"THE STORY OF NOTORIOUS SERIAL KILLER - DONALD HARVEY -[ANGEL OF DEATH]"

 

Donald Harvey, known as the "Angel of Death," was one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Operating within the healthcare system, he spent nearly two decades murdering patients under the guise of medical care.

Childhood and Background

Born on April 15, 1952, in Booneville, Kentucky, Harvey’s early life was marked by trauma. He suffered two significant head injuries as a young child and reported being sexually abused by an uncle and a neighbor throughout his youth.

He was a socially isolated student who dropped out of school in the ninth grade. After a brief, unsuccessful stint in the U.S. Air Force—which ended in a psychiatric discharge following two suicide attempts—he began working as a hospital orderly at the age of 18.

Motives and Ideology: "Playing God"

Harvey initially claimed he killed out of mercy to end the suffering of terminally ill patients. However, he later admitted that many of his murders were fueled by rage, annoyance, or a desire for control. He famously stated that after his first fifteen murders, he felt he had the "right" to decide who lived or died, effectively "playing God."

The Crimes and Victims

Harvey’s killing spree spanned from 1970 to 1987, primarily at Marymount Hospital in Kentucky, the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, and Drake Memorial Hospital in Ohio.

First Crime (1970): His first victim was 88-year-old Logan Evans at Marymount Hospital. Harvey smothered him with a pillow and a plastic sheet after the patient had reportedly smeared feces on him.

Total Victims: He was convicted of 37 murders, but he claimed to have killed as many as 87 people.

Non-Hospital Victims: Harvey did not limit his targets to patients. He poisoned his roommate’s father (Henry Hoeweler) with arsenic and attempted to sicken neighbors and his own romantic partners using various toxins to keep them "dependent" on him.

Mode of Operation

Harvey was a versatile killer who used a wide range of undetectable methods:

Poisons: Primarily cyanide and arsenic mixed into food or injected into IV lines.

Suffocation: Smothering with pillows or wet plastic bags.

Medical Sabotage: Turning off ventilators, letting oxygen tanks run out, or injecting "air embolisms" into veins.

Biological Agents: He even attempted to infect victims with hepatitis B and HIV.

Investigations and Arrest

Harvey remained undetected for 17 years because his victims were often elderly or critically ill; their deaths were viewed as natural.

His downfall came in March 1987 after the death of John Powell at Drake Memorial Hospital. During an autopsy, a medical examiner noticed the faint scent of bitter almonds—a telltale sign of cyanide poisoning. An investigation quickly pointed toward Harvey, who was known to have been in Powell's room. A search of his home revealed a stash of poisons and a diary detailing his crimes.

Verdict and Aftermath

To avoid the death penalty, Harvey entered a plea bargain.

The Verdict: In August 1987, he pleaded guilty to 24 counts of murder in Ohio. He later pleaded guilty to 9 more in Kentucky. He was sentenced to multiple consecutive life terms.

Impact: His case led to stricter vetting processes for hospital orderlies and medical staff, as it exposed how easily a non-medical employee could access lethal substances and vulnerable patients.

Current Status

Donald Harvey’s life ended violently within the prison system. On March 28, 2017, he was found severely beaten in his cell at the Toledo Correctional Institution in Ohio.

He died two days later, on March 30, 2017, at the age of 64. His killer was later identified as a fellow inmate, James Burke, who claimed he attacked Harvey because he "wanted to help the families" of Harvey's victims.

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