Decoding the motives of 'death doctor' 6
‘Doctor of death’ or ‘angel of death’ is the name given to serial killers who intentionally take the lives of people under their care. These people often work as care professionals
The phenomenon of `death angels` is divided into three types by criminology experts.
The first is the `merciful angel,` where the killer believes his actions will free the elderly or chronically ill patient, according to Dr. Darrel Turner, a forensic psychologist and former private investigator.
They have the illusion that what they are doing is good.
Some people tend to re-enact psychological trauma from childhood, for example, witnessing a parent struggling for months before passing away.
An example of this type is Donald Harvey, who worked at hospitals around Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1970s and 1980s.
Donald Harvey in court in 1987. Photo: AP.
The second type is the `malicious hero`, which means intentionally harming, pushing the victim to the brink of death and then saving his life at the last moment.
`Malicious hero` thereby impresses colleagues or gets promoted at work.
In 2001, Kristen Gilbert, a former nurse in Massachusetts, received a life sentence for injecting cardiac arrest drugs to kill four patients.
In addition to the above two types, some `angels of death` like the feeling of power that comes with committing a crime or saving a victim’s life.
According to Insider, Jane Toppan is probably one of the most cruel medical murderers in history.
Arrested in 1901, this person admitted to killing 31 people but was only forced to undergo lifelong medical treatment because he was determined to be mentally ill.
According to Psychology Today, Katherine Ramsland, a professor of forensic psychology, gave a list of 22 characteristics of serial killers who are nurses such as: liking to guess when a patient will die, liking to be on duty off duty, liking to be recognized.
