Donald Harvey

Donald "Donnie" Harvey was a prolific angel of death-type serial killer, poisoner, and arsonist.

Background
Harvey was born on April 15, 1952 as the first of three siblings. When he was only six months old, his father fell asleep while holding him and accidentally dropped him on his head. Harvey did not appear to have been seriously injured by this, but his soft spot never closed. Harvey parents had a poor relationship with each other, yet were described as loving and nurturing to their three children. Harvey's uncle Wayne was also known to have sexually abused Harvey whenever he visited his grandmother's house. He was also paid to allow a neighbor of his, Dan Thomas, to sexually abuse him as well (things which presumably caused his homosexuality). In school Harvey was described as a teacher's pet and got good grades, but was very quiet and anti-social and was teased as a result. In 1968, Harvey went on to high school, but grew bored of it and dropped out.

He briefly secured a job at a factory plant, but was laid-off. After obtaining a GED, Harvey's mother called him to come back to his hometown to stay with his ailing grandfather and he did. Harvey arrived at the Marymount Hospital in London. There, Harvey quickly became popular and well-like by staff there and eventually received a job there. It was here that Harvey's reign of terror would begin and last for nearly 20 years. In his personal life, Harvey had another sexual encounter and began a relationship with another man named James Peluso and was raped by a roommate named Randy White.

Killings, Arrest, Sentencing, and Death
Harvey committed his first confirmed murder on May 31, 1970, the victim being an 88-year old Logan Evans, who Harvey smothered with a pillow and a plastic bag allegedly in a rage at Evans rubbing feces in his face. He also accidentally killed another man named James Tyree when he accidentally gave him the wrong catheter; Harvey held him down until he vomited blood and died. Harvey's first actual "mercy kill" was a 42-year old Elizabeth Wyatt by cutting off her oxygen supply, supposedly because she told him she wanted to die and even heard her praying for death. Harvey began a relationship with another man named Vernon Midden, who supposedly taught him a lot about how human bodies react to certain things (something which helped him in his murders). Midden was also supposedly and occultist. Their relationship began to sour, something which caused Harvey to become depressed and began fantasizing about torturing and killing Midden. Harvey was arrested on March 31, 1971 for a burglary he committed while drunk. While under interrogation, a drunken Harvey babbled incoherently about his murders, but these were ultimately discarded and Harvey was only charged with petty theft (which he payed a fine for rather than serve prison time).

Harvey also started an arson fire in a suicide attempt and was charged a $50 fine. Afterwards Harvey enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After being discharged less than a year later, Harvey became depressed again and checked himself into the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. He stayed there for several months before leaving and then returning again several weeks later. He received extensive therapy there after a failed suicide attempt and was released again. Harvey eventually found another job as a nurse's aide at Cardinal Hill Hospital in Lexington. Harvey was able to manage both jobs until he took up another as a telephone operator in August of 1974 and another as a clerk at St. Luke's Hospital. Harvey moved back to Ohio in September of 1975 and secured a job at the Cincinnati V.A. Medical Hospital, where his murders finally resumed.

Harvey had several relationships, including one in which he attempted to kill his lover, Doug Hill, with arsenic. He also poisoned several of his neighbors and family members of acquaintances (several of whom died). Harvey was finally captured after an extensive investigation and search of his apartment turned up lots of evidence. He was eventually found guilty of 28 counts of murder and sentenced to 28 consecutive life sentences at the Toledo Correctional Institution. On March 30, 2017, Harvey was found savagely beaten and was later declared dead. The identity or motive of his killer are still uncertain.

Modus Operandi
Harvey primarily targeted patients at the hospitals he worked at, yet also killed other victims (usually people who made him paranoid or crossed him in some way). He usually killed them either by smothering them with a pillow or plastic bag, setting up their deaths to look like accidents (such as giving them faulty medical equipment, overdosing them on medication, etc), and mainly by using various poisons (usually cyanide or arsenic).

Confirmed

 * 1970
 * May 31: Logan Evans and James Tyree
 * Logan Evans, 88
 * James Tyree, 69
 * June 22: Elizabeth Wyatt, 42
 * July 10: Eugene McQueen, 43
 * July 12: Harvey Williams, 82
 * July 24-28: Ben Gilbert, 81
 * August 15: Maude Nichols
 * August 30: William Bowling, 58
 * November 4: Viola Reed Wyran, 63
 * December 7: Margaret Harrison, 91
 * 1971
 * January 9: Sam Carroll, 80
 * January 15: Maggie Rawlins
 * January 23: Silas Butner, 62
 * January 26: John V. Combs, 68
 * March 14: Milton Bryant Sasser, 90
 * March 31: A victimless burglary
 * June: A victimless arson
 * 1980
 * Unspecified date: Doug Hill
 * Unspecified date: Carl Hoeweler
 * Unspecified date: Diane
 * 1983
 * April 10: Helen Metzger, 63
 * Unspecified date: The Metzger family
 * April 25-May 1: Henry Hoeweler, 82
 * Unspecified date: Howard Vetter
 * 1984
 * September 19: Hiram Profitt
 * November 9: James Peluso, 65
 * March 18-25, 1985: Edward Wilson
 * 1986
 * April 8: Nathani J. Watson, 65
 * April 12: Leon Nelson, 64
 * April 19: Virgil Weddle, 81
 * April 20: Lawrence Berndsen
 * May 2: Doris Nally, 65
 * Unspecified dates from May-June: Willie Johnson
 * June 20: Edward Schreibesis, 63
 * June 29: Robert Crockett, 80
 * July 7: Donald Barney, 61
 * July 25: James T. Woods, 65
 * August 16: Ernst C. Frey, 85
 * August 29: Milton Canter, 85
 * September 17: Roger Evans, 74
 * September 20: Clayborn Kendrick
 * October 29: Albert Buehimann, 69
 * October 30: William Collins, 85
 * November 4: Henry Cody, 78
 * November 22: Mose Thompson, 65
 * December 9: Odas Day, 72
 * December 10: Cleo Fish, 67
 * 1987
 * January 1: Leo Parker, 47
 * February 5: Margaret Kuckro, 80
 * February-March 16: Stella Lemon, 76
 * March 6: Joseph M. Pike, 68
 * March 7: Hilda Leitz and John W. Powell
 * Hilda Leitz, 82
 * John W. Powell
 * Note: Though Donald was only officially convicted of 37 murders, he claimed to have killed 87 in total.

On Criminal Minds

 * Season Fourteen
 * "Broken Wing" - Harvey was mentioned by Tara Lewis when talking with her ex-husband Daryl Wright about angels of death.