Dr. Harold Shipman: Know How Caring Doctor Became a Serial Killer & Killed His Patients Mercilessly!
An abnormal number of deaths were occurring in Abraham Ormerod Medical Centre, Hyde, Manchester. And most of the deaths were the patients of general practitioner Harold Shipman. But how could a caring and kind doctor kill his patients?
The First Accusation:
In March 1998, Dr Linda Reynolds went to the local coroner John Pollard and said that she was worried that Harold might have killed his patients. When the coroner investigated Harold Frederick Shipman, he failed to find any favourable suspects.
So he told Linda that it could be a false alarm and not to accuse a pillar of the community. But Shipman had killed three more women after that.
Kathleen Grundy:
On June 24 1998, Kathleen Grundy, Shipman’s patient, died mysteriously. She was the one who brought Shipman’s crimes to the eyes of the world. Shipman was the last person to see her alive when he went to her home to take routine blood samples.
When Kathleen died, she had left a will in favour of Dr Harold Frederick Shipman. Kathleen’s daughter Angela Woodruff was shocked to see the will, as the signature of her mother didn’t match that in the will. Being a lawyer herself, she was forced to find the truth behind this mystery.
Woodruff was really close with her mother and was suspicious about this will, leaving her mother’s wealth to Harold. With a vast knowledge in law, she sent the document to be examined. The intention was indeed a forged one. Grundy’s body was sent to the forensic department to know the cause of her death.
Shipman certified her death at that time due to old age, but he didn’t confirm the cause for Kathleen’s death. Kathleen’s post mortem reported there were high levels of morphine in her body, which led to her death. But she didn’t suffer from any illness to be injected by diamorphine.
When the police raided Harold’s home, a typewriter along with strange jewels, was found. Shipman suggested that Grundy used to borrow the typewriter for some time, but he denied to say who returned it.
The Investigation of the Dead Bodies:
Many of the victims were found fully clothed and often sitting upright in a chair or on a couch. Their bodies were found in hot conditions, in which their death certificates declare as Heart attacks. But one doesn’t simply fall asleep in a chair during a heart attack.
Police went through Shipman’s book of death certificates. In those 15 certificates, 9 had been buried, and 6 were cremated. It seems that Harold had suggested the relatives of the deceased towards cremation.
The police investigated the deceased bodies. And their post mortem confirms their death as a result of a morphine overdose. The police convey that Shipman injected them with high levels of morphine. Then he created false medical records of their deaths, to exaggerate their poor health. Harold had killed over 215 people.
Also Read: Seema Gavit and Renuka Shinde: Scary Tale of Wrong Parenting Leading To Capital Punishment
What turned a doctor into a murderer?
Harold Frederick Shipman was born the second child to Harold and Vera Shipman on January 14, 1946, in Bestowed. Harold was Vera’s favorite child. Both his parents were working. Harold was very fond of his mother, which affected Harold’s relationships and left him with a few friends.
Harold’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Harold was sad and took great care of his mother. He was awestruck by the fact of how morphine administration reduced his mother’s pain away. Unfortunately, Harold’s mother passed due to the disease on June 21, 1963.
The Entry of Doctor Death
This made Harold Frederick Shipman go into Medicine. He underwent training at Leeds Medical University School. He failed in his entrance exams a couple of years later. At that time, he fell in love with Primrose and married her when she was 17.
Two children were born to Harold Frederick Shipman. He went for a medical practice in Todmorden, Yorkshire. He became addicted to Pethidine, a painkiller, and forged a large number of prescriptions for it. He was caught by his co colleagues in 1975. He went to a drug rehabilitation Centre and paid a small fine for forgery.
Then Shipman joined Donnybrook Medical Centre, Hyde Manchester. He was hard working and fitted into society, which made it possible for him to become an undoubted serial killer. He targeted elderly women, who were living alone and vulnerable. He earned great trust among the community, so none could suspect him for his act.
Pharmacists were suspicious of Dr. Shipman, but they swept it out. He was imprisoned 4 years for his act. As a doctor, he knew 4 minutes is the most time he needed to end his life. He committed suicide inside the prison with a bed cloth.
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