True Crime Friday: Christopher Duntsch, The Neurosurgeon Killer

Christopher Daniel Duntsch is a neurosurgeon that maimed and killed his patient. The ones he did not murder were left with handicaps by his negligence. Christopher Duntsch was born April, 3, 1971, in Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. While working at several hospitals he injured many patients and had two deaths by his hand. Christopher Daniel Duntsch was accused of injuring 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years before his license was revoked. In 2017, Duntsch was convicted of maiming one of his patients and sentenced to life in prison. It is the first known case of a doctor being convicted of murder.

The Early Childhood of Christopher Daniel Duntsch

Christopher Duntsch spent most of his youth in Memphis, Tennessee. Christopher’s father named Donald, was a physical therapist and his mother, Susan, was a schoolteacher. He was the oldest of four children. Christopher Duntsch was a high school football player. Although Duntsch was a good football player he just was not a stand out star at the University of Memphis. Not being able to pursue and succeed at being a football player had a profound effect upon Duntsch. It was at this time in his life where he decided that a medical career is what he wanted to pursue.

The Facilities Where Christopher Daniel Duntsch Butchered and Murdered Patients

He completed his undergraduate degree in 1995, then continued on to an MD/PHD program. He completed the program in 2010 at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center where he subsequently completed a spine fellowship program at the Semmes-Murphey Clinic in Memphis. He had fewer than 100 surgeries which is not the norm. Generally, neurosurgery residents participate in over 1,000 surgeries in the course of their residency.

It was reported that Christopher was using drugs while operating on patients during his fourth year residency. He was sent to a rehab center where he remained for several months before being allowed to return to the residency program. Duntsch's was said to be a hard partier using drugs and alcohol frequently.

He was also a regular at strip clubs in Memphis, Tennessee. He met Wendy Renee Young a dancer at a strip club. They became romantically involved and she soon moved in with him. They went on to have two sons together, though they had broken up just prior to the birth of their second son in September 2014.

Duntsch focused heavily on the PhD half of his degree but since he was in debt and had a family he decided to become a neurosurgeon. Duntsch and Young moved to Texas with their family in tow. Duntsch joined Baylor Scott and White Medical Center as a minimally invasive spine surgeon. The job paid very well with a salary of $600,000 per year and bonuses.

His tenure at Baylor was unimpressive said some of his fellow peers. Duntsch made a poor impression on his fellow surgeons. He boasted about his abilities despite being so new to the area.

The Victims of Christopher Duntsch

Some victims are not listed because of privacy reasons. He had at least 38 victims and two of them died. The below victims either died or a lawsuit was filed making their names public.

Baylor Scott and White Medical Center

• Kenneth Fennell
• Lee Passmore
• Barry Morguloff
• Jerry Summers
• Kellie Martin

Dallas Medical Center

• Floella Brown
• Mary Efurd

Frisco Ambulatory Surgery Center

• Jeff Cheney
• Philip Mayfield
• Marshall "Tex" Muse
• Jacqueline Troy

Methodist Hospital

• Jeff Glidewell

Some of the Victims Filed Lawsuits

Three former patients Mary Efurd, Kenneth Fennel and Lee Passmore  filed lawsuits against Baylor only to have former attorney general and now current Governor Greg Abbott intervene to defend Baylor. The lawsuits payout was capped to $250.000.00. Baylor made $65, 000 on every spinal surgery performed by Duntsch.

Lady Justice

Almost a year and a half after his license was revoked in April of 2014, Duntsch was arrested in Dallas. He was charged with six felonies of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, five counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and one count of injury to an elderly person. The last charge was for the maiming and paralyzing of Efurd. The conviction of Duntsch has been called a precedent-setting case because this is the first time in U.S. history that a physician has been convicted on criminal charges for actions in the course of their medical work. Duntsch is serving life in prison without parole.

Reference

Christopher Duntsch: The Remorseless Killer Surgeon Called 'Dr. Death' (allthatsinteresting.com)

Christopher Duntsch - Wikipedia

Who Is Christopher Duntsch, The Man Nicknamed 'Dr. Death' Who Injured Patients During Surgery - CBS Colorado (cbsnews.com)

Who Were The Victims Of Dr. Christopher Duntsch? | Crime News (oxygen.com)