Killer Medics On Death Row

May 1988. Detectives investigate the discovery of the body of 86-year-old Alice Covington inside her car outside the city of Raleigh, North Carolina. The remote location and the vampire-like burn marks on Covingtons neck immediately raise their suspicions. Investigators hit the streets for clues. They learn the elderly woman was seen struggling with a female nurse before she disappeared. A bank-teller reports she cashed a $2500 cheque on Covingtons account when she and a nurse pulled up at drive-thru bank. Detectives question Covingtons friends and identify homecare nurse, Carlette Parker, as the prime suspect responsible for her demise. When they research her background, they discover she has a history of stealing from those in her care.

Missouri, December 1984. St Louis Police are called in when a farmer discovers the body of a young man, Sean Cavaness. Hes been shot twice in the head and left to die at the side of the road. Investigators immediately begin searching for leads to uncover who could have murdered the man and are shocked when they realise that their prime suspect is none other than the victims father, Dr John Dale Cavaness. Dr Dale as hes known has established himself as a hero in his hometown of Eldorado, Illinois where he regularly offers his medical services for free to those unable to pay. Locals cannot believe that this charming and kindly doctor could be capable of murdering his own son. But when police delve into his past, they reveal a shocking history of violence and a desperate doctor, battling with financial problems.

When retired nurse Joyce Brannon is discovered brutally murdered, Chicago investigators face one of their toughest challenges yet. There is no forensic evidence, no fingerprints and no murder weapon. The murder appears without motive and it seems that whoever killed Brannon has committed the perfect crime. But when the FBI learns that the victim has been issued with a subpoena to give evidence against a suspected fraudster, they have their suspect. Dr Ronald Mikos is a highly successful Chicago podiatrist who has been under investigation for eighteen months by Chicagos Department of Health and Human Services. This charming and highly successful doctor is the highest earning podiatrist in the state and investigators suspect that he could be swindling the federal government for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But when they attempt to uncover his crimes, they hit a brick wall. Mikos patients are loyal to their doctor and no-one is prepared to testify against him.

March 1987. A Cincinnati coroner autopsies John Powell, a patient who has recently passed away in the citys Drake Memorial Hospital. Powell had been in a coma since a motorcycle accident - his death comes as no surprise. But as the coroner cuts into Powells stomach he smells burnt almonds. The odour is unmistakable. Its that of the deadly poison Cyanide. The coroner records Powells death as homicide. Police begin their investigation and receive information regarding an orderlys suspicious behaviour. His name is Donald Harvey. Colleagues call him the Angel of Death due to the number of deaths that occur on his watch. Incredibly, Harvey confesses to killing Powell, claiming he did it out of mercy. Prosecutors charge him with murder but deem it unlikely theyll find evidence that he has killed before. But local news anchor Pat Minarcin is suspicious and takes it upon himself to investigate. Whistle-blowers secure patient records and Harveys time sheets. Minarcin discovers that Harvey is always on duty when a patients dies. Believing hes uncovered a serial killer, Minarcin calls Harveys attorney, William Whalen, for comment. Whalen doesnt talk and instead challenges his client to come clean. Harvey admits to killing dozens over an 18-year period and begs his attorney to save him from the executioner. The only option is a plea bargain, admit everything in return for life imprisonment. Prosecutors agree and over the coming months Harvey confesses to over 80 killings making him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.

When officials at the Community Hospital of the Valley in Perris, California notice a suspicious cluster of patient deaths, a whistleblower contacts the coroners office. The resulting investigation leads to the exhumation of 38 bodies from local cemeteries. Tissue analysis confirms the level of the muscle relaxant drug Lidocaine in these bodies is 10 to 20 times higher than normal. Whereas an average dose is 100 milligrams, they contain 1000 to 2000 milligrams - enough to kill. Investigators dig deeper and quickly discover one particular nurse was on duty when each of the patients died. His name is Robert Rubane Diaz. Police raid Diazs home and find empty Lidocaine boxes in the trash. Prosecutors charge him for the murder of 12 patients and delve into his past to uncover his possible motive to kill. They reveal hes a fantasist, resentful of the fact hes not smart enough to be a Doctor. They theorise he engages in a dangerous game of life and death - purposely worsening patients conditions with overdoses of Lidocaine, before bringing them back from the brink of death in the presence of medical doctors to make himself look good. But then, somewhere along the line, he discovers he gets a kick out of killing and the body count quickly rises. The evidence presented at his trial is damning and the judge sentences Diaz to death by lethal injection. After 26 years on death row, Diaz died in 2010 from natural causes. He never admitted his crimes.