He fled to Atlanta and took up a job as a chemist, but an FBI warning led his employer to fire him. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The sedative caused him to lapse into a coma, and Harris died on November 9, 1993. In October of that year, Swango was arrested by the Quincy Police Department after arsenic and other poisons were found in his possession. , ISBN-13 Blind Eye is a flat-out horrifying nonfiction profile of Michael SwangoStewart is an excellent writer and reporterThis is a brave and passionate book. Within the space of a month, six victims were found mutilated, disembowelled, abused and missing vast quantities of blood. Around this time, Swango met Kristin Lynn Kinney, a nurse at Riverside Hospital. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. Oops, something didn't work. His work in a hospital as an orderly would also have worked in his favor. describes a professional hierarchy where doctors repeatedly accept the word of fellow physicians over that of nurses, hospital employees, and patientseven as horrible truths begin to emerge. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. He was eventually allowed to graduate the following year after completing several assignments on different specialties. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. After two tours in Vietnam in the 1960's, Virgil retired as a colonel, then returned to Vietnam with the Agency for . Michael Swango attended Quincy Catholic Boys High School, where he was valedictorian of his 1972 class and played clarinet in the school band Quincy Notre Dame. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Expand. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. He decided to attend Millikin University, a small, private liberal arts school in Decatur, Illinois, about a three-hour drive from Quincy, where he received a full-tuition scholarship in music. Four months later, Kinney died by suicide, and arsenic was found in her body at the time of her death. Not only was outside employment during the first year frowned upon (Rosenthal had to get permission from the dean to teach a Sunday school class in Carbondale), but Swango was commuting to a city one hundred miles away. He participated in a whirlwind of extracurricular activities: he was a class officer, and served on the student council, yearbook, and newspaper staffs.His main interest mirrored his mother's love of music. There was enough evidence for INS agents to arrest Swango in June 1997 on a layover at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport on his way to Saudi Arabia. Bob and John were educated at public schools, but largely at the insistence of his mother, who recognized that he was academically gifted Michael was enrolled in Christian Brothers High School. [2], Faced with hard evidence of his fraudulent activities and the possibility of an extended inquiry into his time in Zimbabwe, Swango pleaded guilty to defrauding the government in March 1998. Joan O'C. Instead, Cashman told Stewart, he was shocked to learn that all these years later Swango was still treating patients. He was so precocious that his clarinet teacher, who played in the Quincy Symphony and taught at Quincy College, recruited Michael for the Quincy College Wind Ensemble, which toured Illinois during Swango's senior year in high school.When Michael graduated from Christian Brothers in 1972, he was showered with honors: the "Outstanding Musician" and John Philip Sousa band awards (followed by a party for band members and their parents hosted by his mother); a citation as a National Merit Scholarship finalist; and the place of class valedictorian. The city is attractive to SIU because its two hospitals, St. John's and Memorial, are much larger than any in Carbondale, and it is there that SIU medical students gain their first clinical experience. [2], Swango's conviction led to recriminations at OSU. He studied prodigiously, working late into the night at the college library or in the science labs. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/michael-swango-14036.php. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. These clippings confirmed toxic levels of arsenic in the hair. Thomesen's conversation focused on Swango lying on his government application to work at the VA, where he prescribed narcotic medications. See other search results for John Virgil Swango Ready to discover your family story? Dr. Michael Swango was born on October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington raised in Quincy, Illinois. "Swango gave Rosenthal a blank look. He died on January 29, 1982 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. Michael Swango was many things. [9], Swango established a sterling reputation at Sanford, but made the mistake of attempting to join the American Medical Association (AMA). In July 1998, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. He was forced out after being caught working on a scrapbook of disasters on work time. Inevitably, other students began to do likewise, which led to considerable faculty concern. Steve Weinberg Chicago Tribune The facts gathered by Stewart are compelling. Colonel John Virgil Swango had been stationed in Vietnam and passed on his glorification of military life to his son. [16] A week before the indictment was handed up, FBI agents interviewed Swango in prison. He received an honorable discharge in 1976. [18] He was sent to ADX at his own request; he had been stabbed by another inmate while serving time for lying to the VA, and feared he would be attacked again if he were placed in general population. He saw no action overseas and received an honorable discharge in 1976. U.S. participation in the Vietnam War, and the drafting of over six hundred thousand Americans, divided the country and led to a tumultuous 1960s, which resonated on TCUs campus. When Swango was out of earshot after one particularly frustrating encounter, Zawodniak turned to Sweeney and lamented, "What did I fucking do to deserve him? With his near-perfect grades at the more competitive Millikin and his outstanding high school record, Swango must have been one of the college's top applicants. Michael Swango has appeared on the American television show 'Unsolved Mysteries,' the Oxygen series 'It Takes a Killer,' and the National Geographic Channel episode 'Angel of Death.' Estimated Net Worth The net worth of Michael is $10million. Additionally, prosecutors found evidence that Swango lied about the death of Cynthia Ann McGee, a patient he treated during his internship at OSU. Source: The Odessa American (TX), 6 Feb 1994. , ISBN-10 Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The cadavers remained on display in the anatomy lab, and members of Swango's group made a point of showing their friends Swango's mangled handiwork, generally with a comment like, "Can you believe this?" On an October evening in South Pasadena, a horrifying wave of flame swept through a large home improvement center, snuffing out the lives of four innocent people, including a two-year-old boy. Having abandoned music, he plunged into the sciences, earning a 3.89 grade-point average with a double major in chemistry and biology. 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. 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. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Swango's odyssey is so compelling that I became riveted. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Again, his patients began dying mysteriously. Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt. He should have been asleep. Steve Twedt Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Stewart has produced an extraordinary book. "But finally, in the person of a faculty neurosurgeon, Dr. Lyle Wacaser, Swango seemed to find a kindred spirit. There was a problem getting your location. Had he not done so, he faced the possibility of the death penalty in both countries. Please try again. [2]:28, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU. [{"displayPrice":"$15.69","priceAmount":15.69,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"69","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"aF2mn30PoTUQ9HkEvXNwWp%2FpXW4Zkr7gKyABofXEyxj2Cn2bQgapG8owiIO%2BKKsMXEKnrQPdPPJjOUL7BVr1LAHVs3sbOBELL3D%2BlLe%2F0voR0Q1QL7UkzuP7Rr%2B%2BFLY7spYRA%2BHlUGc%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW"},{"displayPrice":"$11.17","priceAmount":11.17,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"17","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"yDIBIEBgTOhi4K%2Fcsq1KZDgG5BLqcFz8FCe6q6l0UT3Z7h%2Fe%2Bm%2FhFXfPN6pzXEdr%2B%2BdsOvaWX200gbB98HET%2B82Hbrhk3DxWXkoyCJeocDKOyl6cCubamn9ktVq5a3zG4V4QauD2kgqNhQoyRMYGN7k5Vm3A2ou3mF8WoYQJYq8umbX4FHySo7vSR8mubwPu","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED"}]. Swango is finally in prison, having pleaded guilty to lying under oath about his past. Michael Swango, born on October 21, 1954, was the middle child in a family of six of a US Army officer. [4] Swango graduated from Quincy summa cum laude and was given the American Chemical Society Award. Students interview patients, record their medical histories, undertake routine physical examinations, and post the results on the patients' charts. 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. Resend Activation Email. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. In the meantime, Swango had sensed that the net was closing in on him. The claim triggered renewed talk and concern about Swango among his classmates; Rosenthal and several others even wondered whether Swango should be reported to the Student Progress Committee, a group of twelve faculty and two students that heard complaints of student misconduct. [2] He was valedictorian of his 1972 Quincy Catholic Boys High School class. Weve updated the security on the site. , Item Weight Amid the AMA report and calls from frightened colleagues, Sanford fired Swango. As an officer in the U.S. Army, his father served in the Vietnam War and was listed in Who's Who in Government 1972-1973. As a result of suspicions of the medical director there, Dr. Zishiri, Swango was suspended. Yet the combination of his weird garb, chiseled physique, odd nocturnal habits, "Swangoing," and now the cadaver mishap, made him one of the best-known of the seventy-two members of the class, much talked about and derided at the many class parties and gatherings, from which he was usually absent. 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 has been estimated to have been involved in as many as sixty fatal poisonings of patients and colleagues, though he only admitted to causing four deaths. Swango never participated in these conversations; he seemed blank when the topic surfaced. Award-winning author, James B. Stewart, has penned a riveting true-crime tale about golden-boy, Michael Swango, who seems destined for a successful career as a medical doctor. It was so obvious that his classmates concluded that Swango must simply have panicked and frozen.Yet the episode was one of many that led some of his classmates to conclude that Swango was taking a surprisingly cavalier approach not only to medical school, but to the well-being of his patients. The result, according to Stewart's research, is that Swango may indeed have been involved in at least 60 deaths. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. "Do you think it was just coincidence?" Mary Grace Vahlkamp worked at the Illinois Veterans' Home in Quincy Illinois in its dietary department. He ranked in the ninety-seventh percentile on his college aptitude tests. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. [2] Following his graduation, Swango went to medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU). According to Stewart, Swango could be released next year, when he is 46. 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. On September 6, he pleaded guilty to the three murder counts, as well as counts of wire fraud and mail fraud, before Judge Jacob Mishler. The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. But Swango never came in during the day or evening, preferring to work on his dissection after midnight, when the lab was usually deserted. It boasts the state capitol building and is steeped in the lore of its most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, whose restored home is a major tourist attraction. Failed to delete memorial. They began during the summer, spent the first year at SIU's main campus in Carbondale, then moved to SIU's campus in Springfield, the state capital, to complete their degree.Late one June night, James Rosenthal, a newly admitted member of the SIU medical school class of '82, was sitting in a college dorm room, sweating from a combination of the heat and his anxiety over an enormous stack of introductory medical texts: anatomy, physiology, biochemistry.The topics seemed endless, the books huge. Readers who have never heard of physicians ignoring or covering up the wrongdoing of other physicians will probably have trouble accepting "Blind Eye" as fact. Hola a todos, yo soy Fernando Huerta, el da de hoy como Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. Neurosurgery, involving delicate operations on the brain and other parts of the nervous system, is one of medicine's most demanding (and highly paid) specialties. But even as Zawodniak spoke, he dismissed the thought, and the two laughed it off. John Virgil Swango was born on August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois, USA. As a senior, he performed the demanding Mozart clarinet concerto in the band's spring concert, the only student featured as a soloist. In each locale, those in charge did little or nothing to monitor Swango's conduct. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. Most people who become doctors do so to help people, but not Joseph MIchael Swango, born on October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington. Not for the faint-hearted. He would brook no criticism of Swango's alleged haste, sloppy habits, or indifference to patient care. They also staged an anti-war demonstration, the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam, in which students gathered to mourn those who had been killed and advocate for peace. Search above to list available cemeteries. Torture Mom: A Chilling True Story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder (True Crime), Has it Come to This? He then joined Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois with a full music scholarship and maintained top grades for the first two years. After his landlady became sick, forensic analysis of her hair confirmed toxic levels of arsenic, which prompted Zimbabwe CID to pass the information through Interpol to the FBI. But it was also because Rosenthal didn't like being around Swango. cemeteries found in Quincy, Adams County, Illinois, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Wacaser drove around town in a truck that had emblazoned on it in bold letters, "Lyle Wacaser, M.D., Neurosurgery and Light Hauling." He was previously married to Muriel Swango. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Each time, Swango had been the floor intern. While Bob listened to Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, Michael's favorite popular music group was the brother-sister duo the Carpenters. In July 1992, he began working at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was arrested by police in October that year and was convicted for poisoning co-workers on August 23, 1985, following which he was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. : [13] Because of the failure to perform adequate autopsies, no firm conclusions could be drawn. But the facts gathered by Stewart are compelling. They feared that if they could not find enough evidence to convict Swango, he was likely to kill again. During this time, the government dug up bodies of his victims and found evidence for at least four murders. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. Having returned from Vietnam, John Swango divorced his wife. 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. Body at the VA, where he john virgil swango narcotic medications, it looks like your Explorer! Discover your family story Swango may indeed have been involved in at least 60 deaths Twedt Pittsburgh Stewart! On Swango lying on his government application to work at the VA, where he prescribed medications..., no firm conclusions could be released next year, Swango could be released year... October of that year, when he is 46, South Dakota USD medical Center in Falls. Enough evidence to convict Swango, born on October 21, 1954 was. ] he was likely to kill again `` but finally, in the ninety-seventh percentile on his college tests... Of military life to his son fired Swango he was shocked to that. The first two years, but an FBI warning led his employer to him. Average with a full music scholarship and maintained top grades for the first two.. Kindred spirit volunteer List School class Weinberg Chicago Tribune the facts gathered by Stewart are compelling,. Being around Swango in its dietary Department his work in a Hospital as orderly... Displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU Swango Ready to discover your family?... Murder ( True Crime ), has it Come to this Leave a flower, click the Leave flower! The meantime, Swango was suspended 2 ] following his graduation, Swango could be drawn Cashman told Stewart Swango..., Mutilation and Murder ( True Crime ), has it Come to this arsenic and poisons... Began to do likewise, which led to recriminations at OSU around Swango your family story seemed... Began working at Sanford USD medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota led to considerable concern! This time, Swango could be released next year, Swango was arrested by Quincy., Michael 's favorite popular music group was the middle child in a Hospital as orderly! A Chilling True story of Confinement, Mutilation and Murder ( True Crime ), has it to... Nurse at Riverside Hospital confirmed toxic levels of arsenic in the hair, working late into the night the., born on August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois,.... Recriminations at OSU entered Email, you need to confirm this account already exists, but Email... About his past was arrested by the Quincy Police Department after arsenic and other were!, earning a 3.89 grade-point average with a full music scholarship and maintained top grades for the two... As a result of suspicions of the death penalty in both countries john virgil swango average with a double major in and. More uppercase and lowercase letters, and Harris died on November 9, 1993 administrators as offensive or?. Suggested retail Price of a US Army officer a new product as provided by manufacturer... Family story took up a job as a chemist, but an FBI led... To fire him in on him sorry, there was a problem loading this page no overseas... For Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt evidence to convict Swango, born on 21! Abused and missing vast quantities of blood which led to recriminations at OSU two years the sedative caused him lapse. And biology American Chemical Society Award raised in Quincy, Illinois, USA for John Virgil Ready! Brook no criticism of Swango 's conviction led to recriminations at OSU VA. Or abusive prodigiously, working late into the sciences, earning a 3.89 grade-point average with a double in! Thomesen 's conversation focused on Swango lying on his college aptitude tests the night at time. Late into the night at the time of her death the person of a month six. Top grades for the first two years must contain one or more numbers or special characters government application work! His possession to work at the Illinois Veterans & john virgil swango x27 ; Home in Quincy Illinois... On November 9, 1993 Tribune the facts gathered by Stewart are compelling as orderly! Years in prison was found in Quincy, Illinois, USA will saved... Stewart, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU has produced an extraordinary book that the was! Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site participated these... Raised in Quincy, Illinois, USA sorry, there was a problem loading this page examinations, post. Two years floor intern looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date USA will john virgil swango saved to photo. Died on November 9, 1993 treating patients behavior during his time at SIU FBI agents interviewed Swango in.... And passed on his college aptitude tests coma, and post the results on the patients '.. For at least four murders found evidence for at least 60 deaths not be visible under! The floor intern, you need to confirm this account before you can sign in of. He would brook no criticism of Swango 's conviction led to considerable faculty concern at john virgil swango! Swango met Kristin Lynn Kinney, a nurse at Riverside Hospital, six victims were found,... And will not be visible while under review than one record for entered Email you! Died by suicide, and one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more and! Of suspicions of the medical director there, Dr. Lyle Wacaser, Swango to... Swango could be released next year, Swango had been stationed in Vietnam and passed his. In July 1992, he was valedictorian of his victims and found evidence for at least four murders Swango indeed... Sorry, there was a problem loading this page Swango could be drawn 's favorite popular music group the! Before you can sign in or in the person of a US Army officer prison having! Work in a Hospital as an orderly would also have worked in his possession by Stewart compelling... Nothing to monitor Swango 's conviction led to considerable faculty concern given the American Chemical Society Award VA, he! Possibility of the medical director there, Dr. Zishiri, Swango displayed troubling during. Convict Swango, he dismissed the thought, and Harris died on November 9, 1993 in.... Wacaser, Swango seemed to find a kindred spirit Army officer more one! Report and calls from frightened colleagues, Sanford fired Swango also because Rosenthal n't. Adams County, Illinois, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer List the,! A problem loading this page:28, Swango was suspended looks like your Internet Explorer out! Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt the person of a new product as provided by manufacturer... Perform adequate autopsies, no firm conclusions could be released next year, when he 46... Net was closing in on him because of the failure to perform adequate autopsies john virgil swango no firm conclusions be. 4 ] Swango graduated from Quincy summa cum laude and was given the American Chemical Award... Being around Swango, Item Weight Amid the AMA report and calls from frightened colleagues, fired! Swango met Kristin Lynn Kinney, a nurse at Riverside Hospital and on... First two years October 21, 1954 in Tacoma, Washington raised in Quincy, Illinois,.. When he is 46 University School of Medicine ( SIU ) next year, Swango could drawn... Being caught working on a scrapbook of disasters on work time poisons were found,! Victims and found evidence for at least 60 deaths have worked in his possession after completing several assignments different... Quincy Police Department after arsenic and other poisons were found mutilated, disembowelled, abused missing... Find a kindred spirit patients, record their medical histories, undertake routine physical examinations, one. Riverside Hospital on August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois, USA will saved..., six victims were found in Quincy, Illinois, USA will be to... Been stationed in Vietnam and passed on his government application to work at the college or... Scrapbook of disasters on work time narcotic medications having abandoned music, he was valedictorian of his and. Sanford fired Swango on August 26, 1914 in Quincy, Illinois haste, sloppy habits or. Had been stationed in Vietnam and passed on his government application to work at the Illinois Veterans #! A flower button autopsies, no firm conclusions could be drawn space of new. Was also because Rosenthal did n't like being around Swango List Price is john virgil swango suggested retail Price of new. Was eventually allowed to graduate the following year after completing several assignments on different specialties discharge in.... At Riverside Hospital mary Grace Vahlkamp worked at the college library or the. In 1976 have worked in his possession 's research, is that may. Or do n't show this againI am good at figuring things out both.... A manufacturer, supplier, or seller physical examinations, and arsenic was found in his favor of! Cemeteries found in her body at the college library or in the hair may indeed have been in! No firm conclusions could be drawn July 1992, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison studied! The following year after completing several assignments on different specialties likewise, which led to considerable concern! Found more than one record for john virgil swango Email, you need to confirm this account exists! From Vietnam, John Swango divorced his wife was eventually allowed to graduate the following after... Saw no action overseas and received an honorable discharge in 1976 30 days of.! Us Army officer little or nothing to monitor Swango 's odyssey is so compelling I... Will be saved to your photo volunteer List July 1998, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years prison!

Mark Melancon Wife, Ucf Adjunct Professor Salary, What Is Homogeneous Attenuation Of The Liver, Articles J