Christopher Duntsch is also known as "Dr. Death," and "TDCJ Inmate #02139003." He is the first surgeon to be so incompetent to have gone to prison for it. The short version is that during two years of practice as a spinal surgeon, Duntsch severely botched 33 of his 38 surgeries, killed two patients, nearly beheaded a third, and left several in wheelchairs. He had terrible surgical hygiene, routinely worked under the influence of booze/cocaine/LSD/Xanax, and once got fired for skipping a postoperative checkup to go party in Vegas. His reign of terror was halted by two other surgeons, who went to the Texas State Medical Board and eventually the cops after witnessing his work.

After getting suspended but before his prosecution, Duntsch went off the deep end. He sank (further) into alcoholism, lost custody of his kids, separated from his live-in girlfriend, moved to Colorado to live with his parents, went back to Dallas and tried to abduct one of his children, and generally started behaving like a deranged wino. This November 2016 article from D Magazine tells us about his post-suspension antics:

In September 2014, after he and [Renee] Young [NB: his babymama] had separated, Duntsch was arrested for jumping the fence of Young’s sister’s Garland home and attempting to take their child, Aiden. and:

Duntsch was also picked up wandering near a Chase Bank in North Dallas and taken to Green Oaks psychiatric hospital for an evaluation. Young says he’d been breaking into her apartment, and one day she came home to find him inside, covered in blood.

and:

In April 2015, he was arrested for stealing $887.30 in Walmart merchandise: five pairs of sunglasses, five watches, two pairs of shoes, four ties, two briefcases, a wallet, cologne, necklaces, a walkie-talkie.

Before we get to Duntsch's internet comments, you might want to know what I mean by "Antichrist." The answer lies a deranged email, which was later read in court as evidence, which he sent to his surgical assistant Kim Morgan (and yes, he was fucking her on the side). The man who wrote what you're about to read was actually allowed to operate on people. Think about that for a while.

Anyone close to me thinks that I likely am something between god, einstein, and the antichrist. Because how can I do anything I want and cross every discipline boundary like its a playground and never ever lose. But unfortunately, despite the fact I am winning it is not happening fast enough. What is the problem Kim? It is simply that everyone else is human and there is nothing I can do about it. And so I pick and choose my humans and try to help them and show them. Give them patience and kindness. And never harm anyone unless they even think of doing the same to someone I love.

...

You, my child, are the only one between me and the other side. I am ready to leave the love and kindness and goodness and patience that I mix with everything else that I am and become a cold blooded killer. The sad fact is that I would go faster do better and catch more respect and honor by fucking every one in the brain, emotionally and mentally controlling them in a manner that borders on abuse, taking no prisoners, and sending everyone in my way, and especially that fucks with me to hell for the simple fact they thought they could much less tried.

You stopped me dead in my tracks. I found a beautiful woman, a deep heart, a charismatic jedi mind fuck natural who was smart and capable, and that fit into my personal life and real life like a glove. And for about 1 week r suddenly changed my opinion of the world. lt was no longer me rolling liker this and growing like that and what the fuck ever needed to be, it was yort and I doing that, and doing that as two people that acted like one. Two people that don't have to speak, just see into each other eyes and have conversations that are a semblance of a calculus based physics russian novel by Dostoevsky that was revised by Newton then Einstein then when he died in bed with a pencil and paper desperate for a theory of everything he died without the one thing he had to have, and Neils Bohr fucked him because he was right, and so was Einstein, but Bohr did not have to touch each electron in its cloud at a given point in space and time to believe in quantum mechanics, but Einstein did and never could have so he did not believe and died lost. And he died alone and miserable and without honor. Because he could not see.

It goes on like that for five pages of pure lunacy. So now that we've established that Duntsch is a maniac, let's look at his internet comments!

Here's the Texas Observer article about the Walmart heist. The Observer disabled the viewing of comments, so we'll have to go directly to Disqus.com for the fun bits. Here's the link.. According to the journo at ProPublica who researched this story, Duntsch's schizoposting would have taken up an 80-page Word document, so I'm only going to scratch the surface of it.

Here's an excerpt from the top comment, written by Dr. Randall Kirby, a Dallas vascular surgeon who assisted Duntsch on one of his disastrous operations:

Does anyone reading this idiot Duntsch's comments on this article doubt I was 100% correct in reporting him to the Texas Medical Board?!?

Now here's Duntsch, in his own words.

I will legally prosecute every single entity that continues to make these statements.

Any hospital.

Any doctor or lawyer.

Any press group.

1 Maimed or killed a patient.

I have never killed a patient. Ever.

^ That's maybe 0.1% of the total text Duntsch wrote in this comments section, though. Notice that Dr. Kirby only commented twice, but Duntsch literally wrote dozens of responses to Kirby's comment.

Here's a weird fucking quote where he rambles at length about Plato, Descartes, and Rumi.

He spins a yarn about being assaulted by some random dude when he innocently broke into his ex's house:

The above report, is accurate generally speaking. Not completely, but it does not matter. I have already responded. My first response. This did happen. But this event, in context is the only event that I will discuss for which, I am not ashamed of, more embarrassed, more angry at myself for not thinking clearly. I was in Dallas for my children. They needed me and I dropped everything, to go there, to protect them. After taking full custody, emergently, signed by 6 dallas judges, I went to find them. I went to the apartment where they lived. An unknown male, answered the door, hit me in the face, and ran. I entered the apartment to find a home where my sons lived, in a state of array that brought tears to my eyes. I called the police. At the same time, he came back with a bat, hit me again, and then there was struggle over a gun, and knife, and drugs that were in the apartment and where I was cut severely by the knife. I reported this to the dallas police, and the scene was so awful they brought a forensic to team to photograph all. I located my sons the next day, and drove 70 miles to get them. Less than 10 seconds out of the car, the same male assaulted me from behind. I woke up in the hospital. I was discharged 7 days later with two black eyes, orbital fractures, brain contusions, and severe concussions and neurologic sequelae. The day I went to Walmart was just after discharge from the hospital, my staff wired 500 dollars for me to replace my stolen clothes, personal effects. The money center had a 2 hour wait, so I shopped for clothes, including a tie and shirt and pants and coat, for legal proceedings the next day for my sons. I then went to pick up the 500$ wire transfer. I then went to the optic center, where I ordered prescription glasses. My doctor told me not to leave the hotel for several days due to my cognitive issues from traumatic brain injury. But I had nothing, including clothes for a formal legal proceeding for my sons the next day. 90 minutes after arriving, I walked from the optic center to the car and driver waiting for me to take me to the hotel. I did not even register that I had not checked out. I was shocked at what happened next. Including spending 10 hours in Dallas county jail, my first ever visit to a detention center in life. 30 minutes after being there they put me in a concrete cell with the violent criminals, because I had difficulty sitting up and remaining awake. Soon after I was punched in the face and my broken nose was damaged much worse, bled for a long time. While unconscious the 500$ was taken. 6 hours later I was released because my staff found me and knew how important the next day was (10 hours at that time) for me. I was 20 miles from my hotel, but found 80$ in my coat, that took me from downtown to my hotel. The next day, I went back to the same Walmart, bought the same clothes, picked up the same wire transfer. The security were shocked to see me there the next day, and even after I checked out stopped me me and looked at all items vs the receipt. It did not occur to me that might be strange to be there again, because that is the Walmart where I have shopped for years, as it is only 2 miles from my home. My mind was on my sons, on getting ready for the next day, on the happiness of seeing them for the first time after 4 weeks in Dallas searching for them, after making 30 calls to the Dallas Sheriffs asking for help to do so. And with three consecutive concussions in 8 hours, requiring 28K$ in medical bills and 7 days of hospitalization. Any medical student in their second year can state plainly why I could not articulate, why my thoughts were fuzzy, while in context I did a silly thing. Not leaving without checking out, but as a neurosurgeon, not thinking clearly about my post concussive issues and taking care. I have no problem admitting that here, and directly to a judge. I accept whatever he deems appropriate for a misdemeanor theft in this context. But I will not tolerate this press group making statements that are grossly negligent, fabricated, untrue, libel, and criminally negligent. Next post.

And he blames this mysterious assailant for giving him the brain damage that led him to shoplift:

Final comment, before I begin to upload data and add a link. I have not read the article, but I will do so later, and use this basic article as an intro to the followup that is planned. It is not really related, and it is quick to simplify. I did enter a Walmart, and shop for clothes and personal items, and then go to the money center, and pick up a large wire transfer from my accountant, and then, go to the optic center and order a pair of prescription glasses. And then did proceed strait to the car waiting to drive me to a hotel, 5 miles away. I was at Walmart to shop for necessities. As 8 days prior I was assaulted and hospitilized with broken facial bones, and 3 consecutive concusions in 16 hours. As a neurosurgeon, it is not difficult to guess the neurocogntive deficits if not dangers of severe brain trauma. When I was discharged, I had no clothing, no personal items. So I had to call my accountant, to wire the funds, and have my car take me to Walmart to get what was needed. And although a mistake by the TO, it was not pants. I walked out with 2-3 pairs, and with several shirts, with toiletries, dress shoes, 2-3 neckties, a gift for my son, some office supplies, other things. The sad and ironic thing was that after being assaulted, robbed, discharged postconcussive, my pants were the poorest article of clothing I survived with. So I found a pair, and changed in the dressing room, and had the attendant, place the sticker on my shirt at chest level so I would not forget. But after 90 minutes obtaining new funds, clothes, effects, while there on personal business of the most important I have ever encountered, that of my two beautiful children, I ended up in the optic center, and then walked to my driver parked at the door for the same 90 minutes. Unlike the very striking link to weeks of text that will address what really matters, this is a situation that while unintentional, is undefendable in the concrete or literal sense. I did walk out without paying for these items. I do not see any approach to defending these actions other than explaining context, and I cannot imagine I would not simply be honest with the facts and the plea, your honor, I am indeed culpable for this misdemenor. Thus, unless there is some basis for a first offender to pay fines, community service, whatever needed to maintain a perfect record, at 45, I indeed will have the first ever misdemeanor, no matter how minor, on my record. I am embarrased, but I am not a person that needs to steel clothes and toothpaste from Walmart, with a large cash wire in my pocket, sent by my accountant for the same reason. So good job Texas Observer, but I would suggest that this is not something worth copying and pasting and reprinting for two years, with new titles. Surely someone in the press space will take issue with such carelessness, or poor form in reporting. Thanks for your diligence on this matter. It was good reason to get back to what is really important, and that will follow, for weeks. See link to response text later today.

That's all the Disqus pasta I can handle. I'm sure there's even crazier stuff in there, but it's honestly too long for me to read.

From the Meddit thread made when Duntsch was sentenced to life, here's a comment by a guy who trained in the same hospital as Duntsch for residency. It's all hearsay, but it jibes with everything that we've heard from other sources. Apparently Duntsch at one point got in trouble for using cocaine the night before a pediatric operation, when a nurse who had been partying with him recognized him in the scrub room.

Here's the official plaintiff file from one of the lawsuits that was brought against Duntsch. It's a doozy.

From "Plaintiff's Original Complaint," p. 6:

Towards the end of his short tenure with [Minimally Invasive Spine Institute], Duntsch performed his first surgery [...] but then left for Las Vegas without making any plans for anyone to care for his patient, only to show up the following Monday. [...] This was the final straw on an already strained relationship with MISI. MISI terminated its relationship with Duntsch a few short days later. MISI claims that Duntsch abandoned his treatment of patients around September 2011, absconded with MISI’s property and medical equipment, and, despite its demands, he has refused to return any of it.

p. 8:

During the time Duntsch worked for Baylor Medical, he used and abused alcohol as well as illicit and prescription drugs. It is believed that his pattern was to use cocaine for two to four days at a time, all the while operating on unsuspecting victims. Following two to four days of cocaine use, he would “crash” for a day or two. Efforts to contact him during periods of time when he would “crash” were useless.

From Exhibit D, Dr. Kirby's letter to the Texas Medical Board:

Let me be blunt: Dr. Christopher Duntsch is an impaired physician [NB: doctor-speak for "a drunk"], a sociopath, and must be stopped from practicing medicine.

Lastly, here's a document in which Duntsch attempts to rebut the above lawsuit, line by line. Not particularly wild, but his chutzpah still shines through.