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Medical Murders

We all know that medical professionals are trained to give exceptional care. But what about those who use their skills not to heal, but hurt? In the Parcast Original, Medical Murders, you’ll discover a disturbing diagnosis… that not every doctor wants to extend your life. Every Wednesday, meet the worst the medical community has to offer—men and women who took an oath to save lives, but instead, used their expertise to develop more sinister specialties. Join host Alastair Murden, as he examines the formative years and motives of history’s most infamous killer doctors, dissecting their medical backgrounds with expert analysis provided by practicing M.D., Dr. David Kipper. 

Elizabeth Wettlaufer Pt. 2: “The ‘Red Surge’ Nurse”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 44:08

Employment at a nursing home would’ve been Elizabeth’s crowning career victory, but it proved to be a fast road to burnout. Struggling to provide medical support to so many people, she began taking her anger and exasperation out on her patients.

Elizabeth Wettlaufer Pt. 1: “The ‘Red Surge’ Nurse”

Medical Murders

  • 1.2K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 46:43

Starting in 2007, a Canadian nurse began injecting her elderly patients with lethal insulin overdoses. The inconspicuous method allowed her to escape suspicion for nearly a decade. 

Amelia Dyer Pt. 2: “Britain’s Baby Butcher”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 46:08

Over three decades, Amelia Dyer killed upwards of four hundred infants. She conned desperate mothers while fine-tuning the details of her operation, until a bargeman’s discovery in 1896 forced the baby-farmer to have a reckoning. 

Amelia Dyer Pt. 1: “Britain’s Baby Butcher”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 44:31

After her husband died 1869, nurse Amelia Dyer turned to baby-farming to avoid financial ruin. She took out ads in newspapers, and took in unwanted infants for a fee. But for Amelia, this was a business — and she was willing to do anything to keep the money coming.

Walter Freeman Pt. 2: “Ice Pick Lobotomist”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 45:03

As criticisms of lobotomy mounted, Dr. Freeman continued performing his dangerous procedure — even without patient consent. Then, with his legacy and career on the line, Freeman spent the final years of his life seeking redemption from patients.

Walter Freeman Pt. 1: “Ice Pick Lobotomist”

Medical Murders

  • 1.1K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 48:53

Neurologist Walter Freeman was a top doctor in his field. He was on the cutting edge of brain surgery, even going so far as to develop a new procedure called the 'lobotomy'. Unfortunately, it became one of the deadliest medical techniques of the 20th century.

Jane Toppan Pt. 2: “Jolly Jane”

Medical Murders

  • 1.5K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 47:37

During the summer of 1901, Nurse Jane Toppan poisoned her way to the picturesque shores of Cape Cod. When pressed for a sizable debt, she embarked on a killing spree that decimated a family. Dr. David Kipper explores how their murders went undetected, and what eventually brought the truth to light.

Jane Toppan Pt. 1: “Jolly Jane”

Medical Murders

  • 1.5K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 06:15

She surpassed all expectations when she became the most sought after nurse in eastern Massachusetts. But instead of providing quality care, Jane Toppan preyed on the sickly and poisoned unsuspecting patients. Dr. David Kipper provides insight on Jane's arsenal of poisons as well as the rigorous demands of the modern day medical field.

Josef Mengele Pt. 2: “Auschwitz Angel of Death”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 54:25

Once he arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Josef Mengele wasted no time in carrying out ghastly experiments, particularly on twins. Dr. David Kipper takes a closer look at Mengele's bogus science, performed in the name of progress, and examines the early 20th century fascination with eugenics.

Josef Mengele Pt. 1: “Auschwitz Angel of Death”

Medical Murders

  • 1.6K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 40:50

Before he was a fanatical Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele was a mediocre student studying medicine and anthropology. Dr. David Kipper offers insight into the changing face of genetics in pre-war Germany, and digs into what might have driven Mengele’s obsession with human experimentation. 

H.H. Holmes Pt. 2: “The Torture Doctor”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 41:39

He used his medical knowledge to dispatch his victims quickly—and in some cases, to make their deaths look like accidents. But eventually the authorities caught on to Dr. Holmes, and a nationwide manhunt to stop one of history's most infamous killer doctors began. 

H.H. Holmes Pt. 1: “The Torture Doctor”

Medical Murders

  • 1.9K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 37:57

He’s often cited as America’s first serial killer. Nine of the murders committed by Dr. H.H. Holmes have been confirmed, though many suspect him of slaughtering dozens, if not hundreds, of victims between 1891 and 1894. From the beginning, he entered medicine in order to abuse the power and trust his patients placed in his hands.

Fred Shipman Pt. 2: “Dr. Death”

Medical Murders

  • 1.3K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 48:44

After starting a private practice, Dr. Shipman escalated his crimes until a slip-up alerted authorities. The subsequent inquiry into “Dr. Death” forever changed the British medical field. Dr. David Kipper examines how Shipman used his medical training to get away with murder—and why it took almost thirty years to discover what actually happened to his "heart attack" victims.

Fred Shipman Pt. 1: “Dr. Death”

Medical Murders

  • 1.9K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 46:49

Between 1974 and 1998, Dr. Shipman killed at least 218 people—more than any other serial killer in UK history. Addiction expert Dr. David Kipper sheds light on how Dr. Shipman's addiction spiraled from pethidine abuse to cold-blooded murder.

Welcome to Medical Murders!

Medical Murders

  • 1.5K views
  • over 3 years ago
  • 02:02

Last time you went to the doctor, you probably left with a prescription, some answers, and most importantly, the hope you’d recover. But some doctors betray that hope. And their only prescription... is a dosage of death. In Parcast’s newest original, Medical Murders, those who we trust to save lives—end them. Join host Alastair Murden, as he examines the formative years and motives of history’s most infamous killer doctors, dissecting their medical backgrounds with expert analysis provided by practicing M.D., Dr. David Kipper.  Medical Murders, premieres August 26th, with new episodes every Wednesday. Listen to Medical Murders free on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!