Doctoring the Truth
Welcome to Doctoring the Truth, a podcast where two dedicated audiologists dissect the world of healthcare gone rogue. Explore jaw-dropping stories of medical malfeasance, nefariousness, and shocking breaches of trust. The episodes provide deep dives that latch onto your curiosity and conscience. It's a podcast for truth-seekers craving true crime, clinical insights, and a dash of humor.
Doctoring the Truth
Ep 19-Felonious Phlebotomist: The Case of Brian Stewart
What happens when a medical professional weaponizes their knowledge against their own child? The story of Brian Stewart cuts to the core of humanity's darkest potential and brightest resilience.
Join us for this emotional exploration of medical ethics, justice, and the remarkable power of the human spirit to overcome even the most profound betrayal.
“Brryan Jackson: My father injected me with HIV” by Lucy Hancock, for BBC News”
“A positive life: How a son survived being injected with HIV by his father,” by Justin Heckert for GQ Magazine
“Man accused of injecting HIV in son,” by Jo Thomas for the New York Times
“Mother testifies that defendant hinted at son’s death,” CNN
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Amanda Jenna.
Speaker 2:Hi Amanda, hello friend. Hi Hi Jenna. Hi I'm really good. I love this part because we always pretend like we weren't talking to each other before we hit record button. Hey, how are you old friend, I know.
Speaker 1:We should probably just start hitting record.
Speaker 2:We're just bad during we start catching honestly I mean honestly, I mean honestly sometimes it's kind of funny. That's where I learned about her reeses that she was eating secretly oh, I'll never live that down.
Speaker 1:Oh god, it was good, though, like I will tell you that the illicit. I don't think it would hurt as bad if it wasn't my favorite, I know the secret of reese's is the best reasons of all, the one that you're not supposed to be eating. My god, that forbidden flavor. Yeah, yeah, the forbidden, it just tastes so much better I won't lie, it was worth a moment um, I won't lie. It was worth a moment. Nom, nom, nom. Well, we had. Before we started, we said we were going to talk about something.
Speaker 2:Oh, the correction section.
Speaker 1:Yeah, correction section. So, on the correction section. So, on the correction correction section, we had asked dads to weigh in on whether we drive or we ride motorcycles. Slash snow, snow, snow, snowmobiles, snowmobiles and, uh, those types of things, do you drive them or do you ride them?
Speaker 2:and and friends, the dads have spoken. What did they say? With a look of are you kidding me? And and they, they collectively, said, as if this should have been common knowledge it is riding. All of them, all of the above, snowmobiles, jet skis, motorcycles, ride.
Speaker 1:Amanda ride Yeehaw.
Speaker 2:So we're riding baby, we're riding.
Speaker 1:I do know it's called riding a horse the bikes and all of the other accoutrements of Minna Snowden lifestyle. I wish you were listen, we have a big announcement. Amanda, do you want to make the? Do you want to make the? Do you want to make the announcement?
Speaker 2:um, okay, sure, um. So, if you recall, I don't know how many episodes back, but we told you that there was a poll that you could vote for what we would call you guys, what you guys would be named um. Can we call you guys fans? I don't know um fan name.
Speaker 1:If you're listening, you better ask.
Speaker 2:Be a fan yeah, I mean, I do get a lot of texts like hey, I'm loving your guys's podcast, so like that makes me feel good and I feel like this is a fan thing.
Speaker 1:So anyway, yeah, exactly, this should be for the fans, yeah.
Speaker 2:Why y'all waiting for?
Speaker 1:Wednesday, if you're not a fan.
Speaker 2:So the people have spoken. The votes have been counted. Do you want to tell them what the options were?
Speaker 1:We had. So for fan names we had oh shoot, I hope I remember them off the top of my head truthologists dr reno's alley cats, alley cats and uh, dt doctor in the that one didn't win D-T-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D. And as you all know, that came from our caterwauling over the chart notes and our fans apparently our truest fans enjoy that piece and join in. So yay, alley Cats.
Speaker 2:Yeah, woo-woo.
Speaker 1:Yes, alley Cats I love it, I love it.
Speaker 2:Personally, that's what I voted for. So thank you all for resonating on my wavelength.
Speaker 1:So, Alley Cats, I do want to. It's not ee, it's meow.
Speaker 2:I know, but I just got so excited I couldn't contain it. Eee Meow.
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Speaker 2:I mean, let's be honest, y'all are driving through Starbucks and Caribou drive-thrus anyway. You might as well save yourself a pretty penny. Make it at home.
Speaker 1:No dinners and healthier drive-thrus anyway, you might as well save yourself a pretty penny, make it at home, no jitters, and healthier, so do it, yeah, yeah. So this is the point where I introduce, uh, today's episode. Um, we're going to be talking about a phlebotomist, um, and maybe other phlebotomists, um, I, I don't. There are multiple resources for this episode and I don't want to tell you about them right now because it's going to give stuff away. So, um, you'll be able to see all of it in our show notes. But trigger warning there's going to be mentions, unfortunately, of physical and sexual abuse. So, in the world of health care, trust is everything. We put our lives literally in the hands of strangers wearing scrubs, but sometimes the very people sworn to heal us are the ones doing the most harm. Today's story is unlike any other we've ever told. It's so messed up I can't even handle it. So I mean, let's begin.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's so no time like the present. I guess it's on a different level.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll see what you say, okay, okay. So Brian Stewart and Jennifer Jackson met at a military training facility in Troy, missouri, at a St Louis suburb. They were both studying to be medics and had a lot of chemistry the pun there was intended. They quickly moved in together and five months later, in 1990, jennifer became pregnant. As romantic and passionate as things were originally, their relationship quickly began to fall apart. Brian physically and verbally abused jennifer. He made particular death threats against her. He told her he would kill her by injecting her with a needle full of air. The fuck. At one point towards the end of her pregnancy he violently assaulted her because she wasn't in the mood for Nookie and he stated he wanted to ruin her for anyone else. What the hell, Brian.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I hate him. I really need to hate this guy. Brian was arrested, but the charges were dropped. I mean, it's the usual ploy in these types of cases. He was in jail, calling her, begging her, promising to get help, proclaiming his undying love for her, apologizing, etc. Jennifer was in a position where she was in an abusive relationship, which often means emotionally under the influence of the abuser, and she wanted her child to be able to have a relationship with their father, so she took him back.
Speaker 2:Tale as old as time.
Speaker 1:Shortly after that, brian was deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Storm. While he was away, things seemed to get better After all. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Brian seemed legitimately excited to become a father. The baby was born on February 24, 1991, while he was on deployment. 1991.
Speaker 1:While he was on deployment, jennifer and Brian agreed to name the baby Brian, in case Brian the father didn't make it home from the war. This makes it difficult to tell the story as it becomes confusing. So when her father, brian with an I made it back, so Brian, the baby was Brian with a Y. When her father, brian with an I, made it back from saudi arabia, eventually things were a roller coaster of high and emotional low, whether either he was either smashing a car windshield with his fists or he was love bombing jennifer by opening doors for her and showering her with compliments, acting like a perfect gentleman.
Speaker 1:Jennifer wanted to make their relationship work, but you can't make things work with an abuser like Brian. He started making claims that their son wasn't his, even though he absolutely was Brian's child. Eventually jennifer had enough and she left him. She needed child support. I mean, if you help bring a child into the world, you should help to pay to raise that child. But brian didn't see it that way. He was enraged with even the idea of paying child support. One day jennifer says told her you won't need child support from me anyway. Your son is not going to live that long, she said. She asked him what he meant by that and he replied don't worry about it, I just know he's not going to live to see the age of five.
Speaker 2:Um, Um, I hate age of five, um, um, I hate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not good. Right at the time, brian was working as a phlebotomist. His co-workers described him as odd. He used to make these jokes about how he could inject some of the infected lab specimens into a person, and they wouldn't know what hit them. Meanwhile, a court-ordered paternity test was conducted and baby Brian was determined to be Brian Stewart's son.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately for baby Brian Right. Nevertheless, brian Stewart chose to stay out of contact with baby Brian and his mother, jennifer Good riddance. When baby Brian was 11 months old, he came down with pneumonia that triggered a severe asthma attack. Jennifer rushed him to the hospital. At this point, panicked, she thought she should let Brian's biological father know that his baby was seriously ill and in the hospital. She called the lab at the hospital where Brian Stewart worked and stated the reason for her trying to get a hold of Stewart. The person who answered the phone stated that Stewart didn't have any children. Jennifer hung up.
Speaker 1:He obviously hadn't told anyone right, resigned to the fact that he denied his child's existence. But on the day that baby Brian was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital, grown-up Brian showed up at the hospital wearing his lab coat and acting concerned, freaking, douche. Yeah, here. He was a year late and many dollars short, but he was a father after all. He cared and wanted to check on his son. Knowing that Jennifer had spent many sleepless nights in the hospital, never leaving baby Brian's side, he reassured Jennifer and told her take a break and go get a refreshment at the cafeteria while he held watch.
Speaker 2:This is the only thing that's going to be good You're right.
Speaker 1:When she returned, she was horrified to hear baby Brian screaming as his father held him. He'd been sleeping. When she left him, something was horribly wrong. He was inconsolable. His breathing was rapid. Jennifer called the hospital staff in, who were very confused as to why baby Brian was so distressed. They couldn't determine a reason. They got his pulse and his breathing back to normal. His temperature was normal. So he was then sent home.
Speaker 1:Weeks went by and Jennifer was desperate for answers because baby Brian was not okay. Something was terribly wrong. He'd been healthy before. He had pneumonia and he'd stabilized, but now he was deteriorating.
Speaker 1:And for the next four years Jennifer took her child to every doctor she could find, trying to find out what was wrong with her son. She went to multiple specialists and Brian underwent a myriad of tests. Everything came back negative. Nobody could figure out what was wrong, but baby Brian was dying. This was undeniable. Jennifer and baby Brian ended up spending a lot of time with their pediatrician, dr Linda Steele Green. Dr Green felt a connection and compassion for this mother and child and would often spend sleepless nights researching, consulting and trying to come up with a reason why baby Brian was so ill. She did everything she could do. She remained baffled until May of 1996 when something clicked. She remembered Jennifer telling her that baby Brian's father had told her that baby Brian would not live long. This premonition came to her in a nightmare and she woke up with a terrible thought. She contacted Jennifer to tell her she thought they should test baby Brian for HIV. The test results revealed the unthinkable Brian had full-blown AIDS.
Speaker 1:What the actual fuck my dude yeah he had full-blown aids, along with three other infections, including pneumonia and meningitis, that occurred as a result of his compromised immune system at five years old. His chances of survival were minuscule. His medical team figured he had five months to live.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Jennifer was told to pick out his burial outfit. She recalls choosing an outfit he'd worn as a ring bearer for a recent wedding. Physicians treated Brian with whatever medications they had at the time, but it seemed helpless. How could this happen? His mother tests negative. There's no record of a blood transfusion. No known exposure Doesn't make sense. No one suspects foul play. Yet Keep in mind that during this time period there was a lot of paranoia and disinformation about how HIV is transmitted. People thought you could get it from a toilet seat. Luckily, detective Kevin Wilson from the St Charles County Sheriff's Office knew better. He was a former paramedic. He had heard of Jennifer's case and her dirtbag, ex-husband's refusal to pay child support, along with the fact that he was a phlebotomist. He got blood tests from 30 people who had all been around the baby and they all came back clean. It was obvious a man who didn't want to pay child support had injected his child with HIV. Prosecutors began building a case against Brianrian stewart.
Speaker 1:Meanwhile, something remarkable happened. Brian's immune system, despite being attacked, somehow stabilized. His viral load was high but he continued to fight. He learned to walk, talk and laugh, all while undergoing brutal treatments. I mean, his survival wasn't easy by the time time he was seven, he had a swollen liver. He had fungus growing from under his fingernails, constant ear infections and smelly drainage from those, and he took 23 medications a day. There were side effects to those medications. For example, he had a severe to profound hearing loss from some of the antibiotics, as they were ototoxic. Still, he was able to go to school part-time, but a lot of kids didn't want to play with him and worse a lot of parents didn't want their kids to play with him.
Speaker 1:Oh, they were worried about their kid contracting HIV from him, even by being in the same room with him. Jennifer, his mother never stopped searching, searching for answers and eventually she found them. In 1996, five years after that hospital visit, a former co-worker, brian stewart, came forward.
Speaker 2:He said brian had bragged about injecting his son with hiv positive blood to avoid child support uh, the way my jaw just flew to the floor, I mean, okay, but it's like we're always happy. These people are stupid, right right.
Speaker 1:Oh my god. There's no words for how awful this is. That was the turning point. In 1997 brian stewart wascutors charged him with first degree assault. At trial they laid out a terrifying case. Stewart had access to HIV tainted blood through his job. He knew how to use a syringe. He had motive avoiding financial responsibility and he had means. His hospital credentials gave him access to his son's room. Credentials gave him access to his son's room.
Speaker 1:Stuart's first ex-wife, elizabeth Stolte, testified against him. She had two protective orders against him. She told the jury that Stuart was abusive and threatened to kill her. She also recounted an incident in November 1994 when Stuart planned to move with her to San Antonio, texas, but she discovered he intended to leave her there, leading her to end their relationship. Additionally, stolte testified that Stewart had access to restricted areas in Barnes Jewish Hospital, including laboratories, which was pertinent to the case as it demonstrated his ability to obtain HIV-contaminated blood. One of Stewart's friends also testified that one time they were driving around Stewart told him that if anyone tried to screw with him he'd inject them with something.
Speaker 1:Little Brian's pediatrician, dr Green, also testified. She talked about the reaction that the baby had had in the hospital that day when he was 11 months old. She said, looking back, the baby's reaction was consistent with a bad reaction to an infusion from incompatible blood, but of course at that time she would have had no idea that this should just happen. So then Jennifer took the stand. She talked about her horrible relationship with Brian Stewart and also talked about what her son had been through and how stewart had threatened his life. She recalled a number of times when brian was admitted to the hospital and she and the baby would wake up crying and begging her not to let him die. She said when they lived together stewart had kept vials of blood in the freezer. He was also one of those guys I know who would wear their lab coats everywhere. I mean, we all know someone like that, right?
Speaker 2:What a douche Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1:The defense argued lack of proof, no direct evidence, no video, no eyewitness. And when Stewart said he would inject someone, did he specifically say he would do this with HIV-contaminated blood? But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming. The prosecution showed the jury pictures of little Brian so incredibly sick. They also pointed out that all of Brian's blood samples before the hospital visit were HIV-negative. The defense countered that a tragedy wasn't a crime, that theories weren't facts. Mom made an allegation and everyone ran with it. They stated that it wasn't a strong case.
Speaker 1:How could anyone say for sure that it was Stuart who injected Brian with HIV? Couldn't it have been Jennifer's sister or Jennifer's sister's friends, who all used heroin? Or what if little? Yeah, what if little Brian had been sexually abused? Two convicted child molesters had lived with Jennifer and her son over the past few years, which I gotta say, is too many child molesters. I mean, zero child molesters should be the goal here. Absolutely. That didn't help, right. The prosecution provided evidence that Jennifer's sister and her friends all tested HIV negative. Jennifer's sister did testify that she did heroin but that Brian never had access to her needles, and also there was the fact that she had tested negative I was gonna say also, let's test her because she's probably negative brian had never shown physical signs or evidence of sexual abuse.
Speaker 1:Then the defense argued well, there's so much that we don't know about hiv and aids. Maybe we don't yet know about all the ways that someone can contract h. And maybe Brian contracted HIV in a way that science hasn't figured out yet. Okay, sure, the jury deliberated for less than eight hours. They found Brian Stewart guilty of first degree assault. I was upset at this at first, but then I learned that apparently first degree assault gets you more jail time than attempted murder. Oh, okay, I was also annoyed about that.
Speaker 2:Apparently that gets you more jail time than attempted murder. Oh yeah, I was good. I was also annoyed about that, but apparently that gets you more time.
Speaker 1:So as the time of sentencing little Brian was seven years old, bedridden and in no shape to go to court, he was allowed to provide a statement. His mother, representing her son, tearfully read it out in court, quote I think he shouldn't ever get out of jail. He shouldn't have done this. Why can't he say he's sorry? End quote.
Speaker 1:This was an emotionally charged moment. The judge whipped around towards Brian Stewart and he said, quote I believe that when God finally calls you, you're going to burn in hell from here to eternity, and maybe that's the only justice that will come of this. When you're going to burn in hell from here to eternity, and maybe that's the only justice that will come of this when you're finally gone. My thought is that injecting a 10 month old with the AIDS virus puts you in the same category as a war criminal, as the worst war criminal. The maximum I can do with you is life in prison, and I don't think that's a very fair sentence, not with what your son is going to have to go through. He's going to die. We all know that. Ugh, that's powerful. Good yeah, were ready to elevate the charges. Little Brian was going to die and when that happened, they were going to charge Stuart with the murder. Good yeah.
Speaker 2:If it turns out that way, Now it's time for. Chart Note Chart.
Speaker 1:Note Chart.
Speaker 2:Note Chart, note, chart Note.
Speaker 1:I interrupt this Chart Note to bring my dear listeners some much needed respite. Listen, welcome. Amanda doesn't know I'm doing this, but I'm cutting the whole thing. I uh, I'm in my editing mode. Have my editing hat on and listen. Guys.
Speaker 1:I went banging on for 12 minutes about fluoride in the water. It was so boring I can't believe that my co-host didn't fall asleep. So here to summarize what would have been 12 minutes that you never get back from your life. Here to summarize the chart notes Basically.
Speaker 1:Rfk Jr said he wanted all the fluoride to be taken out of our drinking water in America. And you know, as we know, fluoride helps prevent cavities and tooth decay, but high levels of fluoride is bad for you. So last week there was a big study that came out that said that you know there'd be millions of more cavities in our country if there is no more fluoride in the water. Uh, yada, yada, yada, um. But you know we have mouth rinses and toothpaste. So hopefully things will just work out. And that is the extent of it. You are welcome, alley cats. All right back to the case.
Speaker 1:So to recap in in 1998, Brian Stewart was sentenced to life in prison. No parole. Prosecutors were ready to elevate the charges. Little Brian was going to die and when that happened they were going to charge Stewart with murder. Except, Brian didn't die, he survived. And not only did he survive, he forgave. In interviews he's spoken about peace, healing and purpose. He became an HIV awareness advocate and a motivational speaker. He forgave his father, not for his father's sake, but for his own.
Speaker 1:Keep in mind that his life as a teen in public high school was terrible. Everyone avoided him teachers, students and parents alike. He had a solid wrestling wrestling physical framework but but was denied a shot on the team at his suburban st louis high school. No one wanted to wrestle him. He got the nickname aids boy, gay boy.
Speaker 1:Back in thes, says Brian, people were still thinking you can get AIDS from a toilet seat by age 13,. He attempted to take his own life. After the suicide try I was sent to counseling. He was quoted as saying that's also when I discovered God and I developed a faith and eventually came to realize that hope, courage and forgiveness were my only way out. He says In his early 20s his friends, amazed by his attitude and his story, encouraged him to go and speak about it. He once said if I continued to hate my father, then I would have died with him in that hospital room. That quote says everything. Mm, hmm, Hope. Despite the severity and notoriety of the crime, there's no public record of specific federal or Missouri state regulations enacted directly as a result of this case.
Speaker 1:Because I was thinking okay well, here we go, we've've got a murder weapon. What are we going to do now to enact regulations or statutes that prevent people from basically using contaminated blood as a bioweapon? You know, uh, but the barnes jewish hospital, where stewart was employed, faced a law from the victim and his mother alleging negligence and monitoring Stewart's access to medical supplies and his behavior. And while the details of any policy changes at the hospital are not publicly disclosed, such lawsuits often lead to stricter internal controls. We can only hope and employee monitoring to prevent similar incidents. Additionally, the case contributed to broader discussions about the criminalization of HIV transmission and the ethical responsibilities of healthcare workers. It highlighted the need for stringent oversight in medical settings and may have influenced the reinforcement of existing protocols to safeguard against the misuse of medical knowledge and materials. While no specific legislation can be directly attributed to Stewart's actions, the case underscored vulnerabilities in the health care system and importance of robust safeguards to protect patients from malicious acts by medical professionals.
Speaker 1:Several cases have emerged globally where individuals individuals, often positions of trust or authority have deliberately or negligently exposed others to HIV. While Brian Stewart's case, where he injected his infant son with HIV-infected blood, is particularly egregious, other instances share similarities in terms of intent, method or breach of professional responsibility, and here are some examples. Dr Richard J Smit was a Louisiana gastroenterologist convicted in 1998 for attempted second-degree murder after injecting his former mistress, nurse Janice Trahan, with HIV and hepatitis C tainted blood. The case was notable for being the first in the US to use phylogenetic analysis, a method of comparing viral RNA sequences, as forensic evidence in a criminal trial. Forensic evidence in a criminal trial. In August 1994, schmidt visited Trahan's home under the pretense of administering a vitamin B12 shot. Shortly after the injection, trahan began experiencing health issues and was later diagnosed with both HIV and hepatitis C.
Speaker 1:Investigations revealed that Schmidt had drawn blood from two patients, one with HIV and another with hepatitis C, around the time of the incident. Notably, these samples were not submitted for standard testing. They were linked to Trahan's infections through phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated a close genetic match between the viruses in the patients and those found in Trahan between the viruses and the patients and those found in Trahan. Schmidt was sentenced to 50 years in prison and consistently maintained his innocence, challenging the validity of the scientific evidence used against him. His appeals were unsuccessful and he was denied parole in 2015. He died in custody on February 12, 2023, at the age of 74.
Speaker 1:This case has been featured in various media outlets, including an episode of Forensic Files titled Shot of Vengeance, highlighting the groundbreaking use of viral genetic evidence in criminal proceedings. In criminal proceedings, the next one is the healer of burn. Between 2001 and 2005, an Italian Swiss music teacher operating an unlicensed acupuncture practice in Bern, switzerland, deliberately infected at least 16 individuals with HIV and 14 with hepatitis C. I mean, I'm so sorry because I know you literally just came from your acupuncture visit and I knew this would not happen to you.
Speaker 2:No, and would never, Would never. But I just like started shaking my head when you were reading that because I'm like why? Why, though? Like what the heck? Yeah, I mean I'm sure you're going tell us why. Maybe I don't know. These are kind of like mini snippet stories.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Like the first one, it's like he wanted to get rid of his mistress. The second one, well yeah, the 16 people. Yeah, why, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think he just he 16 with HIV, but also additional 14 with hepatitis C. Like what are you doing?
Speaker 1:I just enjoyed hurting people. I don't know, so. The perpetrator often was referred to as the. I never got their name. They were just referred to as the healer of Barron. He utilized his position to administer treatments under false pretenses and injected victims with contaminated blood. Investigations revealed that the blood used for the infections was drawn from an HIV positive individual, whom the healer deceived with promises of a cure. Some victims were reportedly incapacitated with spiked drinks even before they were injected.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so this is somebody who's just Wait, how do these people go to bed at night?
Speaker 1:The case came to light when a patient, after receiving an acupuncture treatment from the healer, tested positive for HIV and reported his suspicions to Barron's in-cell hospital and reported his suspicions to Barron's In-Sales Hospital.
Speaker 1:Subsequent investigations uncovered a pattern of infections amongst the healer's clients, many of whom were students at his music school. In March 2013, the Barron Middleland Regional Court found the healer guilty of serious bodily harm and spreading human diseases, sentencing him to 12 years and nine months in prison. The court described his actions as ruthless, devious, senseless and inhuman. Following appeals from both the defense and prosecution, the Barron High Court increased the sentence to the maximum 15 years permitted under Swiss law for such offenses. The healer of Barron case stands as a significant example of malicious medical malpractice and highlights the importance of regulatory oversight in alternative medicine practices. Number three Johnson Aziga, canada. Johnson Aziga was a Ugandan-born Canadian residing in Hamilton, ontario, and he was diagnosed with HIV in 1996. Despite being ordered by public health officials to disclose his HIV status to sexual partners, use condoms and provide the names of his partners for notification purposes, aziga failed to comply. Between 2000 and 2003, he engaged in unprotected sex with 11 women without informing them of his condition. Seven of these women contracted HIV and two died from AIDS-related complications. In 2009, aziga was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault and one count of attempted aggravated sexual assault, making the first time in Canada that someone was convicted of murder for transmitting HIV. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for 25 years. In 2011, he was declared a dangerous offender, allowing for his indefinite incarceration. In January 2023, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned Aziga's first-degree murder convictions, substituting them with manslaughter verdicts due to incorrect jury instructions regarding intent. However, his life sentence and dangerous offender designation remained in place and he continues to serve an indefinite sentence. Aziga's case has been pivotal in shaping Canadian legal discourse on HIV, nondisclosure, consent and criminal liability. It also sparked debates about public health, stigma and the criminalization of HIV transmission. Number four Thomas Guerra. In 2015, thomas Guerra was convicted in California for intentionally infecting a partner with HIV, despite evidence suggesting he exposed multiple individuals. Guerra received a six-month jail sentence, the maximum under nothing under california law at the time. The case sparked debates about the adequacy of legal penalties for such offenses. Number five pasco county jail nurse. In 2023, a nurse at the pasco county jail in florida was found to have reused insulin vials after injecting inmates, potentially exposing them to. I feel like this is done intentionally, right. Did you learn that in nursing school, right? She used reused insulin vials after injecting inmates, potentially exposing them to HIV and other blood-borne diseases? A class action lawsuit alleged that the nurse admitted to this practice over the course of a year, affecting numerous inmates.
Speaker 1:6. Rosemary Namubiro. Rosemary Namubiro was a Ugandan nurse with over 30 years of experience who became the center of a highly publicized legal case in 2014. In January of that year, while attempting to administer an intravenous injection. Who became the center of a highly publicized legal case in 2014. In January of that year, while attempting to administer an intravenous injection to a two-year-old boy at Victoria Medical Center in Kampala, she accidentally pricked her finger with a needle. She then used the same needle on the child without changing it, despite being aware of her HIV-positive status. The child's mother noted the incident and reported it to authorities. Subsequent tests confirmed that the child did not contract HIV.
Speaker 1:Namobiro was initially charged with attempted murder. The charge was later reduced to criminal negligence under Section 171 of Uganda's Penal Code, which pertains to acts likely to spread infectious diseases. In May 2014, she was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison. The case attracted significant media attention, with some outlets dubbing her the killer nurse, a label that human rights activists argued exacerbated stigma against people living with HIV.
Speaker 1:In November 2014, the High Court in Kampala reviewed her case on appeal. While the court upheld her conviction, it deemed that the original three-year sentence was excessive, considering her age and the circumstances. Consequently, the court ordered her immediate release after she'd served approximately 10 months in prison. Following her release, nemu Biro became an advocate against HIV-related stigma and the criminalization of HIV transmission. She shared her experiences at international forums, including the AIDS 2016 conference in Durban, south Africa, in 2017, she wrote about the profound impact the case had on her life, stating this experience has totally changed my life. My self-esteem is gone and this has tarnished more than 30 years in the nursing profession which I love so much. Rosemary Namu Biro passed away in April 2022. Posthumously, she was honored with the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award at the AIDS 2022 Conference in Montreal, recognizing her courage and contributions to the fight against HIV criminalization.
Speaker 2:Okay, sorry, rosemary, just got to step in real quick. I understand that that was really hard, that your career of 30 years that you loved was ruined, but I'm sorry, baby doll, you're sick. Even if you weren't sick, you don't use a needle that you accidentally stuck in yourself in anyone else, right? Specifically when you have such an illness. What?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I didn't understand that. I'm all for AIDS advocates and not, you know, criminalizing people.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely AIDS, but like Absolutely. But even if you were not sick, you don't use that needle.
Speaker 1:That was an unnecessary risk that she took. Right, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 2:Like just and like I get it. You're busy, whatever probably, and like didn't want to go get another needle.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm gonna assume happened. Just go get another needle, yeah, so, like I don't know better that you don't even get that child doesn't even get their shot, then the yeah potential of getting a contaminated shot, yeah, yeah, no, I'm with you there. That was that to me. That was weird, but it's like I'm not.
Speaker 2:I like uh, yeah, okay, whatever, we can move on that. I don't know why that was bothering me so much. It's like no, because again, I agree that there should be this advocacy and got it, totally agree on board with that. But like I feel like that's almost trying to play victim at the end. But you like you still did something you shouldn't do.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And as a nurse, you should know that. Okay, I'm ready to move on.
Speaker 1:No, I agree with you there. Yeah, okay, so present time Brian Jackson, baby Brian. Baby Brian Is now 20. Baby Brian is now 29 years old. Baby Brian, can you believe it? He survived. Brian is now 29 years old Can you believe it?
Speaker 2:He survived.
Speaker 1:He's transformed his early life tragedy into a powerful narrative of resilience, forgiveness and advocacy. As an internationally recognized motivational speaker and legacy coach, he shares his own journey to inspire others facing adversity. Embracing his Christian faith, brian found the strength to forgive his father, stating I think there's salvation for everyone and I find myself praying for my father's salvation. He legally changed his name from brian stewart jr to brian jeffrey ray jackson, so it's like brian um two r's b-r-r-y-a-n, whereas his father is B-R-I-A-N, and then his mother's maiden name is Jackson, so he's Brian Jeffrey Ray Jackson. In order to distance himself from his father's legacy and honor his mother's support. In 2009, on his 18th birthday, brian founded the non-profit organization hope is vital, aiming to empower individuals and yeah affected by hiv, aids and combat the associated stigma. His advocacy work has taken him to various platforms, including speaking engagements at schools, conferences and even before congress. Notably, he broke the world record for the most speeches given in 24 hours, delivering 24 talks to raise awareness about HIV.
Speaker 1:Brian's story. He's amazing. Brian's story has been featured in numerous media outlets and he's received accolades such as the Teen Nick Halo Award and recognition as one of People Magazine's heroes among us. Through his work, he continues to inspire others to overcome adversity, emphasizing the power of hope, faith and forgiveness. In an interview with the Selena Journal, he says by God's grace, he is AIDS free. Ah, yes, yeah, quote. I've gone from taking 23 medications a day for AIDS and being sent home to die to only one pill, no AIDS and a hope filled life.
Speaker 2:Oh yes.
Speaker 1:I just want to cry. It's so amazing and if you look him up, he's so cute. Um, recently, on May 16th, I so I did look him up a bit, kind of stalking his Instagram and his Facebook.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:You're like on his people. You may know, oh God, he's so inspirational, he's so cute.
Speaker 1:On May 16, 2025, he announced on his Instagram page that he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Organizational Leadership, with an emphasis in Accessibility Design, and he has a minor in sociology. Yay, congratulations on your graduation, because that's like what last week? Yeah, yeah, I am um so proud of that boy. Look him up, follow his stuff. He's amazing. Um. The brian stewart case is one of the most disturbing crimes in medical history, not just because of the act, but because of how easily it could have gone undetected. A man used his medical knowledge to harm quietly, efficiently and without immediate consequences.
Speaker 2:Holy smokes, good job, thank you. Lots of emotions through that one. I feel like it already did end on such a good note like go brian, what an absolute shining star. That's so cool and, yes, congratulations on your graduation. Um, I already stepped in on my thoughts about Rosemary. I just couldn't. So I'm not going to give too much about my case away next week, but I actually, when you're going through these little mini cases, I was like, oh my God, is she going to talk about mine? Because actually, yeah, some some little similar ties for next week guys. I know we usually do sneak peek later, but I was, I actually screwed ahead. I was like I was like, oh my god, is she gonna talk about my game?
Speaker 1:yeah, because we don't run it by no surprise. No, when, when, when you guys hear it.
Speaker 2:We hear it for the first time too. So, um, yeah, so the only other like um little teaser I'll give you guys is the only other like little teaser I'll give you guys is so this guy. Obviously, you know, there will be some maybe like HIV, aids, but he maybe also learned how to be a doctor, you know by YouTube.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, it's regulations. She's a doozy.
Speaker 2:She's a Regulations.
Speaker 1:We need. She's a doozy, she's a doozy.
Speaker 2:We need more regulations. Okay, yeah, so stay tuned for that. But actually when I was researching mine too, and when you just said like, oh, brian's no longer has AIDS, just like HIV, whatever I did not anticipate us covering like AIDS HIV so much, but like it's been come up a few times now, and when I was researching mine, I was like, wow, that's so helpful actually that I learned about my little helper cells from your chart. Note that one time, because it yeah my case, like talking about helper cells and like when you get below 200, then it becomes whatever, we can talk about it next week. But I was like, oh my gosh, I've already learned so much to help me do this. So I hope you guys all feel like you've learned a lot too, because I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but I'm learning. I'm learning as we go.
Speaker 2:So, oh good, I guess, like my last and overarching note for this guy that was basically a sperm donor for brian, and like, bless brian that he has given forgiveness and saw that whole journey through. What a douchebag. I mean like, how do you I don't understand how people hurt people, but like you, intentionally hurt a child, but also your own child, I'm sorry. What? Yeah, and when he was already in the hospital for pneumonia and you're like, no, I'm just going to be so caring, oh, just go take a rest, you deserve it. And then that's what you do while she's gone.
Speaker 1:I mean, it was absolutely premeditated, absolutely.
Speaker 2:I'm going to hurt this child.
Speaker 1:And the fact, even before that, that he had said to the mom and that he said that he won't see age five.
Speaker 2:Oh sick. So he had just been planning. He was waiting for the opportunity. What a piece of shit. I can't remember. Is he alive or is he dead? He's alive.
Speaker 1:He's in jail still, he keeps coming up for parole every I don't know five years or so.
Speaker 2:I bet he's got a really compelling case of why he deserves parole.
Speaker 1:At one point in an interview so poor Brian, baby Brian has to go. So poor Brian, baby Brian has to go. I mean, he's compelled to go and share his statements as to why he doesn't feel that his father should be allowed parole and at one point he was like his biological donor, so to speak kept referring to him baby Brian as his son and he's like why should he get to refer to me me that he's never been my son or my father ever like how dare and also you tried to kill me how dare he even assume that he can call me, call himself that he's never been a father like I've forgiven you, but we're not.
Speaker 2:We're not gonna be father son.
Speaker 1:He's like I forgive him, but he does not deserve to be out. He's a danger to society, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, good. Also, when you were talking about this case and then some of the mini cases and the amount of time that people got for jail which is good, like they got a lot of time but isn't that just kind of crazy that that other murders, crimes or whatever and things that we've covered it's like they get no time at all, it's crazy to me.
Speaker 1:I don't know Wild. It's crazy to me.
Speaker 2:Wild.
Speaker 1:Often it does not make sense.
Speaker 2:No, but we celebrate when we feel like they got what they deserved. Wee, do I do medical mishap? Do you do medical mishap? I?
Speaker 1:can do it, go for it. We have a medical mishap. Cheer us up, missy. Okay, yeah, I'm ready.
Speaker 2:Are we ready? Bring us something cheerful. I mean no time like the present, megan. Okay, so our medical mishap. It says dear Jenna and Amanda, I love your podcast and look forward to Wednesdays. Aw, thank you, I look forward to Wednesdays too, even though I've already heard it once. But it's fun. You are truly educational and entertaining at the same time. Thank you for bringing to light the issues that the general public should be aware of in a way that informs and encourages empowerment.
Speaker 2:A few years ago, my husband Gary it doesn't say if I can say or not, so I'm doing it my husband, gary, went in for a routine colonoscopy, a procedure that makes most people more nervous than necessary. Yeah, I would agree with that. Gary was assured it would be a quick, painless and that he'd be out of there before he knew it. The nurse gave him some light anesthesia and told him to count backwards from ten. He was out cold by number seven Classic. When he woke up he was groggy but chipper and very confused. He looked around the recovery room and exclaimed loudly Am I still in the spaceship? Am I still in the spaceship, am?
Speaker 1:I still in the spaceship.
Speaker 2:Am I still in the spaceship? The nurse, barely holding back laughter, asked what he meant. He explained with complete conviction that during the procedure, aliens had boarded the exam room, scanned his insides for intergalactic research and complimented him on his exceptionally smooth colon.
Speaker 1:you guys, your colon is so cool.
Speaker 2:Bro. Staff later told me that he insisted that the aliens left a souvenir somewhere up there. What?
Speaker 1:What did they have left? Like what?
Speaker 2:He then apparently tried to show everyone the space map tattoo the alien supposedly left on his lower back. Turns out he had been narrating this wild story out loud the entire time as he was waking up. Meanwhile, waiting in the recovery area, I was nearly in tears from laughing and nurse told me we've had people sing, cry and flirt under anesthesia, but this was our first extraterrestrial encounter. Gary eventually remembered nothing, but became a local legend at the hospital to this day.
Speaker 2:When you ask him about it, he just says I don't remember the aliens, but I do hope they took me out for dinner first thank you for reading this story. Stay safe and stay suspicious of those aliens interested in colon exploration. Yours, in true crime lydia oh, thank you so much for sharing that. That's so funny. My mother-in-law is into aliens, so she will enjoy that story a lot thanks, lydia.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, oh, amanda, have I told you about my cozy earth sheets? I don't think so listen, I have to kick people out.
Speaker 2:I've never heard of cozy earth. What is it?
Speaker 1:listen, you have and I know you're teasing me, but I mean I have cozy earth sheets the bamboo sheet set that are made from 100 premium viscose from bamboo. I have to kick people out of my bed. I there are people, pets and everybody. They all want to be in my bed now because I have got the sheet set from heaven and I can't get rid of everyone. It's like listen, this is my bed. Off you go. Because Because I'm bitching about this stuff.
Speaker 1:It's so luxurious and so you just feel like you're in like a super fancy hotel room but like ultra comfortable and I don't know.
Speaker 2:It's the best of the best. And right now, with your own pillow, your own mattress, just getting a little hug from your sheets, my bamboo pillows and it's just all like.
Speaker 1:so with bamboo it's, it's the um oyster wicking like good for your skin stuff, good for your hair like your. The pillowcases are good for your hair and it's hot now. So you know I get all sweaty or whatever, and it wicks the moisture constantly Cool. You don't have to look for the cool spot, you don't have to move around the bed trying to find a cool spot.
Speaker 2:Your foot's like searching, like where's the cool spot?
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, and listen, there's more than just sheets 's. They have, uh, pjs, linens, towels. Father's day is coming. Have a look, because I'll tell you what this stuff's been featured on. Good morning america in style, better homes and gardens. Get the father or father figure in your life a gift of comfort and luxury. If you're not going to do it for yourself, but I would say, do it for both of you. Uh, with our limited time promo code because I'm telling you it's just for our listeners we got a deal. We got a whopping 41% off at cozy earthcom. Yeah, bye.
Speaker 1:All you gotta do is go to cozy earthcom and use promo code suspicious. That's CozyEarthcom promo code S-U-S-P-I-C-I-O-U-S.
Speaker 2:Boom, mic drop, bada, bing, bada, boom, boom, boom, and I've already told you what's up next week, so I'm just gonna say one thing before signing off. You're welcome. Welcome. We didn't talk about the weather, you guys nope, and we're not gonna. I know, actually. Okay, I just can't say one thing about the weather. When you were reading I think it was during the chart note part it was storming so loudly here that actually when thunder boomers would like make a spike on my recording screen, so I don't know, if you heard it or if anyone will hear it.
Speaker 2:Are you going to edit it out? I don't know, but there's some thunder, yeah.
Speaker 1:Ba-da-na-na-na-na, that wonder, woo-hoo. Oh, we talked about that, oh wow we can't really talk about it.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, we're going to sign off now, so don't miss Subscribe or following Doctoring the Truth wherever you enjoy your podcasts, for stories that shock, intrigue and educate. Trust, after all, is a delicate thing. You can text us directly on our website at doctoringthetruthatbuzzsproutcom, email us your own story ideas, medical mishaps and comments at doctoringthetruthatgmail. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at doctoringthetruthpodcast, and Facebook at doctoringthetruth're on tiktok, at doctoring the truth and ed odd pod. That's ed aud pod. Don't forget to download, rate and review so we can be sure to bring you more content next week and I'm just doing a sidebar for myself this is my last week of work for summer break, so you're probably going to see more of me on social media. So sorry, not sorry. Until then, stay safe and stay suspicious. Goodbye no-transcript.
Speaker 1:Listen, amanda doesn't know I'm doing this, but I'm cutting the whole thing. I uh, I'm in my editing mode, have my editing hat on and listen guys. I went banging on for 12 minutes about fluoride in the water. Um, it was so boring I can't believe that my co-host didn't fall asleep. So here to summarize what would have been 12 minutes that you never get back from your life. Here to summarize the chart notes. Basically, rfk Jr said he wanted all the fluoride to be taken out of our drinking water in America. And you know, as we know, fluoride helps prevent cavities and tooth decay, but high levels of fluoride is bad for you. So last week there was a big study that came out that said that you know, there'd be millions of more cavities in our country if there is no more fluoride in the water. Yada, yada, yada. But you know we have mouth rinses and toothpaste, so hopefully things will just work out and that is the extent of it. You are welcome, alleycats.
