[2] Upon his return from Vietnam, John Swango became depressed and he and his wife Muriel divorced. John Virgil Swango used to serve in the Vietnam War of the 1960s. With the prodigious investigative reporting that has defined his Pulitzer Prizewinning career, James B. Stewart has tracked down survivors, relatives of victims, and shaken coworkers to unearth the evidence that may finally lead to Swangos conviction. Talley telephoned Jordan Cohen, the dean at Stony Brook. Swango's father, Virgil, was a Marine officer -- the family might be thought of as the Cleavers but starring the Great Santini. He passed all 476 tests, however unorthodox his methods, and all of his courses, including anatomy. based on information from your browser. In other words, Stewart does the work that hospital administrators and supervising physicians in Ohio, South Dakota, and New York should have done. . After being formally indicted on July 17, 2000, he pleaded not guilty; however, on September 6, he pleaded guilty to murder and fraud charges to avoid death penalty in New York and extradition to Zimbabwe. He received an honorable discharge in 1980. He didn't want Michael to become an antiwar activist like his older brother, Bob.Virgil needn't have worried; Michael seemed oblivious to the social and political upheavals sweeping the country. On August 23, 1985, Swango was convicted of aggravated battery for poisoning co-workers. "Swango gave Rosenthal a blank look. In July 1998, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. The capsule, which could have been carried on the tip of an umbrella, contained a poison called ricin, a castor-bean derivative that causes fever, vomiting, and finally massive blood clots throughout the body. As the Bulgarian crossed the busy Waterloo Bridge in central London in September 1978, he felt a faint pricking on his thigh. When John Harvey Swango was born on 19 November 1881, in Novelty, Knox, Missouri, United States, his father, Elijah Swango, was 44 and his mother, Mary Ellen Walters, was 35. Following his graduation, Swango went to medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU). He next found residency at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, where he again started poisoning patients. [2] The FBI obtained a warrant charging Swango with using fraudulent credentials to gain entry to a Veterans Affairs hospital.[11]. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. In contrast to high school, he pursued few outside activities. But it was also because Rosenthal didn't like being around Swango. None of the workers had died, but they could have, Cashman said. Joseph Michael Swango was born on October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington to Muriel and John Virgil Swango. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. John Virgil Swango also liked the strict ethical and moral foundation of the Catholic curriculum. 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. He was a talented pianist and spent many evenings playing classical music for his mother. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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". That Thanksgiving Day, the Discovery Channel aired an episode of Justice Files that included a segment on Swango. John Virgil Swango photos, including production stills, premiere photos and other event photos, publicity photos, behind-the-scenes, and more. Even Swango finally recognized that he couldn't adequately describe the region's anatomical characteristics using his own handiwork. John lived in 1850, at address, Kentucky. One of the first clinical assignments medical students receive is to take histories and perform physicals "H & P's" on hospital patients. Please try your request again later. Michael was the second of Muriel and John Virgil Swango's three sons. 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. "Muriel proudly reported to family members that Michael had been accepted at several medical schools. At the time, a unanimous vote was required for a student to be dismissed. Wacaser raved about Swango. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Updated: September 25, 2013 Biography ID: 157019722 A medical thriller from Pulitzer Prizewinning author James B. Stewart about serial killer doctor Michael Swango and the medical community that chose to turn a blind eye on his criminal activities. If a medical school thought it might be interested, then, and only then, would it send a candidate its own application. "That's the heart, Mike," Folce said, sarcastically emphasizing the word "heart." (Richard Kerkering, Muriel's son from a previous marriage, lived with his father.) Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. The book was in good conditions when it arrived. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt. [15], Additionally, prosecutors found evidence that Swango lied about the death of Cynthia Ann McGee, a patient he treated during his internship at OSU. Chillingly thorough.Wonderfully done.An elaborate journalistic reconstruction that has the fascination of an acutely observed and troubling novel. He attended Millikin University in Decatur, where he did well academically. 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. Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story Of A Doctor Who Got Away With Murder. One nurse caught him injecting some "medicine" into a patient who later became strangely ill.[2], The nurses reported their concerns to administrators but were met with accusations of paranoia. Rosenthal went up to Swango and asked him why he did such a thing. Historical records matching Colonel Virgil Swango John V Swango in 1920 United States Federal Census Virgil Swango in 1930 United States Federal Census view all Immediate Family Muriel Swango wife Private child Private parent John Harvey Swango father Private sibling Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6291859/louise-b-hoener Students interview patients, record their medical histories, undertake routine physical examinations, and post the results on the patients' charts. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. The family constantly relocated because of his fathers job, but finally settled in Quincy, Illinois in 1968. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. R. Z. Sheppard Time magazine James B. Stewart's Blind Eye is a persuasive case against Dr. Michael Swango. : Judge Jacob Mishler sentenced him to three consecutive life terms, which he is serving at ADX Florence near Florence, Colorado. Ten to fifteen closed-book tests were given every Saturday morning on the modules that had been covered in classes that week. Failed to report flower. Please try again. But naturally, Swango's eagerness made a favorable impression on Wacaser, who found him remarkably pleasant and industrious. 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. 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. Stewart penetrates the hermetically sealed world of medicine. Swango's assignment was the hip and buttock region, including the gluteus muscles.Students had keys to the anatomy lab and could come and go on their own time. For when his presentation finally came, and he unveiled his dissection, his fellow students gasped. He was forced out after being caught working on a scrapbook of disasters on work time. Born on 26 Aug 1914. In July 1992, he began working at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Each time, Swango had been the floor intern. It was almost as big a debacle as the cadaver incident, for any medical student this close to getting his degree should have been able to recognize the heart on an X ray. Please try again. Today, as Michael Swango sits in a Colorado prison, we discuss his life, crimes, and family history. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Bob and John were educated at public schools, but -- largely at the insistence . Dashing into the hallway between tests seemed perilously close to cheating, though it wasn't expressly forbidden. Knowing that he would likely face the death penalty for his crimes in Zimbabwe, Swango began talks for a plea agreement. Around this time, Swango met Kristin Lynn Kinney, a nurse at Riverside Hospital. , Simon & Schuster; First Printing edition (June 15, 2000), Language Perhaps Swango knew how to cover his tracks in the places he practiced, or maybe the authorities investigating him are inept--or possibly he is not guilty, and his career has been haunted by deadly circumstance after deadly circumstance. Each test covered a curricular "module," such as heart murmurs, within one of the core topics, such as the heart. Swango's odyssey is so compelling that I became riveted. Read more Product details Publisher : Simon & Schuster; First Printing edition (June 15, 2000) This book is well researched, but this serial killer was so prolific it gets repetitive. Given his excellent academic record and test-taking ability, Swango would have been a strong candidate. There was a problem getting your location. That way Swango was usually on the scene even before Wacaser, and sometimes before the patients themselves. There is a problem with your email/password. I gave it to my sister as a Christmas gift so I don't really know how the book is but judging by the cover, it was HE A V Y Y BOI. The wedding took place in St. Rose of Lima church in Quincy Illinois. The incredible true stories of killer killers who shocked the world. 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. Others were killed in action, including the five TCU alum killed in Vietnam in 1967. : Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. He died on January 29, 1982 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. And his violation of the antimoonlighting policy was particularly brazen, for the Springfield hospitals the ambulances served were affiliated with SIU and staffed with many SIU residents and professors. The AMA did a more thorough background check than Sanford and found out about the poisoning conviction. These staffers soon realized what Swango was doing, but no one on the faculty complained. Amid the AMA report and calls from frightened colleagues, Sanford fired Swango. He found doctors, nurses, health-care administrators and patients from stage after stage of Swango's career who believed the medical profession had allowed a bad apple into the barrel. [2], 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. When Effie Walls, a kindly patient whom Rosenthal had met, and whom Swango had been treating for an injury, died suddenly after a visit from Swango, he scrawled "DIED" over her name as well. Learn more about merges. As some classmates described it, it was as though he had done his dissection using a chain saw rather than a scalpel. View Essay - E9. But during his first year, a girlfriend broke off their relationship. On a form he submitted to the college's public information office, he falsely claimed that he had received both a Bronze Star for heroism in combat, and a Purple Heart for combat wounds during his relatively brief tenure as a Marine.Swango was an outstanding student at Quincy College. After two tours in Vietnam in the 1960's, Virgil retired as a colonel, then returned to Vietnam with the Agency for . Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. He is serving a 42-month sentence in a federal prison at Sheridan, Ore. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. (Richard Kerkering, Muriel's son from a previous marriage, lived with his father.) Rosenthal and Swango were partners, and at Rosenthal's suggestion, they chose to discuss the repair of certain defects through open-heart surgery. Today, as Michael Swango sits in a Colorado prison, we discuss his life, crimes, and family history. E9: El Malvado Caso de Michael Swango INTRODUCCIN. 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. The couple fell in love and planned to marry once they got settled. There was enough evidence for Immigration and Naturalization Service agents to arrest Swango in June 1997, on a layover at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on his way to Saudi Arabia. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. John had 8 siblings: Calvin Swango, Stephen Swango and 6 other siblings. 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. Buried in Quincy, Illinois, USA. On July 11, 2000, less than a week before he was due to be released from prison on the fraud charge, federal prosecutors on Long Island filed a criminal complaint charging Swango with three counts of murder, one count of assault and one count each of false statements, mail fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Swango had assembled several slides and gave a creditable, if unmemorable, performance.But given that the topic was heart surgery, his subsequent performance in class was baffling. He was a gifted medical student and doctor and a former Marine. Although he was a brilliant student, he preferred to work as an ambulance attendant rather than concentrate on his studies. Well, Cashman said, Swango was a medical doctor suspected by the FBI of killing at least 60 patients. During this time, the government dug up bodies of his victims and found evidence for at least four murders. From the best known to the least told, in this incredible one-of-a-kind book. 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. 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. Curiously, in the same yearbook he described his "ambition" as "to be an Illinois State Trooper. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Swango served in the Marine Corps, graduating from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. Since the latest Swango incident took place at a Veterans Affairs facility, federal authorities got involved. This was the case not just at the country's most prestigious institutions, but also at newer, less well-known medical schools such as Southern Illinois University. Soon after the FBI alerted the company, Swango was fired for lying on his job application. Mary Grace Vahlkamp worked at the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy Illinois in its dietary department. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He had suspected that sudden deaths of some patients were due to Swango, but had no proof at that stage. Bob and John were educated at public schools, but largely at the . IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie TV and celebrity content. But minimal college counseling was available in Quincy, his parents were relatively unsophisticated about higher education outside the military, and almost all his classmates stayed close to home; consequently, Swango's horizons seem to have been limited. He was immediately fired. When a patient Swango had seen died, he scrawled "DIED" in large capital letters across the person's name. Menu. This book chronicles the life of Michael Swango from his childhood until the present. Source: Daily News, 22 Aug 1987. No one ever heard him play the clarinet or the piano again.Michael completed basic training at the Marines' boot camp at San Diego, where he was trained as a rifleman, earning the designation of sharpshooter. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Swango was formally indicted on July 17, 2000 and pleaded not guilty. It was also his first official step on the path to becoming a physician under suspicion. He lives in New York. Higher-ups in the medical establishment are more intent on safeguarding the reputation and bottom line of the employing hospital, perhaps at the expense of their patients. [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. The signal sent medical students flocking to the parties, which were often rowdy affairs where they could blow off steam. 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