[2] During high school, he played clarinet in the band. It looked like he had just come in from the golf course, Sackman recalled. Erik Kaufman joined the Mitchell Republic in July of 2019 as an education and features reporter. Dr. Michael Swango is one of the prolific medical serial killers in history. He was once a sergeant at an Air Force base in Minot, North Dakota, but while he was stationed there, he began a string of burglaries. 1954. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [1]:28, Swango displayed troubling behavior during his time at SIU. He was also fascinated with Nazis and the Holocaust, according to The Washington Post. This was all pre-internet. [1], 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. Thomesen's conversation focused on Swango lying on his government application to work at the VA, where he prescribed narcotic medications. Michael Swango - Age, Bio, Faces and Birthday Medical serial killers kill so many people that even when they cooperate, they cant even remember. But he never thought hed become wrapped up in a serial killer investigation. [1], Despite a very poor evaluation in his dean's letter from SIU, Swango gained a surgical internship at Ohio State University Medical Center in 1983, to be followed by a residency in neurosurgery. His father was a prominent U.S. Army officer and Vietnam War veteran, who allegedly bragged about his combat kills and suffered from alcoholism, according to the, He then enrolled in Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where his troubles began. 1994: Federal investigators obtain a warrant for Swangos arrest on fraud charges, but he flees to Zimbabwe, where he gets a job at a hospital in Mnene. He used his job as prison reporter to gain information about the layout of the prison, and then escaped through the air ducts in 1992 along with two other prisoners and remained free for nine months before being re-captured. Only with their help can people like Sackman and his team bring justice to those who were the victims of murderers like Swango. Doctors, toxicologists, forensic nurses. He can be reached at ekaufman@mitchellrepublic.com. ", 'Dateline' investigates case of Sarah Jean Hartsfield, former Minnesotan accused of killing husband, Karla Jo Nieland was murdered at a 1981 Minnesota farm party. [13], Swango was formally indicted on July 17, 2000, and pleaded not guilty. He was profiled on ABCs 20/20, vehemently denying the charges against him and any connection to the deaths in Ohio. [1] Nonetheless, it was another decade before OSU formally conceded it should have called in outside investigators. [9], Kinney's mother, Sharon Cooper, was horrified to find out that a person with Swango's history could be allowed to practice medicine. February1984: A nursing student reports that Swango tampered with an IV just before the patient suffers a seizure and respiratory arrest. The FBI believes he may be responsible for as many as 60 deaths, which would make him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. License to Kill: Dr. Joseph Michael Swango's Disturbing 'House of Horrors'Quincy Police Department Chief Investigator Billy Meyer recalls searching Dr. Josep. [1] Following his graduation, Swango went to medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU).
