Episode 29 Donald Harvey

They are called the angel of death but are they angels or just the Grimm Reaper? You decide as Joey and Sabryna go over the horrible deaths brought on by Donald Harvey. One that law calls a prolific serial killer having been a part of the deaths of a confirmed 37 people but claims there were more.

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Sources:
Wikipedia.org
Fox19.com
Themanchesterenterprise.com  

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Ghost and Gavel with Sabrina and Joey. Today is going to be episode number twenty-nine, and we are going to hand it over to Joey.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

On today's episode, we are talking about Donald Harvey. Donald Harvey was an American serial killer who claimed to have murdered 87 people through he has 37 confirmed victims. He was able to do this during his time as a hospital ordinarily. His spree took place between 1970.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Sorry to interrupt you. Do you mean hospital orderly?

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:07

Okay. I was just back checking.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

1970 and 1987. Harvey claimed to have begun killing to ease the pain of patients, mostly cardiac well, cardiac patients by smothering them with their pillows. However, he gradually grew to enjoy killing people and became a self-described angel of death. At the time of his death, he was serving 28 life sentences in Toledo, Ohio. Have pleaded guilty to murder charges to avoid execution. Donald Harvey was born in Hamilton, Ohio on April 15th, 1952, the oldest of three children born to Ray and Gordie Harvey. He was raised in a tiny Appalachian town of Boonville, Kentucky, where his parents were struggling tobacco farmers and members of the local Baptist church. From the ages of five to eighteen, Harvey was sexually molested by both an uncle and a neighbor. But he towed no one except his sister, and only after the abuse ended, Harvey dropped out of high school in the ninth grade, but earned a corpusponsive school GED in 1968.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

So kind of going back to a lot of true crime things we've seen, um, especially when it comes to serial killers, it sounds like he had a pretty rough past.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Yep. After the arrest for burglary in March 1971, Harvey enlisted into the United States Air Force, but was discharged after nine months due to two suicide attempts. After the nervous breakdowns, he had come to terms with his homosexuality.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

What years did you say that was again? When he was in the military.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Oh, uh enlisted in the United States Air Force in March of 1971.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

So I'm not 100% sure on when they changed that, but I do recall them like in the military, it was like highly frowned upon to admit or um acknowledge the fact of homosexuality. So uh you know that's uh that's kind of something that's curious to me too, as to, I mean, I know you said it was due to suicide attempts, but I wonder if that contributed to some of the discharge reasons.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

They could have been. But now we're just gonna get into his murders now. Harvey began working in hospitals at the age of eighteen as an orderly at the Mary Both Hospital in London, Kentucky.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

So close to home.

SPEAKER_01 5:30

Harvey committed his first murders. His first victim was an eighty-eight-year-old Logan Evans and incontented stroke victim who Harvey smothered with a pillow in May of 1970 after the patient smeared feces on him and later confessed during the 10-month period he worked at the hospital. He at least killed a dozen patients. Harvey was assist that he killed poorly purely out of a sense of empathy for the suffering of those who were terminately ill, but admitted most of the killings were committed due to anger at the victims. His victims ranged from middle-age to elderly, and were unusually broad in range, including men and women of various races, and backgrounds.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

To some extent, I can understand the want to end a life to end suffering, but when it comes to people like this, I find that just to be an excuse, which I mean you did say that he did inevitably admit that a lot of it was due to anger from the patients. But I mean, we even have some states that have it where you can legally have an assisted suicide if you're terminal terminally ill. But yeah, I mean, this is a whole other scenario.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

The only thing they had in common was that they were all cardiac patients. The full extent of Harvey's crimes may have never been known since many of them were undetected for so long. He did not use any particular modest appreciates and had used many methods to kill his victims, such such such as he has used instant well insulin, suffocation, poisons and morphine, and turning off the ventilators, admis administering a fluid trade with her hepatitis B or HIV, which resulted in a hepatitis infection, but no HIV infection. An illness rather than death. Ooh, this one's a pretty messed up one. And another one was uh insertion well insertion? Yes, insertion of a coat hanger into a catheter.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Oh, ow, ow. I mean catheters are painful enough. Oh, that makes my that makes makes my hoochie hurt.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Causing an abomin uh abdominal puncture and oh god. But yeah. Uh was that Synecade? C Y A N I D E.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

Cyanide?

SPEAKER_01 10:09

Oh. Yes, he also used cyanide and A-R-S-E-N-I-C. Arsenate? But cyanide was his most used method with Harvey administrating them via food or injections. The majority of Harvey's crimes took place at Mary Moth Hospital and the Cincinnati VA Medical Hospital in Cincinnati Drake Memorial Hospital at various times. He worked at as a but where he worked as an ordinary or orderly. Orderly or an autopsy assistants. Assistant.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Okay, so as an autopsy assistant, he's the one committing these murders. I mean, that just leads him to get away with it even more because if he's assisting with the autopsy, he can cover up what he's done.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

But after keeping his crimes hidden for 17 years, Harvey slipped up in 1987. An autopsy of John Pell, who had died abruptly after spending several months on life support following a motorcycle accident, revealed a large amount of cyanide in his system. Harvey became a person of interest when investigators he have been forced to resign from the Cincinnati VA hospital after he was caught stealing body parts for encouraged rituals at the time. Most hospitals denied that odorless as closely as doctors or nurses when they brought Harvey in for question. He confessed to Pell's murder, claiming he had you and euthanized him with cyanide.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

So not only was he murdering them, he was taking the body parts for cult reasons. That was a colt, yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

Wow, that's pretty fucked up.

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Par McRonchin. Hopefully I did not butcher that name or that last name. Then an anchor at Cincinnati station WCPO-TV found it unlikely that someone who spent almost two decades caring for caring for patients could subtly kill one without having killed one before. During his report on the night of Harvey's arrest, Pat asked on air if there have been any other deaths. It was soon revealed that several nurses at Drake had raised concerns with administrators upon noticing a spike in death while Harvey was employed there, but they had been ordered to keep quiet, not wanting to change. The nurses contacted Pat and told him there was evidence Harvey killed at least ten more people over the next several months. Pat investigated the suspicion deaths and assumed enough evidence to air a half-hour special reporting or report detaining evidence that linked Harvey to at least 24 murders in a four-year period. Harvey had been unable to stay under the radar and part because he worked in an area of Drake where patients were not expected to survive. When Harvey's court appointed lawyer, Bill Whalen was briefed in advance about Pat's findings. He immediately asked Harvey if he killed anybody else. Harvey replied by his estimate he had killed as many as 70 people. Bill knew that if prosecutors could link Harvey to more than one murder, Ohio law allowed them to seek the death sentence and a bid to save his life's client's life. Bill offered prosecutors a plea bargain. If the death penalty was taken off the table, Harvey would accept a de facto sentence of life without parole and confessed to all of his murders. The prosecutors agreed in a marathon session with prosecutors, Harvey admitted to killing 24 people.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

And this one was a state appointed attorney or court-appointed attorney. But me personally, somebody knowing that another person has taken the life of so many people. I don't know, maybe it's my lack of comprehension and the law. And I mean, I've taken paralegal classes, I've done legal classes and things like that, but I still struggle seeing how an attorney can defend somebody knowing they have taken so many lives.

SPEAKER_01 17:25

In August of 1987, Harvey pleaded guilty to 24 counts of first degree murder. In orderance with the plea agreement, he was sentenced to three concurrent term of terms of life in prison. The plea agreement allowed prosecutors to seek a death sentence if more murders came to light. With this in mind, that November, Harvey pleaded guilty in La Roar County, Kentucky Circuit Court to eight counts of murder and one count of manslaughter for killing nine patients in Mary Moth Hospital in Lexton, Kentucky. In the 1970s, he was sentenced to life plus 20 years to run concurrently with Ohio sentence. Harvey pleaded guilty to 37 murders. However, he confessed to killing as many as 50 people. Harvey was admitted to the Ohio prison system on October 26, 19th, 20 or well. October 26th of 1987. I just realized I was about to say nineteen twenty-seven. Then on March twenty-eighth, twenty seventeen, Harvey was found in his uh cell severally BN he died two days later on March thirtieth, twenty seventeen. On May 3rd, a fellow inmate James Elliott was charged with aggravated murder and other charges related to Harvey's death.

SPEAKER_00 19:57

In September. Okay, sorry to interrupt again. I know in the state of Kentucky, at least, okay, so the state we are in, a life sentence means for the rest of your natural life. However, we do have to remember because some of those crimes were convicted in Ohio as well. I don't know Ohio's terms, but I do know other states when it comes to a life sentence. I mean, that could mean as little as like 25 years. And like that to me, especially with these crimes, like I said, Kentucky, I know for a fact is the rest of their natural life if it's a life sentence. But just knowing that, that there's people that get life sentences in some states, and it it's got a numerical value to it, and they could be released back into society.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

But yes, but most of the time the 25 to life, I think they keep you in prison for like twenty-five years before they send you to uh the uh whatever that's called. Death row prison.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Yeah, but we have to remember with his, he made a plea not to go under execution as well. I'm just I'm just the point I was making with that is like we have to remember with our listeners, like when especially when it comes to true crime, that and especially with the fact that some of our listeners are out of country, so laws are different in other countries as well. But like in The United States, at least, like I said, I know Kentucky is life means for the rest of your natural life, so you're there until you pass. Um, however, like I said, I do know I'm not 100% sure on which states they are, so I can't quote that, but I do know there are some states that, like I said, have a numerical value after 20 years, 25 years, these people that have committed significant crimes could be released back into society. And and to me, that just it dumbfounds me.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

But yes.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Maybe that's even a place where some of our people, some of our listeners from other countries can kind of chime in and leave in the comments like what your laws consist of, and what uh you know, if somebody were to get a life sentence in another country, what that means for them, you know, because I would definitely be interested, or even other states, people that listen in other states, I would definitely be interested in learning what the terms are for your state, your country when it comes to a life sentence.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

In September of 2019, uh James Elliott was charged, or not charged, but sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing Harvey. The sentence was originally ordered to runly to his other sentences, but was later changed to run concurrently making Elliot eligible for parole in 2046 at the age of 71.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Eligible or ineligible? Because you said uh you said for parole, so I'm assuming you mean eligible.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:23

Okay. I I was just clarifying, I'm sorry. So I understood that.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Prior to the murder of Harvey Elliott have been convicted of burglary, attempted burglarly, and aggravated burglary toting up to 62 counts. He was also convicted of attempted possession of a deadly weapon under detensation. And two counts of felony assault while in prison. Elliot claimed that he murdered Harvey to protest prison conditions in the act of a vigil anti- Elliot said that he grew up in near Harvey's victims in Kentucky and claimed that he had wanted to give him or wanted to give their families closure. Elliot did not personally know any of Harvey's victims. However, his mother claimed that he had become angry when Harvey reportedly bragged about have been murdering elderly people. Judge Lauron Duhart told Elliot, no matter how bad a person is, that does not give you the right to be a judge, jury, and executor. Prosecutors claimed that Elliot had targeted Harvey out of jealousy since he was receiving different types of meals at prison because of his religion. And this is a list just of uh known victims. Uh Logan Evans, James Tyree, Elizabeth Watt, Eugene McQueen, Harvey Williams, Ben Gilbert, Madude Nicholas, William Bowling, Reed number nine.

SPEAKER_00 27:08

Viola Reed Wyrin. I'm sorry if we are butchering any of these names. It is in no disrespect to the victims themselves. And may all of these victims that are being read be resting in peace.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Market Market Margaret Margaret Harrison Sam Coreau Maggie Rollins Celeste Celeste. Celeste Bunner John V Combs Milton Bryan Sesser. Yeah, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Helen Metzger Henry Howler Howard Vetter Hylum James Pelusimo Edward Wilson Millennium J Watson Liam Nelson Virgin Will Will Will Will Will Will Okayation. Anyways, Lumbans Lumerson Dumbless Melly Willy Joneson Scribbless Rumble Clinton Ronnie James T. Woods Messie Friday Milton Canton Roger Evans Clayborn Kendrick Buhenman William Collins Henry Cody Moses Thompson Otis Debbie Claiville Fish Little Pumperman Margaret Cummer Stella Lemon Joseph M. Pike Hilda Litz Limit John W. Powell again no disrespect to any of these victims. We tried our best with pronunciations and may they all rest in peace.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

And um this got so popular that it has made it into media. Of course, the first one was mentioned earlier as WCPO uh the news channel. Yeah, I can't remember what theirs was. I think it was WCPO9, I think it was.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

I I think so, but yeah, we could be incorrect on that. Don't quote us.

SPEAKER_01 30:38

I do know it's a Cincinnati oh yeah, Cincinnati, Ohio. Oh news thing. I do know that I just don't remember their channel. Yeah, channel number and all of that. The news alter shared. But WCPO's uh dash TV's I team created a nineteen eighty-eight investigated Harvey's crimes. They received several awards for their efforts. Autopsy covered by Harvey's crimes and the 1995 episode of The Angel of Death and Furious Murders covered Harvey's case alongside two others in its first episode. Angels of Death first aired in 2001. Dr. G. Medical Examiner covered the case in the 2009 episode Killers Among Us.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

Actually, I think I remember. I don't re this name sounds familiar that you're going over, but I definitely remember that show, Killers Among Us. I remember watching that a lot.

SPEAKER_01 32:16

What? Harvey or Dr. G?

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Just the show itself, Killers Among Us.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

It was something that I mean, look at the podcast we're doing. I I've had interest in paranormal and true crime and all that for quite some time.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

Then my favorite murderer featured Harvey's case in its 110 episode released in 2018. Harvey was mentioned along with Elizabeth Walter 4 in season 14 of Criminal Minds entitled Broken Wings first aired in 2018. Then the podcast, and That's Why We Drain, covers the case, and it's the 159th episode. A sinister vibe check and governor of Noodletown released in 2020. And the criminal justice system 25 to life. Yes, I'm going back to this. It is uh the image determination life sentence. It means a convicted person will serve a minimum of 25 years in prison at which they become eligible for parole.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

So, like you were saying in uh previously that he was not eligible for parole, that was part of his plea bargain. Um, but like I said, I know and like I like I said, hopefully some people from other countries, other states can kind of chime in and tell us what the laws are in their area. But I do know in the state of Kentucky, life, like I said, means for the rest of their natural life.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

But also serving the 25 years does not guarantee a release. Parole boards could can deny any request and keep uh inmate uh and card syndata it definitely.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

Well, yeah, yeah, the parole board has a lot to do with determination as well. I was just making reference to that because honestly, I like I said, I know different states have different laws when it comes to that. And and to me, like I said, it's dumbfounding that you know the some of these criminals and the crimes that are pursued, it just to think they even have a chance to be released back into society is worrisome.

SPEAKER_01 35:21

Then uh life without parole is like a huge difference from the 25 to life sentence. Life without parole means the inmate will never get released regarding the of their behavior. And this is the type of sentencing that is commonly associated with serious crimes like first or second degree uh murder or under the three straw three strikes law in California.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

See, that's what I'm saying. That's where I hope we can kind of hear from some of our listeners, because you know, there's different things, like you said, the three strikes law.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

Which is in California.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. That's why I'm hoping we can hear from different states, different countries, and what their laws pertain to when it comes to that, because the I I mean, if people in other countries don't know, I mean, we have federal laws and then we have state laws here, and our states can determine how people are prosecuted when it comes to certain crimes. Very rarely do crimes go to the federal level. It's very hard to get your crime to the federal level.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

Yep. But with his case, they did it just seems like they didn't want to give him the death penalty. Or his lawyer did.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Well, didn't it say didn't you say he didn't want the death penalty, he didn't want the chance of execution?

SPEAKER_01 37:32

That was his lawyer.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

That was his lawyer, okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:36

So that's why they went with uh the life without parole. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

But see, again, that's still something I know it's their job, and yes, I took law classes, and I I understand that you know you have a duty to to the people that you defend, but it still dumbfounds me how and that's a a a good a big portion of the reason I really couldn't finish out in law is because I couldn't imagine myself defending somebody knowing they had admitted to such heinous crimes. And he did. He admitted to his crimes, he admitted to a large number of people, or not to a large number of people, but he admitted to his attorney and things like that, the number of people that he had murdered. And I couldn't imagine myself defending that. And I don't want to say it's right. Um, I don't rem I don't recall exactly the name that you mentioned, the the guy that had killed Harvey for the murders while in prison. Am I saying it's right that he killed him? No, because killing is not right. Murder is not right, but did he do I think he deserved it? Yes, because he I mean he did some pretty horrible things. Killing people with in the ways that he did, honestly, he deserved the death penalty, I believe. I personally believe he deserved the death penalty. I don't think whether he admitted to it or took a plea bargain or whatever, I I don't think that he should have gotten to the extent that he was allowed off of the death penalty, or the death penalty was taken off the table.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

But let's also go back, and he was only eventually caught for the one.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

Yeah, he was caught for the one because he he took it too far, which I mean that's how most of these serial killers get caught. You know, they do it once and they may get away with it, but typically well, I mean, a serial killer, the definition of a serial killer is somebody that has killed three or more people. So, I mean, once you continue to do that, you are eventually going to get caught because you are going to mess up somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 40:55

But and also if you get the death uh uh what is that called?

SPEAKER_00 41:02

Death penalty, execution.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

Yeah, the death penalty or execution, you would immediately go to the death row prison. Like immediately, and you would spend an average of 19 to 20 years on death row.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

Yeah, that's another good point to make, is a lot of these people that do get the death penalty, that it's not like execution is right away. They spend quite a bit of time within death row prisons before execution is even brought really brought, I can't say brought to the table, but before it's even a possibility for these prisoners.

SPEAKER_01 41:54

Yeah, so if they get the death penalty, they will spend an average give or take 20 years on death row before they are executed, and they do that so it can uh like give them time to go over the case and the whole nine guards, get appeals or anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 42:31

I think I think honestly the a My Lord have mercy. I think honestly the average of 20 years, I understand the extent to it and the reason there is time needed for things like appeals and or in case even I mean there's so many people who you even hear about going to death row that after their execution have been found innocent because they find what truly happened. So do I agree with the fact that yes, time is needed to make sure that they are doing the right thing, but if there is certainty behind it, I think 20 years is a little excessive.

SPEAKER_01 43:26

But also the process to get an appeal actually starts like fairly quickly.

SPEAKER_00 43:34

Yeah, I and I mean that's not even with death row that's not even just with death row inmates. That's with that's with a lot of inmates, death row or not, you know, uh there's usually appeal processes that they go through fairly quickly.

SPEAKER_01 44:00

the the fastest states or state should I rephrase because I'm only seeing one state is actually Texas carries out executions a whole lot quicker but will still wait uh frequently uh exceeds over a decade so it sounds like Texas would make you wait ten years before you're executed.

SPEAKER_00 44:32

Honestly I would have to say that you saying that does not surprise me at all. The fact that Texas is one of the quickest to take an inmate to execution.

SPEAKER_01 44:46

But the slow estates like California has a massive backlog causing inmates to wait 20 to 30 more years. In fact nearly a quarter of all death death row inmates die of natural causes while waiting for execution I have heard that too that i it's more likely an inmate die of natural causes rather than execution itself and honestly I think the last time I looked into this I think Kentucky only has like twenty to thirty people on death row currently right now.

SPEAKER_00 45:32

That seems so I I don't want to say Kentucky is a bad state I mean how do I put this so it doesn't sound bad? Kentucky is not a bad state overall but there are certain areas in Kentucky that that does surprise me when it comes to death row because of the crime rates. And no those crimes may not be to the excess of you know death row being necessary but it it still is quite surprising and I think that's probably with any s I can't even say probably I would say that's with just about any state that you know you just have bad areas that are known for higher crime rates.

SPEAKER_01 46:32

And as of right now Texas has executed the most people by far carrying out six hundred executions since the resistment of capital punishment in nineteen seventy six. So from nineteen seventy six to twenty twenty six Texas is over six hundred again that honestly I can't really say that that surprises me that Texas is on the higher list. Then Florida is at a hundred and thirty three Oklahoma one thirty one Virginia one thirteen Missouri one oh two then the rest is like double digits.

SPEAKER_00 47:33

Florida doesn't surprise me places like Virginia and Oklahoma those are a little surprising to me but again we don't know we're not necessarily familiar with the area and just like in any state like I said with Kentucky I mean you think about like Louisville for instance it's fairly well known for its high high crime rate my bad we are at twenty four current death row inmates I just had to look that up real quick and we even have to you know put a reminder out for our listeners that are not you know within this country there are even still some states that don't even consider death row for punishment you know the like I said you know we have we have federal laws we have state laws and and there are some states that have decided against that type of capital punishment and with our death row inmates the one that's been in there the longest has been in the death row prison since 1982 so that forty four years he's been in there in death row yes wow let me go back through and we find it for you does it have the name of that prisoner specifically oh no but I actually just lied nineteen eighty is the episode 46 here what's the name of that prisoner and what's the crime that's all you was sentenced to death in mar on March 29th 1980 in Powell County for the murder of three Bret County residents on the evening of February twelfth nineteen seventy nine white and oh okay so so it's Carew White's gene was the middle name I'm sorry that was my mistake I see how they have it set up now. White and two accomplices entered a Haddock's Kentucky store operated by two elderly men Charles Gross and Sam Cheney and an elderly woman Lula Gross or Gross I could be saying that wrong White and his accomplish accomplices bludgeoned to death the men and woman they took a bill fold containing seven thousand dollars some coins and a handgun and white was arrested on July 27th of 1979 interesting i i know it sounds crazy but I love learning about stuff like this okay guys we are coming to the end of our time I hope you guys enjoyed this and you learned a lot from it not only you know about the crime itself but the way that different states work the country works if you're not from this country you guys don't forget to go follow us on social media we have TikTok Instagram and Facebook and do not forget we do have Patreon now and different tiers of course you can follow us on Patreon for free but the best way you can support us is giving us a like on whatever platform you're listening to us on and put a kind comment and share us out with your friends that are interested in the paranormal the spooky cryptids conspiracy theories true crime and get our name out there and let's get more people in listening um I hope you guys have a great Monday and a great week also don't forget we do have our email as well it is ghostinggavel all one word at gmail.com where you can email us your personal paranormal stories or you know something that would be really interesting is anybody that has you know been relatively close to true crime um incidences you know if you have family members that were involved with true crime or family members that were close to people that were involved with true crime send us anything like we would be happy to read it out on the podcast or even set certain episodes aside for encounters you want to share but again guys have a great week happy Monday and stay spooky bye