The four-part docuseries features old footage and new interviews to tell more of the story about the neurosurgeon who was sentenced to prison after maiming or killing more than 30 patients. He was putting stuff in the wrong place. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. 'Dr. Death' Surgeon Killed or Maimed 33 of His Patients - People He chose Dallas after learning that Young had family near the city and she offered to go with him. That would be my guess. And so there was no world where they were going to let him speak to me. So I think that's a totally valid question and I'm happy to be a part of now several shows that have been part of moving in that direction, but the feet needed to be held to the fire so that we don't slide back. So, in this case, it was just a lot that went wrong, starting with the fact of Duntsch himself. I was gifted the opportunity to tell it. I don't believe that anybody in any of the administrations were actively trying to encourage this man to do what he did. What are the potential pitfalls for you as a reporter? 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Was there anything that was particularly hard not to include? You can take in more from a printed article. This time on 53-year-old Mary Efurd. Christophers baby mama Wendy Young described him and Jerry as the party boys, and Jerry described just how true that was. You have reached your limit of free articles. One woman remembered Duntsch taking LSD and cocaine throughout one night, before leaving the next morning for his hospital shift. Christopher Duntsch was allowed to keep on moving because he himself represented value in the specialty that he was in, in frankly, the face that he presented, he was valuable to these institutions. The series, a lightly fictionalized version of the podcast, stars Joshua Jackson as the slick and overconfident Duntsch. So many of these serialized investigative podcasts, they tend to grow out of some kind of mystery. Before working with him, Dr. Hoyle said that he didnt know how to feel about his fellow surgeon. So the training craft is being downloaded to a new generation of people whose faces look much more diverse than just a bunch of me-s. And that's good, but we're not there yet. We've told lots and lots and lots of our stories. Out of his 38 surgeries, only three had no complications. Duntsch was offered a $600,000 advance and a temporary suite in a luxury hotel to come to Dallas while the couple searched for a new home in Plano, according to a 2018 "Dr. Death" podcast, which inspired the Peacock series. Dr. Death in surgery. I had seen Josh in When They See Us. Naysha Lopez hilariously previews 'fashion' and 'some ugly stuff' on, Kandy Muse will be 'the main character' of. During this time, he ran two successful labs and raised millions of dollars in grant funding. And I had none of those things. Ive been writing in print for a long time, so I really enjoyed the chance to do something different. 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). Where Is Dr. Death Now? - Here's Where Christopher Duntsch Is Today in 2021 Once you got past Mary Efurd, I really didnt need to get into all that, because you got it. So, he would have the title of neurosurgeon, but he wouldnt actually have to do surgery. When he woke up, he was a quadriplegic with incomplete paralysis. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. But depositions from Duntschs peers who knew him around that time period, between 2006 and 2008, point to cracks in the facade. I kind of wanted there to be three hours more of that, but when I was listening to it with some friends, they were putting their hands over their heads and saying No, no, no! They never turned it off though, which I think is telling, but it seemed like they were having a hard time listening. Were there any surgeries that he actually did correctly? [3] And by bringing him into the center portion of the story, you essentially are asking the audience to have compassion or empathy for him, to understand him. I believe that it was an outgrowth of the fact that by the time these administrations caught up with what he was doing, they had already moved him on. You have to be very careful with that. 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. Even worse, some of the patients never got the chance to wake up. And so, that was one of my goals to start out with, is to just report the hell out of it. Their efforts to stop him, as documented both in the podcast and show, take a long time, as Duntsch moves between hospitals and continues injuring patients. It mightve taken longer. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. And so, I think thats what made him an attractive hire. So we shot the episodes in three different bricks. Who Is Kimberly Morgan, 'Dr. Death' Christopher Duntsch's Assistant 'Sociopath' Surgeon Duntsch Arrested for Shoplifting Pants She came in to have two vertebrae fused, but when she woke up she experienced severe pain and couldnt stand. I started this back in December, and I started listening to a bunch of podcasts really carefully after this. Yeah. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Philip Mayfield, one of Christopher Duntschs patients, who was paralyzed after his surgery. It was a gold mine. And, that is something that I've talked about dating back three years ago I don't want to undermine whatever modicum of talent that I brought to the table, I definitely don't want to undermine our writers because if it weren't for them, we wouldn't have the show that we have, but it was, in many ways, a ready baked-in story, right? The episodes will include interviews from Duntsch's ex-girlfriend, who mothered his two children; his best friend, who he paralyzed during an operation; several of Duntsch's former colleagues, including a surgeon who physically tried to stop him during a surgery gone awry; and other victims and lawyers close to the case. The podcast series and ProPublica report that Duntsch was ordered by the university to take a drug test, but managed to avoid it. Dr Christopher Duntsch - YouTube The value of the doctors, right? At the same time, Duntsch was operating on another woman, and the staff in the room said they were unsure whether he was putting hardware in the right places and noticed he kept drilling and removing screws. That woman woke up in pain, unable to move. And that disconnect from reality, I found really compelling. Planes crash because lots of smaller things go wrong at the same time. But those graphic descriptions are only in the first episode, because you had to know. And what happened after shows how Duntsch was able to continue working as a surgeon in Texas, despite the trail of broken trust, chronic pain and death he left behind. The Peacock limited series, based on the Wondery podcast, covers the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson), whose surgical career ruined the lives of numerous people patients who trusted that he would help them get better. had hundreds, but I figured the most important ones were the ones that play a role in the trial. What storytelling tools did you discover from working in a podcast format that you didnt have before, or maybe didnt think about before? In July, he performed an operation on a woman who lost a tremendous amount of blood and lost consciousness upon waking up after surgery. That is a wonderful question. I think Patrickhe chose a very difficult path of how to tell this story, particularly by centering Duntsch. When he arrived in Dallas in late 2010, Duntsch's resume spoke of a skilled neurosurgeon: An M.D. It's just a very different way of thinking about interacting. I can tell you that, with the intention of allowing audiences to come to their own conclusions, my conclusion is that Christopher is an extraordinarily complex and tragic figure. After this look at Christopher Duntsch a.k.a. In July 2015, a grand jury indicted Dr. Death on five counts of aggravated assault and one count of harming an elderly person, his patient Mary Efurd, according to Rolling Stone. So I think we're getting towards a better place. He was affable. Ellis Unit in Huntsville and will be. She was a National . Im not saying it was the systems fault. and a Ph.D. from a top-tier medical school, a decade of experience, and a central role in a pioneering stem-cell treatment. Duntsch declined a reporter's request for a jailhouse interview Tuesday. I have to figure out how to humanize this guy.'. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. Well, thats what takes six episodes to tell. He decided hed be a neurosurgeon and was not going to let anything, including lack of skill or training, stop him in his quest. Yeah, and I listened to it twice, happily. The Peacock limited series, based on the Wondery podcast, covers the true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (played by Joshua Jackson ), whose surgical career ruined the lives of numerous. But theres one lucky person who escaped, you know? They did a lot of cutting to my script, because Im used to print where you can put a few more details in, and you can have a little more have other characters, or other names, or other information in, because when you are reading, if you miss it, you can just go back and check. Over this period, Duntsch performed back surgeries that left his patients in a worse condition, paralyzed, or deceased. Of those 38, 31 were leftparalyzed or seriously injured and two of them died from surgical complications. This attitude and outlook stuck with Duntsch as he set out to achieve something beyond football and landed on surgery. Right? You did have a crusading whistleblower character in there. The True Story Behind Peacock's 'Dr. Death' | Time Only years later would the Dallas district attorneys office discover through a search of hospital records that although a typical neurosurgery resident completes about 1,000 operations during their training, Duntsch had actually done fewer than 100. Duntsch had his surgical rights temporarily suspended after his botched surgery on Summers and his first patient back was 55-year-old Kellie Martin. No one but Christopher Duntsch can know exactly what hewas thinkingwhen the. On paper, Duntsch was a star pick for any hospital system once he completed his residency, thanks to years of research and study of the use of stem cells and several strong recommendations from his prior supervisors. Two patients died from his actions and many more suffered permanent injuries, including his best friend, who left Duntsch's operating room paralyzed. "This defendant single-handedly. I spoke to her by phone this week about the series itself, and about the challenges of working in a new medium. As those watching the show know, Christopher was dubbed "Dr. Death" in D Magazine for his botched surgeries that caused the death of several patients and left others with disabling injuries. On that note, tell me a little bit about your background. Duntsch, who declined KXAN's multiple requests for an interview, was sentenced to life in prison on Feb. 20, 2017. Duntsch's criminal defense attorney claims her client made honest mistakes while performing risky surgeries. The first operation he conducted in this capacity was to fix a womans compressed nerveduring the surgery, he cut an important vessel in the womans spinal cord and she bled to death. Creator/Executive Producer Patrick Macmanus (Homecoming, Happy) knew he had a ready-made hit in Dr. Death when he first learned the story of Christopher Duntsch, the Texas neurosurgeon who permanently maimed and killed patients during routine procedures. Dr. Death: How Many People Did Christopher Duntsch Kill - POPSUGAR It. And from that, it became apparent that the story is really about our healthcare system. RELATED: Joshua Jackson on Playing 'Dr. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY What is Dr. Death's origin story? I limited myself to those emails that were produced as evidence in the trial, because the D.A. Duntsch, better known today as "Dr. Death," moved to Dallas in 2010 with impressive qualifications. "Between god, Einstein and the antichrist", Anyone close to me thinks that I likely am something between god, Einstein and the antichrist. Later, following another accusation that he was abusing drugs before doing surgeries, Duntsch was relegated to mostly minor surgical procedures at the hospital. 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. Because Im on there clearly, but when you can tell it through the tape, its so much better. In Canada, health is a right. And the fact that the system failed doesnt absolve him of the responsibility of what he did, and I want to make that clear. In a one-on-one interview with Collider, showrunner Patrick Macmanus explained how he approached telling the story of Duntsch's rise and fall while being fully aware that explaining his motivations would never be truly possible, how important it was to examine both Duntsch the man as well as the reasons why he was able to keep working as long as he did, and how having figures like Kirby and Henderson eased the way in adapting the podcast. And so, they wouldnt report him, so there wasnt a paper trail. 'Dr Death' Stars Share Why They Think Christopher Duntsch - TheWrap If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. And then in this case, it seems like if there is a mystery its just, what is this guys deal? Right? One patient, a childhood friend of Duntschs, went in for a spinal operation with someone he trusted and woke up a quadriplegic after the doctor damaged his vertebral artery. And I didnt need to go into all the gory details. But I did have to let go and trust them. Some people woke up paralyzed; others emerged from anesthesia to permanent pain from nerve damage. Prior to serving as Senior TV Editor at Collider, her work had been published by Vulture, Variety, The AV Club, The Hollywood Reporter, IGN, The Verge, and Thought Catalog. As long as I could do the reporting and the writing, they were willing to show me the rest, and it worked out great. I have to say, it was nice to do something different. You just reminded me, that was another danger that we were really grappling with. Thats why planes dont crash that often. The son of a physical therapist and teacher, he was known even before pursuing his medical aspirations as a person who didnt give upeven when letting go would have been the right choice. Theres a different crew at Dallas Medical Center now, but you have to think that the reason his hiring was fast-tracked was because, you know, he was a neurosurgeon and he told the administrator, Yeah, and Ive got a bunch of patients who are ready for surgery. From 2011 to 2013, dozens of patients in the Dallas area woke up after their surgeries with horrible pain, numbness and, paralysis. What was totally new was that Im a print journalist. I had an urge to do that very early in the process. We went into a mode of trying to figure out how to fill those shoes. The first season of Dr. Death, which launched in 2018 and ran for seven episodes, examined the life and horrific crimes of Christopher Duntsch. But from the inside, he sees himself as the victim of circumstance. Yeah, that was a concern. Now, a podcast called Dr. Death is breaking down the deranged surgeons criminal acts and shows how drug abuse and blinding overconfidence led to big trouble for the patients who found themselvesunderneath the spiraling doctors knife. After youve spent a night using cocaine, most people become paranoid and want to stay in the house, the woman said in the deposition, according to D Magazine. And they have a really compelling sympathetic through-character that you can sort of latch onto the whole time, like in S Town, or Serial. Was there anything you had to teach yourself in order to better tell this story? Joshua Jackson as Christopher Duntsch in 'Dr. Probably with any medical story, really, you want to be most careful with the patients themselves. Death.. One lucky person actually improved. I mean Duntsch could very easily just have been the black hat bad guy. Dr Death received a life sentenceafter being convicted of maiming one of his patients. We definitely amped up the sound effects. "Dr. Death" Memphis victim dies years after botched surgery There were some doctors and some plaintiffs attorneys, and later on journalists, who were all working to try to stop this guy. Death.'. But it ominously preceded Duntsch's short, and deadly career as a neurosurgeon in Texas, where prosecutors say he botched 33 of his 38 surgeries in less than two years. The Peacock limited series Dr. Death is in many ways much more a horror story than a drama, but the villain at . Im really appreciative to the producers for even entertaining the discussions with me as much as they did, because lets be honest, I dont know anything about making a podcast. And it wasnt that each one wasnt a tragedy in and of itself. And it isn't like cops taking down one of their own. Like, I could hear the people around me reacting. After he arrived in town, he secured a deal with the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and was given surgical rights at the hospital. We went out of our way to let your imagination do the work. A former coworker, Dr. Randall Kirby (played by Christian Slater in the Peacock series), said he watched Duntsch botch a relatively simple procedure by refusing to use a scalpel to remove a disk, instead using a different instrument that ended up causing more damage. One, since the [Mary] Efurd case in the one that eventually goes on trial, I thought it was important to know what happened in that case, so thats one.
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christopher duntsch interview