The narrative centers on Dr. Harold Shipman, a British
doctor who found guilty of killing many patients he was to help. At first,
Shipman developed an addiction to a drug known as pethidine. He often
prescribed to his patients even when it wasn’t needed. This practice made
patients feel better while they were actually being drugged. Slowly, he gained
their trust, and people continued to seek his care despite some doubts.
After his drug issues came to light, Shipman lost his job at
the hospital. However, he kept his medical license. He went to rehab and, in
1977, relocated to a different town where he started working as a general
practitioner. For several years, Shipman maintained his medical practice but
began targeting elderly patients—especially women—with deadly doses of
diamorphine (which is heroin), making their deaths look like they were due to
natural causes related to old age.
In 1998, concerns raised by Dr. Linda Reynolds changed
everything. She noticed an unusually high number of deaths among Shipman’s
patients. An initial investigation didn’t find any proof of wrongdoing, so the
case was closed. However, things shifted when Kathleen Grundy—a former mayor at
81 years old—passed away under suspicious circumstances. Her daughter Angela,
who is a lawyer, became wary after finding a will that left her mother’s house
to Shipman. As investigations continued, they discovered that Kathleen had
indeed been given too much diamorphine. Further inquiries uncovered a forged
will that directly connected Shipman to the crime.
In September 1998, authorities arrested him. After more
investigations confirmed it, he had killed at least 218 patients—and some
estimates say the actual number could be 260 or even higher. Shipman received a
life sentence for his crimes but tragically took his own life in prison in
2004. The reasons behind his actions are still uncertain; some believe they
might stem from psychological issues tied to watching his own mother die from
cancer.
This case stands out as one of the most notorious serial
killings in modern medical history.
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