Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: If you dig the twisted, admire the outlandish, and are enamored by the unusual, you're in the right place. True crime, the supernatural, the unexplained. Now you're speaking our language. If you agree, join us as we dive into the darker side. You know, because it's more fun over here. Welcome to Total Conundrum.
Warning. Some listeners may find the following content disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.
Welcome back, Conundrum crew. You're tuning in to Total Conundrum, the podcast where we dive into the darkest mysteries, creepiest crimes, and the weirdest history and somehow manage to make you laugh along the way.
[00:01:13] Speaker A: And today, we're tackling a case that's truly chilling. We're talking about Harold Shipman, one of the most prolific serial killers in history.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: And.
[00:01:21] Speaker A: And by prolific, we mean this guy makes the most fictional villains look like amateurs.
[00:01:27] Speaker B: Yeah, we're not talking about some shady dude lurking in alleyways. Shipman was a doctor, somebody people trusted. And he used that trust to kill.
[00:01:36] Speaker A: It's horrifying. And of course, we'll break it all down for you. His childhood, his twisted methods, and how he actually got away with it for so long.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: Quick heads up. This episode is going to be dark. We're discussing murder, medical malpractice, and a staggering level of deception. So if it's not your thing, no worries. Maybe check out one of our lighter episodes.
[00:01:59] Speaker A: But if you're here for the full dose of true crime madness, buckle up. Let's get into the strange and sinister Life of Dr. Harold Shipman.
[00:02:08] Speaker B: Before we unravel the chilling true story of Dr. Death himself, Harold Shipman. Remember to hit that like and subscribe button. Leave us a review on Apple and Spotify. And don't forget to ring that notification bell on YouTube. So you're always in the loop with our latest episodes. Your support keeps us going. If you have any story ideas or recommendations, contact us@totalconndrum.com or you can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
[00:02:34] Speaker A: And because we know you love a good mix of mind blowing and spine chilling stories, stick around till the end. We've got some trailers from our podcast pals @dmondoespodcast and paranormal lovers podcasts. Be sure to check them out. But now let's dive into the disturbing case of Harold Shipman, the doctor who took a sacred oath to heal, but instead became one of the most prolific serial killers in history.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: We'll be back after these messages. Hey, nerds.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: My name is Damond and I am.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: The host of Demand does the six questions where the same six questions can tell a unique story?
[00:03:11] Speaker A: Join me as I chat with people.
[00:03:13] Speaker B: All about that creative life. So if you're interested in cool things like books, creativity, podcasting and fun the mon does the six questions the treat destinations available you wherever you download your podcast, see it, hear it, speak it.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: Live and back to the show.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: All right, let's start from the beginning. Harold Frederick Shipman was born in Nottingham, England on January 14, 1946. This is a guy who came from a pretty normal middle class family. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
[00:03:47] Speaker A: Yeah, by all accounts, it was your average upbringing. No creepy kid stuff like torturing animals or building secret murder basements. Just a regular boy in a regular family.
[00:03:59] Speaker B: Right. But there was one relationship in his life that really stood out, his bond with his mother, Vera. They were super close and she was kind of his whole world. He was definitely a mama's boy in every sense.
[00:04:12] Speaker A: Oh yeah. Vera was the authority in the Shipman household. She was reportedly very controlling, but in a you're my special little boy kind of way. And Harold really leaned into that. He admired her like deeply. But then things took a turn when she got really sick with terminal cancer in the early 60s.
[00:04:32] Speaker B: Yep. Vera's health started to deteriorate when Harold was a teenager and he basically watched her suffer day in and day out. This is where things start to get interesting, to say the least.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: Right. So Vera's pain got pretty unbearable towards the end and she was given morphine to manage it. Morphine is a powerful drug, pretty much the go to for serious pain. And it's said that Harold saw firsthand how the morphine gave his mother relief from her suffering. Almost like flipping a switch.
[00:05:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Imagine being a 17 year old kid watching your mother in agony one minute, then in the next she's peaceful and calm thanks to a little injection that had to make an impression on him.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: Definitely left an impact. After Vera passed away in 1963, Harold changed. People close to him noticed. He became more withdrawn, more focused. And this is where we start to see the gears turning towards his future career in medicine. It's almost like his mother's death inspired him, but not in the way you'd expect.
[00:05:36] Speaker B: Exactly. Instead of wanting to help people live, it's almost as if he became fascinated with the control over life and death. And this is something we'll come back to throughout his story.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: So we've got young Harold deeply affected by his mother's death, and then he decides he wants to become a doctor. On the surface, it Seems like a notable decision, but knowing where the story goes, well, let's just say that inspiration took a very dark turn.
[00:06:04] Speaker B: Yeah, he definitely took the whole helping people thing in the wrong direction.
[00:06:08] Speaker A: Right? Like big time wrong. Do no harm apparently did not make it onto his to do list.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: Nope. But before we get into his career and the madness that follows, let's take a quick breather. Deep breath in and out.
[00:06:22] Speaker A: Namaste. Om.
Nope. Nah, never mind. There is no peace in this story.
[00:06:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I was going to say there's nothing Zen about this guy, but hey, it's all just pretend. We're sitting here in a peaceful meadow, maybe surrounded by fluffy bunnies.
[00:06:40] Speaker A: Except one of those bunnies is secretly a serial killer in a lab coat.
[00:06:46] Speaker B: And the relaxation is gone. All right, conundrum crew breather over. Let's dive into the horror.
[00:06:52] Speaker A: So after his mother's death, Harold Shipment was locked in on one goal. Becoming a doctor. And honestly, he had the brains for it. He got into Leeds University Medical School and graduated in 1970.
[00:07:06] Speaker B: Yeah, academically he was solid, but personality wise, not exactly the warm, friendly doctor you'd want checking your polls. Even early on, people described him as arrogant and aloof.
[00:07:18] Speaker A: He had this air of superiority, like he knew better than everyone else. Not just in school, but later on with his colleagues too. He didn't take criticism well, and if you questioned him, he'd shut you down real quick.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: Not exactly the team player you want in medicine. But let's talk about his personal life for a second, because surprisingly, he wasn't just buried in books. He actually found time for romance.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: Yeah. And this is where Primrose May Oxtoby comes in. They met when Harold was still in school and she was just 17. By 1966, they were married, and over the years they had four kids together.
[00:07:58] Speaker B: Now, Primrose was described as quiet, traditional, and totally devoted to Harold. Like ride or die. Love. Loyalty.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Oh, for sure. And honestly, that loyalty becomes very important later because spoiler alert, she stood by her man. And even when everything fell apart, Stand by your man.
Wow. Okay, that was both unexpected and a little too good.
[00:08:28] Speaker B: Thank you. Thank you. But seriously, Primrose took the song way too literally. Like Tammy Wette meant dealing with some bad habits, not standing by a full blown serial killer.
[00:08:39] Speaker A: Right. Love him, forgive him, and give him 200 alibi passes. What was not in the lyrics?
[00:08:47] Speaker B: But hey, she committed to the bit.
[00:08:49] Speaker A: She certainly did. Just maybe a little too hard.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: Agreed. But at this point, things were looking good. For the shipments, Harold had his degree a Wife, a growing family, and a promising career ahead.
[00:09:04] Speaker A: After medical school, he started working as a GP General practitioner in Ponofrect, West Yorkshire.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: And?
[00:09:11] Speaker A: And this is where Dr. Shipman's reputation really started to take shape.
[00:09:15] Speaker B: Right. Patients generally liked him. He came across as confident, competent, and professional. But behind the scenes, there were already cracks forming.
[00:09:25] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, and those cracks, they were about to split wide open. Because Harold Shipman, he had a little problem with drugs. And not in a just say no kind of way.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: Nope. More like just say yes, forge a prescription, and hope no one notices.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: Pretty sure Nancy Reagan wasn't talking about this when she told us to stay off drugs.
[00:09:47] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't think so. Don't do drugs, kids was meant for licensed doctors who should have known better.
[00:09:54] Speaker A: Seriously, like Harold. Buddy, you're the prescriber, not the customer. That's not how this works.
[00:10:01] Speaker B: But clearly, he missed the memo, because his addiction to painkillers is about to blow up his. His career. Temporarily, at least. Let's get into it.
[00:10:10] Speaker A: All right, so Dr. Harold Shipman is out there in the medical world, building his career, treating patients, being a seemingly respectable doctor. But in the background, he's hiding a serious problem.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: Yeah, because while most doctors are out there trying to help people manage their pain, Shipman was more interested in managing his own. Enter pethidine, a powerful opioid similar to morphine.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Now we're talking heavy duty pain relief, not your everyday aspirin. And Harold wasn't prescribing it to his patients in need. As we already mentioned. He was writing fake prescriptions to feel his own addiction.
[00:10:48] Speaker B: Yep. And somewhere along the way, he decided, hey, why not just hook myself up with some drugs?
[00:10:55] Speaker A: Yeah, because that always ends well.
[00:10:58] Speaker B: Exactly. And it didn't take long for him to get caught. In 1975, the authorities figured out that he'd been forging prescriptions for pethidine, and boom, he was arrested.
[00:11:10] Speaker A: Now, you think that'd be the end of his medical career, right? Like, oh, sorry, Dr. Shipman, you broke the law, you're out.
[00:11:17] Speaker B: Oh, no. This is where things get frustrating. Instead of losing his license, he gets a slap on the wrist, he's fined, sent to drug rehab, and that's about it.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: And then two years later, in 1977, he's back practicing medicine like nothing happened.
[00:11:34] Speaker B: How? How does someone get caught stealing drugs, forging prescriptions, getting high on the job, then just slides back into work as a trusted doctor?
[00:11:44] Speaker A: Honestly, it's wild, but back then, the medical world didn't have the same kind of Oversight that it does today. There were no national databases tracking problem doctors. If you made a mistake or in Shipman's case, committed literal crimes, you could just move somewhere new and start fresh.
[00:12:05] Speaker B: And Shipman definitely took advantage of that. He left Todd Morton, moved to Hyde, and just like that, he was back in business.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: So now we have a doctor with a drug addiction, a criminal record, and a giant warning sign over his head. And yet nobody seemed to be watching him.
[00:12:24] Speaker B: Yep. And that lack of oversight, that's exactly what allows him to become one of the most prolific serial killers ever.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: Because now that Shipman is back in practice, he's about to move on from stealing drugs to using them to kill his patients.
[00:12:40] Speaker B: So in 1977, Harold Shipman is now fresh out of rehab and somehow still a doctor. And this is where his reputation really starts to take shape.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Yeah, because instead of people seeing him as the doctor who got busted for stealing drugs, he manages to completely reinvent himself as this kind, trustworthy, old school gp. He joins the Donnybrook Medical Center. And let me tell you, his patients loved him, especially the elderly.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, the older generation adored him. He had this super comforting bedside manner, like the kind of doctor you'd see in a cozy British drama, you're sick, he'd make a house call. You're feeling unwell, he'd personally check in on you. He gave off this total community doctor who actually cared vibe.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: And it worked. People trusted him completely. To them, he wasn't just a doctor, he was practically family.
[00:13:42] Speaker B: But here's where things start getting really suspicious. Because Harold Chipman wasn't just making house calls for checkups. He was making house calls for deaths.
[00:13:52] Speaker A: Yeah. See, most GPs, when a patient dies, there's a whole process. Emergency services get called, there's a formal review. Other doctors might get involved, but Shipman, he streamlined that right.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: If one of his patients passed away, he was always the one handling the death certificate. He'd say, oh, nothing to see here. Totally natural causes. Sign the paperwork, and boom, done. No autopsy, no questions.
[00:14:22] Speaker A: And nobody batted an eye, because why would they? He was this respected doctor, and he genuinely seemed to care about his patients.
[00:14:31] Speaker B: And let's be honest, who questions a doctor, especially one with such a stellar reputation?
[00:14:37] Speaker A: Exactly. And. And that's what makes him untouchable. His charm, his kindness, it was all a mask. Nobody suspected that behind the scenes, he was slowly, methodically getting away with murder.
[00:14:50] Speaker B: And I do mean slowly. This wasn't a guy with a rushed, chaotic killing spree. His murder stretched over decades. And it all happened right under everyone's noses.
[00:15:01] Speaker A: But here's the thing. People did start noticing patterns. A few whispers, a few raised eyebrows. But Shipman, he had built up so much trust that it would take years before anyone seriously questioned him.
[00:15:16] Speaker B: Yeah, but when they did, oh, man, it all started unraveling fast.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: And that's exactly where we're headed next. How Shipman's carefully crafted world started falling apart one suspicious death at a time.
[00:15:30] Speaker B: All right, so up until now, Harold Chipman has built himself this perfect cover. Respected doctor, beloved by his patients, especially the elderly. But behind the scenes, he's been fine tuning his murder method.
[00:15:45] Speaker A: And the scariest part, he didn't just wake up one day and decide to go on a killing spree. This was gradual and it started slow. One patient here, another patient there. Just enough to go unnoticed.
[00:15:58] Speaker B: Yeah, no mass killings, no big dramatic moments. Just a steady increase in suspicious deaths. And almost all of his victims had something in common. They were all elderly women.
[00:16:10] Speaker A: Which makes sense, right? If an elderly patient dies under a doctor's care, most people aren't going to raise an eyebrow. It's sad, but it's not unusual.
[00:16:20] Speaker B: Exactly. And Shipman knew that. He deliberately targeted older women, many of whom lived alone. They were vulnerable. They trusted him completely. And most importantly, there weren't always family members around to ask questions.
[00:16:35] Speaker A: And here's the kicker. His method was shockingly simple. He would visit his patients, offer them treatment, and then administer a lethal dose of diamorphine.
[00:16:45] Speaker B: And for those who don't know, diamorphine is just a fancy medical term for heroin.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: Yep, straight up pharmaceutical grade heroin. And the thing about diamorphine is that in small doses, it's a painkiller, used exactly like the morphine his mother was given. But in larger doses, it stops your breathing.
[00:17:05] Speaker B: So if an elderly person suddenly dies of respiratory failure, it doesn't necessarily scream murder. Especially if a doctor, someone you trust, says, oh, this was expected, they were.
[00:17:17] Speaker A: Very ill. And that's exactly what Shipman did. He controlled everything. The medical records and the death certificates, including if he said a patient died of natural causes, nobody questioned it.
[00:17:28] Speaker B: He also manipulated medical records to make the deaths look more natural. After a patient died, he'd sometimes go back and edit their files to make it seem like they had a pre existing condition.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: And this system worked for decades. Think about that. Decades.
[00:17:44] Speaker B: And here's where we have to ask the big question. Why? What was Shipman's motivation?
[00:17:50] Speaker A: Yeah, because this wasn't for financial gain. He wasn't taking out Life insurance policies on his patients or stealing from them. And it wasn't like he was in a killing frenzy. These were calculated, methodical murders.
[00:18:04] Speaker B: Some experts believe he had a God complex, that he enjoyed the control over life and death, that he saw himself as the ultimate authority, deciding when someone should go.
[00:18:15] Speaker A: Yeah, almost like he thought he was easing their suffering in some twisted way. But if that were true, why keep it a secret? Why manipulate records? Why lie?
[00:18:27] Speaker B: Exactly. If he truly believed he was helping people, he wouldn't have covered it up so aggressively.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: And here's another eerie thought. Was this all inspired by his mother's death? Did watching her die under morphine's influence plant the seed in his mind that this was the best way to go?
[00:18:44] Speaker B: It's possible. But no matter how he justified it to himself, the reality is that he was playing God. And for years, he got away with it.
[00:18:53] Speaker A: But you know what they say, no matter how careful you are, eventually the cracks start to show. And for Shipman, those cracks were about to become a full blown earthquake.
[00:19:05] Speaker B: So by the late 90s, Harold Chipman had been killing patients for decades, completely under the radar. But here's the thing. No matter how careful you are, if you keep doing shady long enough, someone is going to notice.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: And in Shipman's case, it wasn't some dramatic police bust or a brilliant detective cracking the case. It started with an undertaker.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: Yeah. In 1998, a local undertaker in Hyde started noticing something odd.
[00:19:35] Speaker A: C Most doctors have a mix of patient deaths. Some at home, some in hospitals. Different causes, different ages. But Shipman's patients, there was a pattern.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: A very specific pattern. His patients were almost always elderly women, and they almost always died at home, usually sitting fully clothed in their chairs just like they peacefully passed away.
[00:20:00] Speaker A: Which, yeah, elderly people do pass away at home sometimes, but it was happening way too often under Shipman's care.
[00:20:08] Speaker B: And not just that. The death rate among his patients were way higher than other doctors in the area.
[00:20:14] Speaker A: So the undertaker started talking to a local doctor, Dr. Linda Reynolds, and she was like, wait, you're right, this is weird. She took the concern to the local health authority, basically saying, hey, maybe we should look into why so many of Shipman's patients are dying.
[00:20:33] Speaker B: And guess what? They dismissed it.
[00:20:35] Speaker A: Of course they did. Because Shipman had that impeccable reputation. He was the friendly neighborhood doctor. Who would believe that this respected man was secretly a serial killer.
[00:20:47] Speaker B: They looked at the data, but didn't find any hard evidence of any wrongdoing. So the case got brushed aside.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: And if Shipman had just quit while he was ahead. He might have gotten away with everything, but he didn't.
[00:21:01] Speaker B: Because at this point, he thought he was untouchable. And that's when he made the biggest mistake. Killing Kathleen Grundy.
[00:21:08] Speaker A: Now, Kathleen Grundy wasn't just another patient. She was wealthy, active, and in great health for her age. Not the kind of person you'd expect to just drop dead.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: And when she did, after a visit from Shipman, people noticed because she wasn't someone just living alone with no family. She had a very sharp, very suspicious daughter. Angela Woodruff.
[00:21:33] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Angela was not the type to let things slide. She was a lawyer. Detail oriented, meticulous. And when she was told her mother had died, something immediately felt off.
[00:21:46] Speaker B: First, there was no autopsy. Shipman had signed the death certificate himself, saying it was old age.
[00:21:53] Speaker A: But. But the real kicker. Kathleen Grundy's will.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: Yeah, because suddenly, out of nowhere, a new will appeared. And guess who inherited everything.
[00:22:03] Speaker A: Dr. Harold Shipman.
[00:22:05] Speaker B: Of course he did. But here's the problem. This will was so badly forged, it was almost comical, right?
[00:22:13] Speaker A: Like, this was not some master level forgery. It was sloppy. The wording was unnatural. It was typed out in a way that didn't match her style. And Angela was like, my mother would never do this.
[00:22:27] Speaker B: So Angela, being the badass lawyer she was, immediately took it to the police. And this time, people actually listened.
[00:22:36] Speaker A: We'll be back after these messages. Do you ever get that strange feeling.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: At night that you're being watched? Or maybe you heard a noise in the woods you can't explain?
What is the truth about UFOs?
[00:22:50] Speaker A: And where are the ones that have crashed?
[00:22:52] Speaker B: Every week, join husband and wife duo Felicia and Ian, as we seek the truth recording in the mountains of the Appalachia. We, the paranormal lovers, will bring you stories of hauntings, cryptids, UFOs, and more.
You can find us on Iheart, Spotify.
[00:23:11] Speaker A: Apple podcasts, and most other podcast services. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube by searching for the paranormal lovers in the search bar.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: And back to the show.
[00:23:22] Speaker A: Because stealing a life is one thing. Stealing money, that's when people start paying attention.
[00:23:28] Speaker B: Exactly. Apparently murder. Eh, maybe it's suspicious. But mess with somebody's inheritance? Oh, now you've crossed a line.
[00:23:37] Speaker A: And let's be real, that was the biggest mistake of his entire life. Because once police started digging, oh, man, everything started falling apart.
[00:23:47] Speaker B: Yep. The police officially launched an investigation, and on September 7, 1998, they arrested Harold Chipman.
[00:23:55] Speaker A: And let's just talk about what they Found because the evidence against him was damning.
[00:24:01] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, this wasn't just damning. This was a slam dunk. Game over. Don't even bother lawyering up level evidence for real.
[00:24:10] Speaker A: The only way the evidence could have been more obvious is if Shipman had left a signed confession that said, yep, it was me. XOXO Herald.
[00:24:19] Speaker B: Exactly. Well, the forged will. That alone was enough to prove fraud. But the cops are like, wait, if he forged a will, what else had he been up to?
[00:24:29] Speaker A: Spoiler alert. A lot.
[00:24:32] Speaker B: They searched his medical records, and they found that he'd been altering patients files after they died. Basically, if he killed someone, he'd go back into the records and tweak things to make it look like they'd been sicker than they really were.
[00:24:45] Speaker A: And then came the real bombshell. The exhumations.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Investigators ordered the exclamations of several of his recent patients. And when they ran toxicology tests, guess what they found?
[00:24:57] Speaker A: Lethal doses of diamorphine.
[00:25:00] Speaker B: Ding, ding, ding. Which, if you remember, is medical grade heroin. Similar to what his mother was given for pain relief.
[00:25:07] Speaker A: And it wasn't just one or two cases. More and more bodies were tested, and they kept finding the same thing. High levels of diamorphine in people who had no medical reason to have it in their system.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: And at this point, it was game over for shipment.
[00:25:22] Speaker A: Shipman went trial in October 1999, and it was one of the biggest criminal cases in British history.
[00:25:30] Speaker B: He was charged with 15 counts of murder and one count of forgery. But let's be real, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
[00:25:39] Speaker A: And get this. He never showed remorse. He never admitted to anything, never explained himself, Just sat there smug, like he thought he could still talk his way out of it.
[00:25:51] Speaker B: Yeah, he had this arrogance about him, like he truly believed he was untouchable.
[00:25:56] Speaker A: But the jury didn't buy it. And on January 31, 2000, they found him guilty on all counts.
[00:26:03] Speaker B: Life in prison, no pearl, end of story.
[00:26:06] Speaker A: Except not quite the end. Because after his conviction, people were like, wait a second. If he killed 15 people, how many did he really kill?
[00:26:17] Speaker B: And this is where it gets truly horrifying, because investigators went back throughout years of medical records, exhume more bodies, and the numbers kept going up.
[00:26:27] Speaker A: Officially, they estimated he killed at least 215 people. But some experts believe the numbers could be closer to 250, which makes him.
[00:26:37] Speaker B: One of the deadliest serial killers in history.
[00:26:40] Speaker A: And here's the most chilling part. If he hadn't gotten greedy and Forged that will, he probably would have kept going.
[00:26:47] Speaker B: Yep, that one dumb mistake brought down a decades long killing spree.
[00:26:52] Speaker A: So Harold Shipman is finally behind bars, locked up for life in Wakefield Prison, which by the way, is nicknamed Monster Mansion because it's where they keep some of the UK's worst criminals.
[00:27:05] Speaker B: And honestly, that's exactly where he belonged.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Oh, absolutely. But here's the thing. Shipman wasn't just any prisoner. He was Britain's most prolific serial killer. Which meant the prison staff had to keep him isolated for his own protection.
[00:27:22] Speaker B: Yeah, because even in prison there's a hierarchy and guys who kill hundreds of elderly women. Not exactly popular in the cell block.
[00:27:32] Speaker A: So he spent most of his time alone, completely cut off. And the weird part, he never admitted to anything.
[00:27:39] Speaker B: Nope. No confessions, no apologies. He never explained himself. He just sat there, cold and smug, like he still believed he hadn't really been caught.
[00:27:49] Speaker A: And then, just when you think the story is over, he pulls one last move.
[00:27:54] Speaker B: On January 13, 2004, the night before his 58th birthday, prison guards walked into his cell and found him hanging from his bed sheets.
[00:28:03] Speaker A: Just like that, Harold Shipman was dead.
[00:28:07] Speaker B: And of course, because it's Shipman, his death led to a ton of speculation.
[00:28:12] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, people started asking, did he kill himself out of guilt? Was he afraid of rotting in prison? Or was this just one last act of control?
[00:28:23] Speaker B: And the answer? Probably a mix of things.
[00:28:27] Speaker A: One theory is that he wanted to screw over the system one last time. See, if he had lived past 60, his wife Primrose wouldn't have been entitled to his pension. But because he died before then, she still got the money.
[00:28:42] Speaker B: And we know he cared about that because there are reports that he asked her to fight for it.
[00:28:46] Speaker A: Because before he died, another theory is he just couldn't handle life in prison.
[00:28:51] Speaker B: Yeah, he spent his entire life being in control of his patience, of life and death. And suddenly he had no power, no status, no control over anything.
[00:29:03] Speaker A: So in the end, maybe that was his final way of saying, you don't get to control me. I go out on my own terms.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: Either way, Harold Shipman, the doctor who killed hundreds and got away with it for decades, was finally gone.
[00:29:18] Speaker A: So Harold Shipman is dead. But the shockwaves of what he did, those are still being felt today?
[00:29:23] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. When the truth about his crimes came out, it wasn't just a true crime headline, it was a national crisis. The public and the medical community were left asking the same terrifying question.
[00:29:36] Speaker A: How the hell did he get away with this for so long?
[00:29:40] Speaker B: Because Think about it. This man killed at least 215 people, possibly more, over a span of decades and nobody stopped him.
[00:29:49] Speaker A: And it wasn't just one or two mistakes that let him slip through the cracks. It was a system wide failure.
[00:29:55] Speaker B: Yeah, first of all, doctors had a lot of unchecked power back then. Shipman personally signed off on all his patients death certificates, which meant no one was double checking what he wrote.
[00:30:08] Speaker A: And even when red flags were raised, nothing happened. I mean, he literally got caught forging opioid prescriptions in the 70s. And after a little slap on the wrist, he just went back to work like nothing had happened.
[00:30:21] Speaker B: Not to mention most of his victims were elderly women, so their deaths didn't immediately raise suspicions. He used ageism to his advantage. Because when an old person dies, people are less likely to question it.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: And it's just so chilling to think about how many families trusted his word when he told them that their loved ones had died of natural causes.
[00:30:43] Speaker B: And that's what made his crimes so terrifying. He wasn't just some shadowy figure lurking in alleyways. He was a doctor. The one person you're supposed to trust with your life.
[00:30:54] Speaker A: After his conviction, the UK government was like, yeah, okay, we need to change some things.
[00:31:00] Speaker B: A lot of things.
[00:31:02] Speaker A: One of the biggest changes, tighter controls on prescriptions, especially controlled substances like diamorphine.
[00:31:08] Speaker B: Another major one. Death certificates and cremation forms now require multiple doctors to sign off. No single GP can just rubber stamp a patient's death without oversight.
[00:31:19] Speaker A: And they also started monitoring doctors more closely, looking for patterns. Because let's be real, if someone today had as many patient deaths as shipment, it would be flagged immediately.
[00:31:31] Speaker B: Hopefully before it got to 215 people.
[00:31:34] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:31:35] Speaker B: So in a weird twisted way, Shipman's crimes actually led to a positive change in health care.
[00:31:41] Speaker A: And this brings us to the big philosophical debate. Was Shipman just a cold blooded murderer or did he somehow believe that he was acting in his patient's best interests?
[00:31:50] Speaker B: I'll take one for 500, Bob.
Right, because unlike most serial killers, he didn't seem to kill for pleasure or money. There was no big dramatic scene, no physical violence. Just a lethal injection and a quiet death.
[00:32:07] Speaker A: But if he truly believed he was helping people, why cover it up? Why forge records?
[00:32:12] Speaker B: Exactly. If he saw himself as some kind of merciful angel of death, wouldn't he have been more open about it? Instead, he manipulated, he lied, and he made sure no one could trace it back to him.
[00:32:25] Speaker A: And that's what makes me think he was just a Pure narcissist. He liked the power, the control. It was never about mercy. It was about being God in his own little world.
[00:32:35] Speaker B: Yeah, and the fact that he never admitted guilt, even when he was caught, tells me he truly thought he was smarter than everyone else.
[00:32:43] Speaker A: And in the end, Harold Shipman remains one of history's most terrifying serial killers. Not just because of the number of victims, but because he weaponized trust.
[00:32:53] Speaker B: He wasn't a stranger in the night. He was a trusted doctor, a family man, a respected member of the community. And that's what makes his crimes so uniquely chilling.
[00:33:04] Speaker A: It's a case that reminds us that monsters don't always look like monsters. Sometimes they wear a white coat and a stethoscope.
[00:33:11] Speaker B: All right, Conundrum crew, that's one hell of a deep dive into Harold Shipman, the doctor who managed to become one of the most prolific serial killers in history.
[00:33:21] Speaker A: And honestly, even after going through all of this, it's still mind blowing how long he got away with it.
[00:33:27] Speaker B: Right? Over 200 murders, possibly closer to 250. And it took decades for anyone to finally catch on.
[00:33:35] Speaker A: It just goes to show how much power and trust we put in medical professionals. And when one of them decides to abuse that trust, the results can be catastrophic.
[00:33:45] Speaker B: So let's talk about this for a second. What do you think drove Shipman? Was he just a straight up cold blooded killer or did he actually believe he was helping his patients?
[00:33:55] Speaker A: Oh, I definitely think he was just a narcissist with a God complex. He loved having power over life and death. And the fact that he never showed remorse, that says everything.
[00:34:06] Speaker B: I agree. The whole merciful doctor theory doesn't hold up when you remember he covered his tracks. If you thought he was helping, why was he forging records and faking wills?
[00:34:18] Speaker A: Exactly. He wasn't just some tragic, misguided figure. He was just an arrogant control freak who got off on playing God.
[00:34:27] Speaker B: And the fact that he never admitted guilt, even in prison, that tells me he thought he was smarter than everyone else. Until the very end.
[00:34:35] Speaker A: All right, Conundrum crew, we want to hear from you. What do you think was going through Shipman's head?
[00:34:40] Speaker B: Was he just a monster in a lab coat? Or do you think there was some twisted logic behind what he did?
[00:34:46] Speaker A: Hit us up on social media or drop a comment. We love hearing your takes on these cases.
[00:34:51] Speaker B: And if you've got theories, questions, or even just a need to scream into the void about how terrifying this guy was, we're here for it.
[00:34:59] Speaker A: Alright, that's a wrap. On Harold Shipman if you enjoyed this episode. Well, maybe enjoyed is the wrong word.
[00:35:07] Speaker B: Survived the episode.
[00:35:09] Speaker A: Exactly. And if you survived this episode, make sure you subscribe, leave us a review and share us with your fellow true crime junkies.
[00:35:18] Speaker B: And don't forget, we're on Instagram, Facebook, and all the social media places. So come hang out with us.
[00:35:25] Speaker A: And as always, stay tuned for next week's episode. Want to give him a little teaser, Jeremy?
[00:35:31] Speaker B: Oh, he should, of course. All right, Conundrum Crew, if you thought tonight's story was chilling, just wait until next time because we're taking a trip to one of the most haunted places in America, Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
[00:35:46] Speaker A: Spoiler alert. It's got ghosts, it's got shadow figures. And let's just say you don't want to take the body shoot exit. Trust us, you won't want to miss it. Until then, stay curious, stay skeptical, and keep on creeping on. We love you.
[00:36:03] Speaker B: Bye.
Thanks for hanging out with us here at Total Conundrum. Please make sure to check out our website and blog@totalconundrum.com for news, upcoming events, merch, bloopers, and additional hysteria. You never know what will pop up, so be sure to follow along. If you want to show your support for Total Conundrum and gain access to all of our bonus content, please visit our Patreon page. You you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The links are available in our Show Notes. If you have any questions, comments, recommendations or stories to share, please email us@contactotalconundrum.com episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. If you like the show, please rate, review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. We appreciate the love. Keep on creeping on Mother Cluckers.
