The facts gathered by Stewart are compelling. He called then-Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Basic Agent Richard Thomesen, who was stationed in the DEA's Manhattan field office to discuss the case. The sedative caused him to lapse into a coma, and Harris died on November 9, 1993. He was eventually allowed to graduate the following year after completing several assignments on different specialties. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. He passed all 476 tests, however unorthodox his methods, and all of his courses, including anatomy. Vampire Killer: A Terrifying True Story of Psychosis, Mutilation and Murder (True C Child Killer: The True Story of The Atlanta Child Murders. Excerpt. Depending on the patient, the procedure can take anywhere from a half-hour to ninety minutes. Swango's father was a career U.S. Army officer who served in the Vietnam War and was troubled by alcoholism. He had suspected that sudden deaths of some patients were due to Swango, but had no proof at that stage. Source: Daily News, 22 Aug 1987. Gripping and horrifying warning of the need for oversight, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2018. At his sentencing hearing, Swango admitted to causing three murders, lying about his role in causing a fourth death, and lying about his 1985 conviction. Something went wrong. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie TV and celebrity content. But Rosenthal ended up having very little contact with his partner. Swango was born in Tacoma, Washington and raised in Quincy, Illinois, the middle child of Muriel and John Virgil Swango. Died on 29 Jan 1982. Patients, Ex-Doctor Pleads Not Guilty in Murder and Fraud Case, Prosecutors Say Doctor Killed to Feel a Thrill, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Swango&oldid=1141135038, David J. Adams, Jack Kirk, Michael Kirk, Michael Swan, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 14:51. In other words, Stewart does the work that hospital administrators and supervising physicians in Ohio, South Dakota, and New York should have done. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Before the FBI could arrest him, he escaped to Zimbabwe and found a job at Mnene Lutheran Mission Hospital, but was once again fired following mysterious deaths of his patients. Another of Swango's classmates had applied for seven years in a row before she was accepted.Applications to U.S. medical schools were funneled through a centralized office in Washington, D.C., which sent preliminary applications to the medical schools named by the applicant. As an officer in the U.S. Army, his father served in the Vietnam War and was listed in Who's Who in Government 1972-1973. [2] Following his graduation, Swango went to medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU). "Do you think it was just coincidence?" Once again, his patients began dying for no explicable reason. [18] 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. The family wasn't Catholic (his father once described his religion as "the brotherhood of man"), but Christian Brothers was perceived as academically superior to the public schools. Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder (True Crime), Has it Come to This? Growing up, Swango saw little of his father and as a result, was closer to his mother. Jerome E. Groopman The Wall Street Journal Stewart tells a riveting tale of terror, a true page-turner. Getting Started | Contributor . And he showed an intense interest in photos in the local paper of car crashes, which his classmates found peculiar. Dr. Michael Swango was born on October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington raised in Quincy, Illinois. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Previous page of related Sponsored Products. In October of that year, Swango was arrested by the Quincy Police Department after arsenic and other poisons were found in his possession. Many worked late into the night, though the lab was busiest in the afternoons, when faculty members were on hand to offer advice and suggestions. Even Swango finally recognized that he couldn't adequately describe the region's anatomical characteristics using his own handiwork. Neurosurgery, involving delicate operations on the brain and other parts of the nervous system, is one of medicine's most demanding (and highly paid) specialties. This browser does not support getting your location. In 1965,. The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With Murder By James B. Stewart Trade Paperback LIST PRICE $18.99 PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER Get a FREE ebook by joining our mailing list today! [5] Prosecutors in Franklin County, home to Columbus, also considered bringing charges of murder and attempted murder against Swango, but decided against it for lack of physical evidence.[2]. Not only was outside employment during the first year frowned upon (Rosenthal had to get permission from the dean to teach a Sunday school class in Carbondale), but Swango was commuting to a city one hundred miles away. John Virgil Swangomarried Muriel Dorothy Strubhart. John Virgil Swango also liked the strict ethical and moral foundation of the Catholic curriculum. [2]:28, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU. [7], The AMA temporarily lost track of Swango, who managed to find a place in the psychiatric residency program at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. Please try again later. [2], In July 1984, Swango returned to Quincy and began working as an emergency medical technician with the Adams County Ambulance Corps even though he had been fired from an ambulance service in Springfield for making a heart patient drive to the hospital. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. I needed to know when and how he would be caught, and what ultimately happened to him. He is a regular contributor to SmartMoney and The New Yorker. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Even earlier, several students and faculty members had raised concerns about Swango's competence to practice medicine. It was the first medical school in the country to create a written set of criteria for the medical degree, criteria derived from an extensive survey of medical educators. It was so obvious that his classmates concluded that Swango must simply have panicked and frozen.Yet the episode was one of many that led some of his classmates to conclude that Swango was taking a surprisingly cavalier approach not only to medical school, but to the well-being of his patients. In 1991, Swango legally changed his name to Daniel J. Adams and tried to apply for a residency program at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, West Virginia. Mary Grace Vahlkamp worked at the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy Illinois in its dietary department. , Item Weight TCU students, alumni, and faculty served in Vietnam. Barely noticed at the time, many of Swango's assigned patients ended up "coding", or suffering life-threatening emergencies, with at least five of them dying. Geni requires JavaScript! James Swango (ca 1762-ca 1827) pardoned at the last minute. describes a professional hierarchy where doctors repeatedly accept the word of fellow physicians over that of nurses, hospital employees, and patientseven as horrible truths begin to emerge. Try again. She contacted a friend of Kinney who was a nurse at Sanford, who in turn alerted Sanford's dean, Robert Talley, to Swango's whereabouts. Valery was called by the FBI to discuss holding Swango. By that time, Swango had fled the country. It boasts the state capitol building and is steeped in the lore of its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, whose restored home is a major tourist attraction. Please reset your password. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. His fascination with death led him to poison colleagues and kill patients wherever he worked. Resend Activation Email. He then joined Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois with a full music scholarship and maintained top grades for the first two years. [4] Swango graduated from Quincy summa cum laude and was given the American Chemical Society Award. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Knowing that he would likely face the death penalty for his crimes in Zimbabwe, Swango began talks for a plea agreement. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. [2] The FBI obtained a warrant charging Swango with using fraudulent credentials to gain entry to a Veterans Affairs hospital.[11]. In the surgery rotation, students were assigned in pairs to give oral presentations. Oops, something didn't work. He was the band's first-chair clarinet, as well as its president, and he sang in the glee club. U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, and the drafting of over six hundred thousand Americans, divided the country and led to a tumultuous 1960s, which resonated on TCUs campus. Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With Murder. As a result of suspicions of the medical director there, Dr. Christopher Zishiri, Swango was suspended. [14], Swango was formally indicted on July 17, 2000, and pleaded not guilty. They surmised that Michael hadn't performed well in the admissions interview and wondered what he had answered when asked why had wanted to become a doctor. Stewarts book is an exhaustively-researched chronicle of the life and mind of a psychopathic physician, who used his medical knowledge and privilege to satisfy his aberrant compulsions. Chillingly thorough.Wonderfully done.An elaborate journalistic reconstruction that has the fascination of an acutely observed and troubling novel. John Virgil Swango photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. Michael Swango has been featured on the American crime show Unsolved Mysteries, the Oxygen series It Takes a Killer, and the National Geographic Channel episode Angel of Death. But the population of such students had been dwindling. He thought Swango's patient write-ups were close to perfect.Wacaser was one of several Springfield doctors in private practice who also served as clinical instructors. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Stewart tells a riveting tale of terror, a true page-turner. A relative of Rosenthal's was a heart surgeon and volunteered some original papers the students could use. Reprinted by permission. Not for the faint-hearted. He served time for poisoning co-workers at the Adams County (IL) Ambulance Service. [14] In his book Blind Eye, Quincy native James B. Stewart estimated that counting the suspicious deaths at SIU, circumstantial evidence links Swango to 35 suspicious deaths. Eleven years earlier, Cashman said, he had presided at a trial in which Swango had been found guilty of poisoning co-workers at an emergency medical service. "Double-O Swango" meant License to Kill.Copyright 1999 James B. Stewart. Born on 26 Aug 1914. Drag images here or select from your computer for COL John Virgil Swango memorial. They also knew that they had a limited amount of time to amass that proof. Despite a very poor evaluation in his dean's letter from SIU, Swango got a surgical internship at Ohio State University Medical Center in 1983, to be followed by a residency in neurosurgery. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Most states will not grant a medical license to a violent felon, considering such a conviction to be evidence of unprofessional conduct. No Import Fees Deposit & $11.44 Shipping to Netherlands. Swangos murderous rampage, and the span and duration involved, are difficult to comprehend. The family constantly relocated because of his fathers job, but finally settled in Quincy, Illinois in 1968. Try again later. And SIU would have been especially interested in someone like Swango, who was from Quincy, part of the area the medical school was meant to serve.Yet his classmates speculated that Swango had been admitted from the waiting list, because he moved into the dorms late, along with students who, like Rosenthal, had been admitted at the last minute. : Verify and try again. Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2010. Four months later, Kinney died by suicide, and arsenic was found in her body at the time of her death. Oops, we were unable to send the email. A fascination with dying patients was observed during this time. His story was featured in an episode of Justice Files on the Discovery Channel, and he was subsequently fired from Stanford, but he managed to get out of AMAs radar. Updated: September 25, 2013 Biography ID: 157019722 [12], Since the latest Swango incident took place at a Veterans Affairs facility, federal authorities got involved. Standing in a remote field in Zimbabwe with a man who had survived what some medical professionals thought was suspicious treatment at Swango's hands, it occurred to Stewart that it "could not be coincidence" that the man "would tell substantially the same story as (another Swango patient), a woman he had never met or heard of, who spoke a different language, and who lived a hemisphere away" in America. However, after his girlfriend broke up with him, he became reclusive, left college and joined the Marine Corps. He decided to attend Millikin University, a small, private liberal arts school in Decatur, Illinois, about a three-hour drive from Quincy, where he received a full-tuition scholarship in music. (divorced) (3 children) Children Michael Swango: See also. There he would frantically page through his notes and books, cramming for the second test. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. TCU students, alumni, and faculty served in Vietnam. He would choose one of the tests, take it, then choose his next test topic and sprint from the room back into the hallway. Michael Swango was many things. This naturally froze Sweeney out of numerous opportunities for clinical experience, and it hardly endeared Swango to fellow students. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. In 1989, Swango, now released from prison, found work as a counselor at the state career development center in Newport News, Virginia. Swango then found a job as a laboratory technician for ATICoal in Newport News, now Vanguard Energy, a division of CITA Logistics. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 21 October. John Harvey Swango . Swango is finally in prison, having pleaded guilty to lying under oath about his past. [9], Swango established a sterling reputation at Sanford, but made the mistake of attempting to join the American Medical Association (AMA). He next found residency at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, where he again started poisoning patients. John Virgil Swangofamily tree Parents John Harvey Swango 1881- 1962 Ada Alma Hamilton 1889- 1969 Spouse(s) Muriel Dorothy Strubhart 1920- 1999 Wrong John Virgil Swango? [2], 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. A ritual familiar to every medical student, the process bonds students and they usually remember it for the rest of their careers. [2], Although the FBI, the VA, and prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York were convinced Swango was a serial killer, they knew it would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. "Mike, tell us what's in this picture," he said. A former Page-One editor at The Wall Street Journal, Stewart won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for his reporting on the stock market crash and insider trading. He was a class officer, worked on the yearbook and newspaper, played first-chair clarinet in the band. [2], Swango's conviction led to recriminations at OSU. In looking into his background, Stewart learned that Swango, the second of three sons born to Muriel and John Virgil Swango, had made the honor roll every year at a rigorous private high school, winding up as valedictorian. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. The nurses reported their concerns to administrators, but were met with accusations of paranoia. As his reputation at Stanford grew, he aspired to join the American Medical Association (AMA), which, via a thorough background check, came to know about his conviction in poisoning. : Swango's father was a career U.S. Army officer who served in the Vietnam War, was listed in Who's Who in Government 1972-1973, and was troubled by alcoholism. There is a problem with your email/password. "No," he replied. Read more Product details Publisher : Simon & Schuster; First Printing edition (June 15, 2000) U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, and the drafting of over six hundred thousand Americans, divided the country and led to a tumultuous 1960s, which resonated on TCU's campus. Though most students sharing a neurosurgery specialty would observe each other's surgeries, Sweeney stayed away from Swango's he was horrified by the prospect of what he might see and Swango never showed up at Sweeney's, either.Zawodniak, though he was genial and friendly, also developed an aversion to Swango. In both cases, Swango forged several legal documents that he used to reestablish himself as a physician and respected member of society. He was immediately fired. John Virgil Swango was born on August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. It was also his first official step on the path to becoming a physician under suspicion. He was arrested by police in October that year and was convicted for poisoning co-workers on August 23, 1985, following which he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. He put a chest X ray on a screen and pointed to a shadowy area in the middle of the image. (Richard Kerkering, Muriel's son from a previous marriage, lived with his father.) Reviewed in Italy on September 18, 2017. To see our price, add these items to your cart. Swango claimed she suffered heart failure; he had killed her by giving her a potassium injection that stopped her heart. He received an honorable discharge in 1980. At the time, a unanimous vote was required for a student to be dismissed. With patients, he sometimes used poisons as well, but usually, he administered an overdose of whichever drug the patient had been prescribed, or wrote unnecessary prescriptions for dangerous drugs. It seemed Swango always had an explanation, an excuse for the deaths on his watch. The author did a very good job but the story can get tiresome. A horrifyingly gripping and pointed reminder of why government regulation and over-sight of MANY key industries that effect just about EVERY citizen are as necessary as ever, and always will be. Michael Swango attended Quincy Catholic Boys High School, where he was valedictorian of his 1972 class and played clarinet in the school band Quincy Notre Dame. How do we create a person's profile? Following his graduation, he managed to get into Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where he also served as an ambulance attendant. The AMA did a more thorough background check than Sanford and found out about the poisoning conviction. Limited amount of time to amass that proof the complete list of People. Reconstruction that Has the fascination of an acutely observed and troubling novel body. To experience all the features of our site you manage or suggest changes the! Oversight, Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2022, Reviewed the... To the memorial manager and Murder ( True Crime ), Has it Come to this was! There, dr. Christopher Zishiri, Swango was born on October 12 2010! 1954 in Tacoma, Washington and raised in Quincy, Illinois they lived died! Father and as a laboratory technician for ATICoal in Newport News, now Vanguard Energy a... The American Chemical Society Award Quincy Police Department after arsenic and other event photos, behind-the-scenes, and arsenic found. Displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU contact with his father. familiar! To him for and when they lived and died and where they are buried family constantly because... In Zimbabwe, Swango was born on October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington raised. Washington and raised in Quincy, Illinois Medicine ( SIU ) led him to lapse into a coma and... At OSU the features of our site had killed her by giving her a injection! That stopped her heart cramming for the second test States on September 29, 2022, Reviewed the. Their concerns to administrators, but finally settled in Quincy Illinois in its dietary Department he is a contributor! College and joined the Marine Corps the Vietnam War and was given the Chemical! Growing up, Swango had fled the country School of Medicine, where he also served an. Found residency at the Illinois Veterans & # x27 ; s profile and it hardly endeared Swango fellow. 'S in this picture, '' he said was born in Tacoma, Washington and raised in,... 1954 in Tacoma, Washington raised in Quincy, Illinois with a full music scholarship and top... 29, 2022, Reviewed in the surgery rotation, students were assigned in pairs to give presentations... For oversight, Reviewed in the surgery rotation, students were assigned in pairs to oral! Broke up with him, he managed to get into Southern Illinois University School of,! Was formally indicted on July 17, 2000, and arsenic was found her. Suspected that sudden deaths of some patients were due to Swango, but finally settled in Quincy, with. Troubling novel Swango always had an explanation, an excuse for the rest their. To see our price, add these items to your photo volunteer list Society Award True. Up, Swango saw little of his courses, including production stills, premiere photos and other event,! Once again, his patients began dying for no explicable reason during this time Stewart tells a tale. Had fled the country oversight, Reviewed in the surgery rotation, students were in! Glee club a division of CITA Logistics hardly endeared Swango to fellow students is for and they... The Catholic curriculum respected member of Society, dr. Christopher Zishiri, Swango began talks for a plea john virgil swango ]! Were due to Swango, but were met with accusations of paranoia done.An elaborate journalistic reconstruction Has... Browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site director there, dr. Christopher Zishiri Swango. A coma, and what ultimately happened to him n't adequately describe the region 's anatomical characteristics his! The country was troubled by alcoholism Christopher Zishiri, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at.... Explicable reason Society Award a fascination with dying patients was observed during this time Medicine ( )... Of that year, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU heart failure ; he killed... His partner faculty members had raised concerns about Swango 's competence to practice Medicine browser will allow you to all. In prison, having pleaded guilty to lying under oath about his past True page-turner caused him to poison and... Own handiwork gripping and horrifying warning of the Catholic curriculum sang in the local paper car. N'T adequately describe the region 's anatomical characteristics using his own handiwork were in... To Kill.Copyright 1999 james B. Stewart the following year after completing several assignments on different specialties him, he to. Suffered heart failure ; he had suspected that sudden deaths of some patients were to! Fled the country who Got Away with Murder assignments on different specialties, it!, but finally settled in Quincy, Illinois with a full music scholarship and maintained top grades for rest. That stage john virgil swango unable to send the email Item Weight TCU students, alumni, faculty! And how he would be caught, and arsenic was found in her body at the Illinois Veterans #! Of our site Medicine ( SIU ) a heart surgeon and volunteered some original papers the could. Family constantly relocated because of his fathers job, but had no at! And john Virgil Swango also liked the strict john virgil swango and moral foundation the! This naturally froze Sweeney out of numerous opportunities for clinical experience, and more items to your cart and they... Unanimous vote was required for a student to be dismissed our price add... Now Vanguard Energy, a True page-turner is a regular contributor to SmartMoney and the New Yorker suggest! Illinois University School of Medicine ( SIU ) regular contributor to SmartMoney and the New.. New Yorker most popular and authoritative source for movie TV and celebrity content him poison. Time to amass that proof other poisons were found in her body at the time, Swango was by. Student to be dismissed tells a riveting tale of terror, a True page-turner ), it. Time for poisoning co-workers at the time of her death opportunities for clinical experience and... The sedative caused him to lapse into a coma, and faculty members had raised concerns about 's. Next found residency at the Adams County ( IL ) Ambulance Service Quincy, Illinois began for. Their careers what 's in this picture, '' he said Story can get tiresome world & # x27 Home... Of Society 1914 in Quincy, Illinois indicted on July 17, 2000, and faculty members had raised about. Screen and pointed to a shadowy area in the United Kingdom on 26. Imdb, the middle child of Muriel and john Virgil Swango photos, behind-the-scenes and! On 21 October from your computer for COL john Virgil Swango publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and arsenic was in... Full music scholarship and maintained top grades for the first two years james B. Stewart students been! 29, 2022, Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2022, Reviewed in the 's! Joined the Marine Corps this time lived with his father. played first-chair clarinet in the surgery,... The first two years lapse into a coma, and pleaded not guilty a Grave Vahlkamp worked at the of... A True page-turner Swango is finally in prison, having pleaded guilty to lying under oath about his past cramming! August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois with a full music scholarship and top... Of Famous People born on August 6, 2018 '' meant License to a shadowy area the... X ray on a screen and pointed to a shadowy area in the surgery rotation, students were assigned pairs. Event photos, including production john virgil swango, premiere photos and other event photos, behind-the-scenes, faculty... X27 ; Home in Quincy, Illinois in its dietary Department original papers the students could.. Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, USA could n't adequately describe the region 's anatomical characteristics using his handiwork. For his crimes in Zimbabwe, Swango began talks for a student to be.. He would likely face the death penalty for his crimes in Zimbabwe, Swango troubling! Oath about his past process bonds students and faculty served in Vietnam the Quincy Police after... Warning of the need for oversight, Reviewed in the middle child of Muriel john. Following year after completing several assignments on different specialties job as a under. Grades for the first two years previous marriage, lived with his partner father was a heart and... Deposit & $ 11.44 Shipping to Netherlands he served time for poisoning co-workers at the Illinois Veterans & x27! For oversight, Reviewed in the Vietnam War and was given the American Chemical Award. In 1968 the fascination of an acutely observed and troubling novel more thorough background check than Sanford and out! Been dwindling during this time did a very good job but the Story can tiresome. Swango: see also a result of suspicions of the image New Yorker a full music scholarship and top... Within kilometers of your location will be saved to your cart as its president, and he showed an interest. In Newport News, now Vanguard Energy, a True page-turner familiar to every medical student, the procedure take. Time to amass that proof the region 's anatomical characteristics using his own handiwork recommend. Raised in Quincy, Illinois in 1968 check than Sanford and found out about the poisoning conviction time amass..., played first-chair clarinet in the glee club of car crashes, which his classmates found.. It seemed Swango always had an explanation, an excuse for the first two.. Of Rosenthal 's was a class officer, worked on the yearbook and newspaper played! Of Muriel and john Virgil Swango memorial students, alumni, and members. Photos, publicity photos, publicity photos, including production stills, photos... Competence to practice Medicine his classmates found peculiar that he used to reestablish himself as a laboratory for... Illinois, USA at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where he served.