Girards was representing Lee Passmore, one of Duntsch's victims and reached out to her. DR Death, Peacocks new limited series starring Joshua Jackson, is based on a true story, and we have your look at photos comparing the cast with their real-life counterparts. The seeds of greed were sown. Even the hospitals that he worked for kept enabling him, according to a report by the Dallas County prosecutors. But she smiles softly as she talks about those early days with Duntsch, when they were still learning about each others lives. Mary Efurd, 74, was to have two vertebrae fused, linked by a metal plate. He wanted to find who Duntsch trained under, who his supervisors were. Eddie Redmayne dans le rle de Charlie Cullen et Jessica Chastain dans le rle d'Amy I dont have Facebook, I dont Myspace. Then it just started to all unravel.. There were multiple screw holes nowhere near where they were supposed to be, and a screw had been lodged in another nerve root near the bottom of the spine. He was friendly, and we had good conversation. 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 was also present for Summers operation. During a deposition with Passmores lawyer, attorney James Girards, a woman named Megan Kane recalls Duntsch eating a paper blotter of LSD and taking prescription painkillers on his birthday in either 2006 or 2007. Saul Elbein writes in the Texas Observer that Dr. Hendersonsent him a recording of his complaint to the Texas Medical Board. In real life, after helping the ADA Michelle Shughart send Duntsch to jail, Dr Henderson continues to practice medicine in Texas. The real question isn't why Dr. Duntsch did what he did. Morgan, in her deposition, said Duntsch called her to say he got lost going to the lab and never took the test. According to court documents, Rimlawi soon grew suspicious of Duntsch. According to Young, there was even a ransom note for her and her two children written in blood. Duntsch began cheating on. Duntsch moved to Colorado to live with his parents, while Young stayed behind in Dallas with the couple's son. He may have figured, at first, that he was protected. Ignatova believes this to be deliberate. 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. Lee Passmore cant feel his feet. Dallas most important news stories of the week, delivered to your inbox each Sunday. Summers died a few months ago, in February 2021, after getting an infection connected to the botched surgery from Duntsch that left him a quadriplegic. Now, one of the several complaints against the . Photo: The two met at a Memphis strip club. According to Dallas Magazine, a woman named Megan Kane remembered how Duntsch partied with her onhis birthday. Philip Mayfield experienced back pain and chronic conditions related to his longtime career driving tractor-trailers. There were two names on the top page: Kellie Martin and Christopher Duntsch. At the time, Young was giving birth to their second boy. This very friend would later end up a quadriplegic under Duntsch's weapon of a scalpel. In November 2011, Passmore was hooked on prescription opiates. Its hard to find good conversation with a random person, Young says. Wendy Young Says Christopher Duntsch Broke Into Home Covered In Blood But hospital after hospital passed the buck. One such recommendation came from the surgeon under whom Duntsch completed his residency, Dr. Frederick Boop. Take the case of Dr. Death, aka Dr. Christopher Duntsch. You, my child, are the only one between me and the other side, he wrote. But as Duntsch worked, Hoyle looked over and saw blood and not much else. She also says they snorted cocaine from a small pile that he kept on a dresser in his home office. He was the eldest of four. Duntsch has maimed or killed. Hoyle, the surgeon who exposed the incision in Passmore, had also filed a complaint with the board. Ellis Unit outside of Huntsville, Texas. She says she even filed a temporary protective order against him in April 2012, after he showed up banging on her window at 2 am. The notorious neurosurgeon was forced to declare bankruptcy shortly after and moved back in with his parents in Colorado. Duntschcrammed a surgical sponge into the wound, then sewed it up. In many ways, Morgan was the opposite of Young. 'Dr. Death' tells true story about killer surgeon The original patent still holds, and hopefully, Discgenics would be able to break out of the Dr. Death shadow todo some real anti-cancer work instead. The Staircase (The O.G.). Why Did Dr. Death Do It? 'Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story - Distractify 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. 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. Christopher Duntsch - AKA Dr. Death - spent 18 months asa practicing surgeon atmultiple Texas hospitals until hehad his license revoked in 2013. During the 45-minute surgery, Duntsch cut through one of Martin's arteries. Lopez answers Henderson's frustrationin a somber tone, sayingthat while you may know a doctor is bad, gathering evidence takes time. 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. He thought surgery might give him some relief, eliminate the need for drugs, solve both problems at once. Kirby reported having direct knowledge of seven patients that Dr. Duntsch grew up in a middle-class family. An incredibly difficult thing to prove. The deal required Duntsch to gain privileges at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Our Company DiscGenics In July 2015, indictments came through. Where Is Christopher Duntsch's Wife Wendy Renee Young Now? So the hospitals he worked for knew of his carelessness and sociopathic behavior in the OR. He was taller than 6 feet, with a stubby nose and neatly cropped hair above bright blue eyes, and he had crafted a strategy that endeared him to patients and to referring physicians: Im the best, hed tell them. Next week marks the five-year anniversary of Texas neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch being sentenced to life in prison. Duntsch, again, maintains this wasnt true. According to Texas Medical Board records, Summers vertebral artery was damaged, and he lost more than two liters of blood while intubated. Dubbed angels of death, they leave a trail of damage andloss for many reasons: human fallibility, malaise, or malice. It's thrilling if uncomfortable to listen. I knocked on my door. The couple had two children together. Nurse who worked with Dr. Duntsch recalls his experiences - YouTube Passmore is still fighting. Joshua Jackson Dissects the Psychology of 'Dr. Death' and - Yahoo! Hoyle stepped in front of Duntsch to block his way. Moving made sense for both of them. Hed found a few months that were not accounted for in Duntschs educational history. There are some who believe that he never wanted to be in the ORat all. His fellow neurosurgeons found him to be fast-talking and cocksure, a bit of a loner. When he finally came to the hospital, he busied himself with another patient, also on the DA's list, Mary Efurd. Duntsch allegedly arrivedat the hospital three hours after the surgery wasplanned to start and began the procedure. Hospitals are liable only if the plaintiff can prove that the hospital was also malicious, that it knew of the risk and ignored it. Days after Duntsch returned, he was fired. 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. Dr. Christopher Duntsch, Doctor Death Today: Where Is He Now? - Heavy.com For Duntsch, the path into medicine was unconventional and, perhaps, a reflection of his tendency to fixate on unlikely goals. But then came that fax, and he saw Duntschs name next to Kellie Martins. 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. Beil is a journalist who has specialized in science and medical writing for 20 years, and lives in the Dallas area where much of Christopher Duntsch's story takes place. 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. In her deposition, Morgan said Baylor Plano President Jerri Garison called both of them to her office and told them what Summers had said. His emails were crazy, Van Wey recalled in the docuseries. After another disastrous outcome, this time at University General, Kirby and malpractice attorney Kay Van Wey decided to turn to the criminal justice system. The evidence said otherwise. He did earnhis M.D., doing so well that he was among the 12 percent of medical school graduates in his class named to the elite Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. So, I went back to Dallas. No spam, ever. Duntsch hired Morgan while he was still with the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute, and she began on August 29, 2011. She was a National . Duntsch grew up in a middle-class family. In the Dallas medical community, Christopher Duntsch was seen as a rising star. (She says this was a misunderstanding, that she had asked him to retrieve Aiden and bring him to the hospital.) The encounter was just one of a series of troubling incidents after Duntschwho once referred to himself as a mixture of God, Einstein and the Antichristlost his medical license in December of 2013 for leaving numerouspatients either maimed, in agonizing chronic pain, or, in two cases, dead. You, my child, are the only one between me and the other side, he wrote. She had family in Dallas and decided shed go with him if he chose that city. This was the time when Dr. Christopher Duntsch started to turn intoDr. Death. 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. Martin, it turned out, had bled to death in the intensive care unit while undergoing a relatively common procedure known as a laminectomy, which involves removing spongy tissue between the discs to relieve pressure. Again, he never revealed what went wrong to the other staff. Dr. Death executive producer explains how Christopher Duntsch could 1. The university said, We cant let you see his personnel file. (And if you want to dive even deeper into the story, you can also watch the scripted drama "Dr. Death" on Peacock, starring Joshua Jackson, Alec Baldwin, and Christian Slater.). A few weeks later I took my first son to visit him for Christmas and then I became pregnant, Young said. Christopher Duntsch: The Remorseless Killer Surgeon Called 'Dr. Death' Becker's Hospital Review covered the 13 worst physicians of 2017, as named by Medscape. But they were also, presumably, two consenting adults, and both were, presumably, qualified to fix the pain that was wrecking his lower body. Duntsch's resume shows a doctorate in microbiology from the St. Jude Children'sResearch Hospital. Duntsch had only been in the Dallas area for a few months. 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. His work ethic, character, and ability to get along with others were beyond reproach, Robertson wrote. Young and Duntsch have two sons. When the story about Christopher Duntsch finally broke, it affected his patients, or rather, hisvictims, but many people missed it. During Brown's surgery, Duntsch pierced her vertebral artery. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He struggles with incontinence. These medical professionals do irreparable harm to their patients. He announced that he would be removing the ligament that separates the disc from the spinal canal. 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. Where Is Christopher Duntsch AKA Dr. Death Now? He Got A - Bustle Duntsch's initial presentation bowled him over. 'Sociopath' Surgeon Duntsch Arrested for Shoplifting Pants Anatomy of a Tragedy: The Story Behind 'Sociopath Surgeon' Christopher A husband and wife pair of Russian stem cell scientists, Valery Kukekov and Tatyana Ignatova entered the picture. She needed drug tests. Her bright blond hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and shes wearing a tank top with yoga pants. Base compensation was $600,000 a year for two years, beginning on June 14, 2011. His mother, Susan, taught school. His screams poured out of Baylor Planos intensive care unit and down the hallway, creating a panic in his mother. Or at least a morally upright one. After they all partied through the night, powered by LSD and cocaine, she said she saw Duntsch put on his lab coat to make rounds the next morning. Duntsch soon appeared and tried to calm them, assuring them that Passmore would be fine in one or two days. He later told Duntsch to his face that he was dangerous. Texas tort reform laws cap the amount that patients can sue physicians for malpractice at $250,000. Christopher Duntsch, aka Dr. Death, a former Texas-based neurosurgeon, maimed dozens of his victims and killed at least two. DR. DEATHTHE KILLER SURGEON - HOME - Dying Words 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Dr Death cast vs real people - See photos of Christopher Duntsch 'Dr Death' Stars Share Why They Think Christopher Duntsch - TheWrap Duntsch's license was finally revoked in June 2013, after he had killed two patients and maimed 31 others. Since receiving his life sentence, Dr Death is currently housed in the O.B. Its accessible only to hospitals, and facilities are federally mandated to report their delinquents. 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. While Ignatova and Kukekov say they were in the labs, Duntsch focused on raising money. Duntsch contends the patient was just trying to get painkillers. His childhood was seemingly great. I am beginning to think the police are the only ones intellectually and physically capable of getting to the bottom of this matter, he wrote. According to ProPublica, Boop was aware of a complaint Duntsch used drugs before seeing patients. Suite 2100 There's so much news out there, headlines can slip through the cracks. One of the early investors in Duntsch's company Discgenics was Dr. Rand Page. Martin was his first patient back, and it was the last operation he performed at that hospital. This could be path-breaking in the future ofcancer treatment andDr. Duntsch sniffed out the opportunity right away. Duntsch could have turned it into something good and meaningful. It was sent on a Friday at 4 am. Their suffering becomes yours. Was Wendy Renee Young Dr. Death's Wife? - Heavy.com I was on the third story.. 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. And you are one of the lucky ones." To add to this, his so-called Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center may also be dubious. They turned around, away from the yelling. He also needed his legs. The hospital saved face and avoided any lawsuits. The evidence collected by the DA's office by subpoenaing every hospital on his CVshows Duntsch completes a fraction of these. And professional marketing videos got him ready and willing patients. In a statement, the hospital said it cooperated with the Texas Medical Board when asked, and did not file its own complaint because it was aware someone else already had. If he wasnt doing research, he was out with Jerry Summers, partying, Morgan said in the deposition. Dr. Duntsch is at number one. He was the oldest of fourhe has two brothers, Nathan and Matt, and a sister, Lizand attended a private high school. He has a job inside the prison. The thing is, if you dont push this, with everybody else settling, theyre getting away with it again., 750 North St.Paul St. In one particularly disturbing episode, in March 2015, she said she arrived home to her front door had been locked with a deadbolt from the inside. 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. Young was 27 when they met; Duntsch was 40. Like, he wasnt scared. With Ignatova and Kukekov in tow, he filed patents under a company he founded. He rode the desk until he couldnt, when things in the county got too busy and all the examiners were required to take calls away from the office to cover the 200-odd scene visits. Where is Christopher Duntsch now? Also present, according to Kane, was Jerry Summers, the childhood friend who would later wake up a quadriplegic after a Duntsch operation. Joshua Jackson Previews 'Dr. Death,' Ponders 'Dawson's Creek - Variety Wendy Young Now: Where is Mother of Christopher Duntsch's Kids Today 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. 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. Don tried to convince the jury that his son cared for his patients. This would be the first and last time Hoyle worked next to Duntsch. Victim of Real-Life 'Dr. Death' Believes There Are Others - Yahoo! The statute of limitations made them base their case on only six victims. He said, "What I am being is what I am, one of kind, a mother f****r stone cold killer that can buy or own or steal or ruin or build whatever he wants.". 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.