Dr. Death's Christopher Duntsch Is Now Serving a Life Sentence Jodi Smith. Kyler Alvord leads PEOPLE's politics coverage as a news editor for the brand. Probably with any medical story, really, you want to be most careful with the patients themselves. Dr. Death is not a show that you should consider watching right before your next trip to the doctor's office. The good news is, is we had thousands of pages of research, thousands of pages of court documents, tons of hours of interviews. And by doing that, then you also bring in his patients. So it really came down to the reporting and the telling of the story itself. JOSHUA JACKSON: Well, the first key and probably the most difficult hurdle for me to get over was to not judge him. Speaking only for myself, I could have listened to seven hours of the incredibly graphic stuff. The Peacock limited series Dr. Death is in many ways much more a horror story than a drama, but the villain at its center is all too real. [3] See Kim's most controversial Met Gala looks after 'offensive' Marilyn gown, Inside Teen Mom Jenelle's ex Andrew's humble New York life away from Jace, Kourtney Kardashians thin frame drowns in baggy jeans as she rocks sultry red lips, Wheel of Fortune brings back contestant 'treated unfairly' in rare gesture, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jerry Summers, who died earlier this year, claimed Christopher Duntsch gave him his 'first hit of acid', Christopher, known as Dr Death, was Jerry's friend and the surgeon who performed the botched operation on him in 2011, Jerry claimed he'd 'never taken a hit of acid' before doing so with Christopher, Along with a docuseries, Peacock also has a Dr Death scripted show, where Joshua Jackson plays the titular character, Dr Death - Trailer for the Peacock series based on the true story of Christopher Duntsch. He's a psychopath. Well, if you want to just put in there that after the first episode its a lot less gruesome. In terms of the production, were you shooting at all chronologically or was itwere you kind of bouncing between time periods? Death' Review: Joshua Jackson Is Terrific in Terrifying Peacock Series That's as Sharp as a Scalpel, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Characters Ranked by Likeability, 10 Sitcoms With Content That Hasn't Aged Well, 'Baby J' Doesn't Show Us the Real John Mulaney and That's a Good Thing. His resume included a combined MD/PhD program and neurosurgical residency at The University of Tennessee at Memphis College of Medicine and was bolstered by a prestigious spine surgery fellowship in the city, a research patent under his name and published academic papers. And that was just one case from Baylor-Plano. KEEP READING: 'Dr. And that was a revolutionary act. I spoke to her by phone this week about the series itself, and about the challenges of working in a new medium. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The former doctor will not be eligible for parole until 2045 when he will be 74 years old. One woman remembered Duntsch taking LSD and cocaine throughout one night, before leaving the next morning for his hospital shift. I have to say, it was nice to do something different. For you, coming at it with the job of trying to dramatize this story, what was key to approaching that? Follow her on Twitter at @lizlet. He did his surgical residency at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, spending five years studying neurosurgery and a year studying general surgery. I mean, the guy who you think is guilty from the first episode really is guilty. But everyone around him, not wittingly or willingly, ended up sort of encouraging all of his worst attributes. Naomi Martin. Follow her on Twitter at @lizlet. By the time we get to Jeff Glidewell, its horrible. Right? ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY What is Dr. Death's origin story? At first I thought it was simply my world and that it was too much for you. One thing I learned is that there are a lot fewer details if youre asking people to hold the story in their heads. Christopher Duntsch may be the most famous neurosurgeon in Texas. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. And that disconnect from reality, I found really compelling. Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2023, The True Story Behind Netflix's 'The Good Nurse', The True Story Behind Hulu's 'Welcome to Chippendales'. and Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Center. He is absolutely a narcissistic sociopath. Duntsch's criminal defense attorney claims her client made honest mistakes while performing risky surgeries. In 2011, Jerry agreed to letChristopherperform cervical fusion surgery at Baylor Medical Center in Plano, Texas on him. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital 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 Duntschs story takes place. And by not stopping a narcissistic sociopath, you're encouraging a narcissistic sociopath. I am somebody who adores the genre of horror. According to D Magazine, Duntsch did so well in medical school that he was allowed to join the prestigiousAlpha Omega Medical Honor Society. For example, I never knew before I started this that I had such strong feelings about sound effects. But the meta statement of "my gosh, a show can be shot by three women, who knew" we were 75 years past the place of thinking "can three men shoot a show all by themselves?" Well, thats what takes six episodes to tell. Caroline is a writer and Florida-transplant currently living in New York City. I limited myself to those emails that were produced as evidence in the trial, because the D.A. Despite her qualifications as a reporter, Beil was also a podcast newbie. Yeah, I mean, what strikes me about it so much is that, you can see that, and you can also see why we need systems that clearly weren't working in this case. Two patients died from his actions and many more suffered permanent injuries, including his best friend, who left Duntsch's operating room paralyzed. KEEP READING: 'Dr. In order to tell the story they hired Laura Beil as the lead reporter. Death' Based on a Shocking True Story, Joshua Jackson Becomes a Dangerous 'Sociopath' Surgeon in 'Dr. I think Ava is the first person to have a completely female directed show on Queen Sugar. Duntsch, 44, is being held in the Dallas County Jail on $600,000 bail on charges involving the death of one patient. So, to be able to have someone who a true believer in the system in Henderson play up against somebody who is, for lack of a better or more tropy word, a maverick within the system, in Dr. Kirby, and to have a character like Kirby who infuses humor into everything that he does, the real life character, I think, we underplayed his humor quite frankly, was a blessing or a gift as you say to us as writers. Death' Review: Joshua Jackson Is Terrific in Terrifying Peacock Series That's as Sharp as a Scalpel. The former American neurosurgeon was convicted for gross malpractice of maiming . Hes cutting arteries. Coverage of Duntschs case, the podcast series and the now-streaming Peacock series all make sure to underscore that his story is part of a major systemic failurea common theme in true crime stories. Heres what to know about Duntsch, what he did and how he was eventually stopped. Before going to medical school, Duntsch wanted to be a pro-football player. Following training, Duntsch settled in the Dallas area in 2011, joining the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute in Plano as a practicing physician. Death. I was gifted the opportunity to tell it. Dr. Death is a podcast produced by Wondery that focuses on egregious cases of medical malpractice.The podcast is hosted and reported by Laura Beil and premiered September 4, 2018. Thats why we have these hours and hours of tape, but that said, there are a few fundamentals that were wrong. So we had all of the tools at our disposal. Right? Death' Review: Joshua Jackson Is Terrific in Terrifying Peacock Series That's as Sharp as a Scalpel. You just reminded me, that was another danger that we were really grappling with. In the doc, Jerry, who died in February from an infection connected to the botched surgery Christopher performed on him in 2011, gave an interview about their friendship and the operation that eventually led to his death. Jennifer Morrison, I've actually known for a very long time. Were there podcasts that you looked to as an example, or that sort of influenced you when you knew you were going to be doing a podcast story like this? So many podcast series, from Serial to S-Town to the incomparable In The Dark, set out to solve a mystery. You had people that had lost loved ones, one of Duntschs defense attorneys told ProPublica. And so, thats really what I zeroed in on, the whole systemic failure that allowed this to happen. 'Dr. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients - People I can't think of a more enormous responsibility than trying to find an actor to play that role. But I started listening to a whole lot more podcasts after. 5 years after 'Dr. Death,' doctors still come to Texas to leave pasts If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. After this look at Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. Did you find out if this guy was torturing animals as a child or anything like that? So for those of us at just the human level who are interacting with them, we have to realize that we don't just need the systems that have been created to operate better. And so, in the end, I did have to trust them, and I do. WFAA-TVChristopher Duntsch a.k.a. Death' Gets Life in Prison for Botched Surgery, How Other Doctors Tried and Failed to Stop Texas' 'Dr. Duntsch declined a reporter's request for a jailhouse interview Tuesday. Dr. Christopher Duntsch had the hallmarks of an impressive neurosurgeon, at least in theory. And then in this case, it seems like if there is a mystery its just, what is this guys deal? The first one is the most graphic. The first season of Dr. Death, which launched in 2018 and ran for seven episodes, examined the life and horrific crimes of Christopher Duntsch. He had a very small but vitally important role. My wife laughs at me all the time about it. 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But the truth was far more complex. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. Martin would become Duntschs first casualty when she bled out in intensive care unit after her relatively common procedure. My instinct was that the only way, that this man has to be evil, because there has to be a reason why all of this spectacularly bad stuff happened and the simplest and easiest answers he's evil. The Real Story Behind the Dr. Death Podcast - Christopher Duntsch Dr Death Christopher Duntsch's late patient Jerry Summers - The Sun He was charming. Dr. Death: The Undoctored Story starts streaming on Peacock Thursday, July 29. JACKSON: We were bouncing between time periods a lot. "Never ever f***ing argue with me and banter or what the f*** ever in front of anyone. I listened to this with some friends at one point, and there was a lot of cringing at the medical butchery descriptions. These are doctors who didn't sign up to become heroes, right? And because while we, as patients were told, well, the patient comes first. Of course, a pediatrician couldnt have done as much damage. Its those two question combined the lurid, unstoppable search for an ultimate motive, and the more concrete question of how the medical system allowed this to happen and how we can fix it that make listening to Dr. Death feel like youre eating cake and taking your medicine at the same time. Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com. This thrilling drama is based on a hit podcast of the same. You had people in walkers. In July, he performed an operation on a woman who lost a tremendous amount of blood and lost consciousness upon waking up after surgery. Duntsch agreed by voicemail to an interview for this story on Wednesday, but did not return subsequent calls for comment. Who Is Wendy Young, The Mother Of Christopher Duntsch's Children, And Well, thank you for your time. Since sentencing, Christopher Duntsch has been serving time at the O.B. From the people that I talked to First of all, only Duntsch knows that, and I cant read his mind. Stars of 'Tiger King' : Where Are They Now? And never when i not standing there. Ellis Unit in Huntsville and will be. When I listened to the podcast, when I got into the conversation with Patrick Macmanus, when he gave me all the research material, I so wanted to make him evil. had hundreds, but I figured the most important ones were the ones that play a role in the trial. I gathered very quickly that everything that he had accomplished in sports had come with the sweat equity, one old teammate told ProPublica in 2018. Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater join the cast as two doctors who try to stop Duntsch from causing further harm. When he arrived in Dallas in late 2010, Duntsch's resume spoke of a skilled neurosurgeon: An M.D. That was a big focus of Collider's one-on-one interview with Joshua Jackson, who spoke openly about the differences between the American and Canadian health care systems and why it's an important step for shows like Dr. Death to include an all-female directing team (Maggie Kiley, Jennifer Morrison, and So Yong Kim directed the eight episodes). The podcast series and ProPublica report that Duntsch was ordered by the university to take a drug test, but managed to avoid it. According to Summers, he first met Duntsch in junior high school in Tennessee when they both played football together and remembered him being a "real smart" and "hard-working guy." As an undergraduate in college, Duntsch even lived with Summers and Summers' grandmother. Christophers baby mama Wendy Young described him and Jerry as the party boys, and Jerry described just how true that was. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. And then for his early background, I relied on the testimony that his parents and his family gave at his trial, where they talked about his history. Because that one where he says that, Im God, Einstein, and I do what I want, but also I control things behind the scenes without anyone knowing in the same sentence that just cracked me up. So while I was writing in August and September of 2018, I had asked to reach out. And so, there were times that I would say, Do we really need to have ? And they were open to it all. Theyre not just props in your story, they are real people whove lived this, and you need to just be respectful of that, and not fall into tropes, and not exaggerate what theyve been through, but also not diminish it. You can take in more from a printed article. She is also a produced playwright, a host of podcasts, and a repository of "X-Files" trivia. He is serving his sentence at the O.B. He thinks he's the hero of this story. Dr. Death in surgery. Life After "Death": Lethal Surgeon Sentenced to PrisonWATCH NEXT: Former patient of Dr. Duntsch discusses botched surgery (1 of 5) https://youtu.be/9JwAnjnDs. Patrick Macmanus also explains why the show's supporting characters were such a gift. Dr. Death: Where Is Christopher Duntsch Today? - Grunge And that's only four years ago. Christopher, known as Dr Death, was Jerry's friend and the surgeon who performed the botched operation on him in 2011 Credit: Dallas County Sheriff's office The four-part docuseries features old. And then the rest were injuries. Do you want to add anything? When we are alone, my love for you will let you do so because that is your nature. It would be easy to say he is a psychopath who was doing all of this on purpose, because that's easy for us to wrap our brains around, right? She was a National Magazine Award finalist in 2016 and in 2018 won the Victor Cohen Prize for medical science reporting. How did this happen? He had 15 years of medical training under his belt, his CV reportedly spanned 12 single-spaced pages and he exuded confidence all of which landed him a job performing minimally invasive spinal surgeries. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. You listen in horror to what feel like slow-motion car wrecks, captured in Wonderys signature immersive soundscape, as Duntsch drills screws meant to anchor bone into soft tissue and inexplicably snips nerve bundles that control important motor functions, causing irreparable harm. Jamie Dornan was originally attached to play Christopher in the beginning. In February 2012, he went under the knife for an elective spinal fusion surgery. In America, health is a service. So, the other big mystery as you already pointed out was like, how did the medical system allow this to happen? Those are the words that Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas neurosurgeon, wrote to his girlfriend in 2011 in the midst of a two-year period that left 33 of his 38 patients maimed, wounded or dead. He is currently appealing this sentence. Christopher Duntsch gave me my first hit of acid.. In this case, Duntsch remained a popular hire in part because neurosurgeons bring more revenue to the hospitals they work for than nearly any other medical specialty, and officials are unlikely to second-guess a candidate with stellar credentials and recommendations.
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