March 11, 2025 • 49 mins
Trust is the cornerstone of healthcare. When families place loved ones in nursing homes, they're entrusting strangers with the wellbeing of those they cherish most. This trust was shattered at Alpine Manor Nursing Home in the late 1980s when two nurse's aides transformed a place of healing into a killing ground.
Gwendolyn Graham and Kathy Wood formed a toxic relationship that quickly spiraled into murder. The victims? The most vulnerable residents—those with dementia or those who couldn't communicate, carefully selected because they couldn't fight back or tell anyone what happened. Their method was chillingly simple: suffocation with a washcloth that left almost no evidence behind.
The story becomes even more disturbing when examining their backgrounds. Graham, bearing the physical and emotional scars of childhood abuse, was prone to anger and emotional detachment. Wood, described as highly manipulative and controlling, had a history of deception and had openly wondered "what it would be like to stab somebody." Their relationship became a perfect storm of psychological dysfunction—a codependent bond where increasingly extreme behaviors became normalized.
What makes this case particularly haunting is how these women exploited the blind spots in our healthcare system. Their murders remained undetected not just because of careful planning, but because society often overlooks the elderly and disabled. The victims' struggles to communicate or their confusion was used against them, their final moments punctuated by bewilderment as caregivers became killers.
As we explore this case, we confront uncomfortable questions about how we protect those who cannot protect themselves. What safeguards failed? How can we better screen those we entrust with our most vulnerable? And perhaps most importantly, how do we ensure that these forgotten victims receive the justice and dignity they deserve?
Subscribe to hear the conclusion of this disturbing case, including the trial that raised serious questions about truth, manipulation, and whether justice was truly served for the victims of Alpine Manor.
Sources for this episode include:
- Cauffiel, Lowell. Forever And Five Days: The Chilling True Story of Love, Betrayal and Serial Murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pinnacle, 1997. ISBN 0-7860-0469-X
- Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood - Wikipedia
- Snapped: Killer Couples, Season 2, Episode 2 (Oxygen Network)
Don't miss a (heart) beat! Check out our Instagram @doctoringthetruthpodcast and email us your Medical Mishaps at doctoringthetruth@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at Doctoring the Truth, and TikTok @doctoring the truth. Don't forget to download, rate, and review so we can keep bringing you more exciting content each week!
Stay safe, and stay suspicious...trust, after all, is a delicate thing!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
hello, hello hello hi jenna how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I'm good, I'm tired.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
After that time, change business yeah, and you
decided to travel during thetime change to a different time
zone, so how confused is yourbody right now my body doesn't
know what's happening right nowat all.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm at a conference, and I think that's the general
consensus of everyone here iswe're all just so tired, so
you're in.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Pittsburgh, pittsburgh, coming live from
Pittsburgh we got the Oilers, wegot the Flyers, I don't know
anything else.
Yeah, I mean I don't do sports,so I just thought I'd sound.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I was like, say, the Philadelphia Eagles.
And then I was like that's justthe ones.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I think Philly and Pittsburgh, that's different,
right.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Pittsburgh Steelers right.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, let's say that I'm sure we'll have people.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm sure we'll have a new correction section next
week.
That's kind of embarrassing.
I'm blaming time change on ourlack of NFL knowledge because
time change yeah, I'll put inthis little plug for NFL
knowledge um for all of ourMinnesota Vikings fans out there
.
Did you see?
Darnold was signed by theSeahawks.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'm from Seattle.
I'm from Seattle, woohoo GoSeahawks.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So for our lack of knowledge everywhere else.
There's that Darnold was tradedto the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, I hope that's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I have no idea.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
They need all the help they can get.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Go Chiefs, go Taylor's boyfriend.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Alright.
Well, that unexpected sportsupdate, I know wow.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Go sports, go sports.
We need to hit the correctionsection here.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
For real.
What did I?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
do this time.
No, no, no, this one was me.
I forgot I needed to put thisin the last one, but I
completely forgot it was a thing.
So if we think back to the bigpuke, michael Swango, in episode
one or the part one of hisdealio, I had said a brown star
(02:25):
that he got in the military.
It was a shit stain.
Yeah, the shit stain award.
He does deserve a shit stainaward.
But however, thank you to myfriend Bree, who thank you for
your service.
Bree did serve in the militaryand she corrected me that the
brown star is not a thing, it'sa bronze star.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Bronze, bronze.
Oh, listen, bree, terry, andshe corrected me that the brown
star is not a thing.
Um, it's a bronze star, bronze.
Oh listen, brie.
Thank you for your service andum, thank you for you know,
letting us know, and no shade tothose with the bronze star.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I honestly think that Swango earned a brown one, so
hopefully we're off the hookthere yeah, I feel like, yes, um
, and then I would just like togive a quick disclaimer that I
am staying at, uh, the oldwestin in downtown pittsburgh.
I have zero control over anyneighbors slamming their doors
(03:19):
and I feel like the toiletsflushing are a little loud, so I
hope it's's not going to beloud for you guys, but if it is
sorry about it, we in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You know what we're about being real and the least
amount of editing possible untilwe get rich and famous and can
afford someone who knows whatthey're doing so until then.
Dog barking at toilet flushingit's all part and parcel of what
makes us real.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I'm excited that the day I fly home, I'll be able to
tune into our new episode.
So, speaking of what are wegoing to be talking about today?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, today is episode seven and I'm going to
break it to you.
It's part one.
This is a two parter.
It's a two parter.
We'll be lucky if it's not athree-parter.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, no, okay, I'll try andI'll, I'll reign it in, we'll be
a two-parter.
But, um, the title is nefarious.
Nurses, the lethal lovers ofalpine manor nursing home.
(04:16):
Buckle up, because today's caseis as disturbing as it is
bizarre.
Today we're covering the caseof Gwendolyn Graham and Kathy
Wood, the lethal lovers ofAlpine Manor nursing home.
This case has it allallegations of sadistic murder,
a toxic romance and a trialwhere the truth is murkier than
the prosecution made it seem.
(04:37):
These two women were supposedto be caregivers.
At the heart of it, nurses'aides are responsible for
ensuring the safety andwell-being of the patients under
their care.
Nursing homes are meant to beplaces of care, comfort and
healing.
But in the late 1980s, alpineManor became the hunting ground
for these two nurses' aides, whoturned their patients into
(04:58):
pawns in a twisted game of loveand power.
Gwendolyn Graham and Kathy Woodweren't just caregivers, they
were killers.
So what went wrong?
What turned this nursing homeinto a murderous hunting ground
of horrors?
Let's get into it, but first Ihave a trigger warning for those
(05:18):
who need it.
This episode will containmentions of elder abuse, sexual
assault, attempted suicide andmurder.
Mentions of elder abuse, sexualassault, attempted suicide and
murder.
The primary source for today'sshow includes the book Forever
and Five Days by Lowell Coffiel.
The remaining sources will belisted in our show notes.
So let's return to the iconic80s, a time of fluorescent
(05:40):
eyeshadow, bold geometricpatterns and tons of hairspray
meant almost exclusively tobring bangs back to Jesus.
Get it, girls.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Amen, amen, woo Woo.
What a time.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Grand Rapids, michigan, in the 80s, was
described as clean, cultural andfree from corruption.
By the end of the decade it wasranked as the fifth most moved
to city in America.
Oh wow.
The city of 200,000 was knownfor its office furniture which
allowed for low unemploymentrates and a stable economy.
Michigan was known for a strong, diversified Christian
(06:17):
background, with impressive belltowers of 19th century Baptist
missionaries punctuating theskyline.
Jim and Tammy Faye Baker werefrom nearby Muskegon.
Grand Rapids was most influencedby the Christian Reformed
Church as, beginning in the1840s, the area was largely
populated by Dutch Calvinists.
They were shunned in theNetherlands, and so they settled
(06:42):
across the globe in places likeSouth Africa and Western
Michigan.
Go figure across the globe inplaces like South Africa and
Western Michigan.
Later, dutch Catholics settledthere as well, and by the end of
the 19th century a third of thepopulation of Grand Rapids was
born in Holland.
Needless to say, the culture inGrand Rapids was largely
conservative, to the point whereone resident claimed that their
local grocery store would notcarry root beer because it had
(07:04):
the word beer in it.
There was little socialtolerance for minorities or
political differences of opinion.
One school district bannedHalloween and Valentine's Day
celebrations at their schools asthey were not considered
educational.
One library banned a book aboutracism and poverty.
Another library banned a bookby EE Cummings.
And despite this austerity,there was a large gay population
(07:26):
in Grand Rapids in the late1980s.
Some described it as a naturalreaction to the stark gender
roles of the strict religiousconservatives.
But let's talk about AlpineManor.
At the time the story takesplace, alpine Manor Nursing Home
in Grand Rapids, michigan, wasa standard long-term care
facility.
Like many nursing homes, it hadproblems overworked staff, low
(07:50):
wages, elderly residents, avulnerable population often
overlooked by society.
As healthcare providers, we canrelate.
Am I right, amanda?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah, and when you have patients who are already
vulnerable, many suffering fromdementia and other conditions
that make them unable to fendfor themselves, that makes
conditions ripe for those withnefarious intent.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
I hate this so much already, I know it's going to be
so sad.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's going to be so sad, guys.
The name Alpine Manor suggestssome majestic chalet nestled in
a mountain range, but instead itwas described as a single-story
drab, boxy building that lookedlike it was ripped out of a
strip mall and plopped in themiddle of a bunch of farmland.
That's quite so charming, isn'tit?
Oh, the building was initiallycalled English Hills when it
(08:40):
opened in 1973, even though itwas the middle of flat
cornfields when it opened in1973, even though it was the
middle of flat cornfields.
So the new owners changed thename in 1984, but they kept the
nursing station designationsthat were inspired by the
English Hills original name.
The stations were called AbbeyLane, buckingham, camelot and
Dover.
Well, that's kind of cute.
Yeah, the layout looked liketwo square buildings joined
(09:03):
together by a common side.
Each square was hollowed out inthe center by a courtyard and
each leg of the square was ahallway with an average of 16
rooms.
Two patients to a room liningeach leg.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
So there, were 207 beds all together.
Jeepers, creepers, that's a lot, right, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, responsibilities for each hall
and room were designated to eachnursing station.
So Abbey Lane covered halls 100to 200, buckingham 300 to 400,
camelot 500 and part of 600, andDover was part of 600 and 700
hall.
Each room was divided into bedsone and two.
(09:42):
Bed one was near the window,bed two was near the door and
there was a dividing curtainbetween the beds.
This makes me so sad, becausethen the person who's in bed two
near the door never gets to seeout the window.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah.
I mean hopefully they leave thedoor open and there's some
hallway traffic so they havesomething to watch.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, the halls and the stations were color-coded
pink for abby, yellow forbuckingham, powder blue for
dover and green for camelot.
According to the us departmentof health and human services,
about 70 percent of people aged65 and older will need some form
of long-term, long-term careduring their lifetime.
This includes care in a nursinghome, assisted living facility
(10:26):
or at home with support services.
While the exact likelihoodvaries based on factors like
health, family support andfinancial resources, studies
suggested that approximately 35%of men and 50% of women who
reach 65 will need nursing homecare at some point.
Women tend to have a higherlikelihood because they live
(10:46):
longer on average.
Alpine was a nursing home andevery patient needed nursing
care.
This could range from dailymeds, a good diet and
supervision to total care forpatients who needed nursing
staff for everything exceptpractically breathing.
Patients could have cancer,alzheimer's, organic brain
syndrome, incontinence,tracheostomies, muscle disease,
(11:06):
severe arthritis.
They even had inhabitants fromstate mental facilities, like
patients with schizophrenia,when the mental state facilities
were overflowing, wow.
Really had the whole gamut.
There they did and there were.
No, it wasn't like they had amemory unit and a mental health
disorder unit.
Everybody was just sort ofwilly-nilly.
(11:27):
This is where we had an openroom Yep At its height.
Alpine Manor had more than 70employees, including supervisors
, rns, lpns and nurses' aides,as well as one social worker, an
activity director and herassistant.
In Alpine, an aide was assigneda group of patients for an
entire shift.
Nurses' aides were responsiblefor feeding, bathing and caring
(11:50):
for residents, so you couldimagine that an aide would make
the difference between comfortand misery for a resident.
Although the aides were at thebottom of the pay scale, they
were the ones who had the mostcontact with patients.
Can confirm Did that work once.
Yeah, oh, you did.
That's right.
An aspiring nurse's aide wouldgo through a five-day
orientation run by a registerednurse.
(12:12):
The orientation includedvideotapes of the daily routines
that they used.
That showed how to turnpatients at two-hour intervals
to avoid decubitus, ulcers orbed sores, and they learned the
stages of a deteriorating andcommon skin condition and when
you should apply a balm versusan aerosol called Granulix for
(12:33):
open sores.
They learned how to lift andtransfer patients, feed them and
take vitals.
They learned when and how toapply restraints such as felt
cuffs for legs and hands andpelvic restraints to hold the
lower body in place.
Patient hygiene lessonsconsisted of instruction on
daily sponge baths.
Once a week, patients receiveda complete wash in a shower
(12:54):
chair.
This chair had an open seatlike a toilet for cleaning the
lower body.
The patient sat naked andrestrained if necessary, while
the aide employed a handheldshower spray.
Water temperature was critical,but still some patients would
fight back regardless of watertemperature.
And with that grim description,I'm going to read an excerpt
(13:20):
from the book that I mentionedForever in Five Days.
The author spent a lot of timewith the victim's families and
reading medical records andtalking to staff, and so this is
from the viewpoint of the firstvictim named Marguerite
Chambers, as the authorenvisioned it, so it starts.
(13:44):
A low-pressure front had justpulled a white sheet of snow
over Grand Rapids when EdChambers arrived at the Alpine
Manor for his Sunday night visit.
Later the mercury would hit thesingle digits.
The cold that struck when skiescleared in the dead of the
Michigan winter.
He called Marguerite's nameinside as he turned a corner
(14:04):
into her room.
He grasped her shaking handonce more.
He spent about an hour with her, telling her things of little
consequence and talking to heras though she were normal.
He would never know if sheunderstood.
And he stayed nearly an hour.
It was between seven and eighto'clock when he rose to go.
On January 18th MargueriteChambers was marking day 1,293
(14:25):
as a patient of Alpine Manor.
She'd been institutionalizednearly five years.
Twelve years had passed sinceshe'd been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease.
Outside her room 614-1, aideswere working from room to room.
They were rounding up somepatients and changing others and
preparing all of Alpine Manorfor the night.
(14:47):
Most aides were occupied.
Others were taking mid-shiftbreaks.
At 8 pm licensed nurses wouldbegin going from room to room
passing out evening medication.
As Ed stepped outside henoticed a few cars in the lot.
Most of them belonged toemployees.
Three inches of snow had keptmany visitors home for the night
.
There was little traffic onFour Mile Road.
(15:10):
The snow creaked beneath hisfeet.
A light wind made the snaps onthe alpine flagpole ring in
hollow tones.
The clanging seemed to soundmore profound in the cold.
Marguerite had always loved thewaltzes.
She'd dance to them freely,dipping and sweeping across the
floor.
One, two, three, one, two,three, one, two, three.
(15:32):
Strauss had no equal.
The emperor waltz, vienna,blood tales from the Vienna
woods.
She loved the blue Danube waltz.
It rushed and wavered, movinglike the spirit, like the great
river had carried it away.
The blue Danube playedregularly in 614-1.
Once a week A regular visitorbrought the music.
(15:53):
She was a new face forMarguerite.
The chipper activities stafferbrought a portable tape player,
plugged it in and then theStrauss waltzes began.
One, two, three.
One, two, three, one.
In her predictable universe,marguerite Chambers had come to
experience two changes beginningin the days before Christmas.
One was the music courtesy of anew in-room program and the
(16:18):
other was an aberration, anintrusion.
It did not soothe her like thewaltzes.
It quickened the fiercest ofall involuntary impulses.
It unleashed her raw will tolive.
Suppose she could havearticulated the first incident
in detail.
In that case she might havereported it as a quirk, a
momentary loss of respiratoryrhythm, like a chronic snorer
(16:42):
stuck between breaths.
Then the cessation camesuddenly and with much fury.
There was unrelenting pressureacross her nostrils and the
underside of her jaw there wasterrycloth, its loop pile.
So compressed it dug into herskin like dull darts Without air
.
She lost consciousness.
When she awoke and survived,her mind may still have been
(17:05):
capable of associating theexperience with a familiar face,
a pair of hands or the smell ofswing cream.
On Christmas Day she may haveassociated the attack with the
touch of a terrycloth and a washtowel around the lips.
These remained Marguerite'ssecrets.
Her nurse only knew that herpulse was running a little over
a beat per second and that herblood pressure was in the normal
limits for a woman of 60 years.
(17:27):
All through Alpine's third shiftshe'd been very restless the
previous night.
Her limbs were exceptionallykinetic.
She ran a fever of 101 thenight before.
That could have easily causedall the movement.
After Ed left it began.
There may have been some noticeof the intruder's presence, or
perhaps the attack came suddenlyand Marguerite was jolted from
(17:47):
her sleep.
The traverse rod hissed as ahand pulled the divider curtain.
There may have been the soundsof a polyester uniform rubbing
against itself.
Two hands positioned her head,resting it squarely on the back
of her skull.
Maybe this was sudden, or maybeit was gentle, like an oral
surgeon readying a patient forhis handiwork.
Of one thing MargueriteChambers was confident Air Quite
(18:11):
.
Suddenly there was no air.
There was absolutely none.
The terrycloth was rolled Onecovered Marguerite's nostrils
and the other was under her chin.
One covered Marguerite'snostrils and the other was under
her chin, one squeezed and theother thrust up violently,
pushing her toothless gumstogether.
Marguerite began to thrash.
Her groans were guttural deepwithin her belly.
As the need to breathe becamemore urgent, her cheeks began to
puff and collapse.
Her lungs were sucking for thepathetically few cubic inches of
(18:35):
oxygen that were left therebefore her mouth was slammed
shut.
Perhaps trauma stimulated memory, as can happen so near death.
There was the old farmland inWalker.
There was a nursery across thegolden field.
Ed, jan, gary and Ed Jr werethere.
The lake glistened at thefamily cottage.
She loved water skiing for thechildren and putting on a show.
(18:56):
She loved scrabble and sheloved dancing.
The waltzes played the bluedenube.
She was waltzing freely.
One, two, three.
One, two, three, one, perhapsnot.
The muscles strengthened by herfetal rocking drew deep upon
their incessant conditioning andin a great effort she twisted
her head.
But nothing could have preparedher for this.
(19:17):
Her last movements werespasmodic.
In the end, in her finalmoments of consciousness, her
eyes couldn't help but look atthe face above her.
Michelangelo might have paintedit on a sistine chapel cherub,
but it belonged to an angel ofdeath um, anybody else get a
(19:40):
real tight chest there and justyeah.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
And then the chills and the one, two, three, one, oh
so I'm afraid it doesn't getmuch better.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
But um, both kathy wood and gwen graham were
scheduled to be off on Monday,the day after Marguerite
Chambers died.
On Tuesday they were scheduledto work a double shift,
beginning on the second shift.
Kathy called in an excuse forthem both.
Something was amiss in thebasement.
The water heater's broken.
She told a supervisor.
We're waiting for a repairman.
Kathy and Gwen were homedrinking.
(20:14):
They were drinking alone.
The hot water heater waslocated in the center of the
basement, not far from the sewerdrain and the little chimney
door.
Kathy later said she wasespecially afraid to descend the
basement stairs during thosetwo days.
I thought maybe Margueritewould be down there and she'd
get me, she said.
(20:35):
On Monday night they played inthe bedroom.
One of them applied wristrestraints, lashing the hands of
the other to the bed.
One pulled a pair of tube socksfrom the dresser over her hands
.
One mounted the otherstraddling the other's body with
her knees.
One squeezed the other's mouthand nose.
There would be no suffocation,though, only tears.
The restraints were rapidlyuntied.
I'm sorry.
One of them kept saying I'msorry.
(20:56):
Later the 45 spun on theturntable.
Mel Carter was singing onceagain Hold me, thrill me, kiss
me, make me tell you I'm in lovewith you.
I'll love you forever.
Gwen and Kathy said Now it'stime for chart note.
Chart note this is where welearn something about medicine
(21:18):
and health care.
Given what I've just read andwhat's about to come, I wanted
to review the definitions ofpsychopathy, sociopathy,
borderline personality, as muchfor myself as for our listeners.
I know as true crime listeners,y'all likely know all this
already, but I find it helpfulto review, especially
considering the very distinctpersonality disorders of Gwen
(21:40):
and Kathy.
So first we'll talk aboutantisocial personality disorder.
The definition of antisocialpersonality disorder is a mental
health condition characterizedby a persistent pattern of
disregard for the rights ofothers, deceitfulness,
impulsivity and lack of remorse.
It falls under the cluster Bpersonality disorders, which are
(22:03):
marked by dramatic, emotionalor erratic behavior.
So the acronym for this is ASPD.
The key traits of ASPD aredisregard for laws and social
norms, like frequent rulebreaking and why can't I say
rule today?
Rule breaking, it's not ruralCriminal behavior.
(22:24):
Deceitfulness and manipulation,like lying for personal gain or
pleasure.
Impulsivity andirresponsibility, like
difficulty maintaining jobs orfulfilling obligations.
Irritability and aggression,like physical fights, verbal
abuse.
Reckless behavior and lack ofremorse.
No guilt for harming others.
So ASPD is a clinical diagnosis, whereas psychopathy and
(22:48):
sociopathy are consideredsubtypes of ASPD.
Psychopaths are more calculated,manipulative and less emotional
.
Sociopaths are more impulsive,emotionally reactive and
aggressive.
Causes and risk factors aregenetics, brain abnormalities,
(23:08):
like differences in theprefrontal cortex that affect
particularly affecting impulsecontrol.
Childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect in an unstable
environment, and earlybehavioral problems like a
conduct disorder before age 15is a strong predictor.
Psychopathy in particular is apersonality disorder
(23:29):
characterized by persistentantisocial behavior, lack of
empathy and manipulativetendencies.
Psychopaths often appearcharming, intelligent and
calculated, but they lackgenuine emotions.
They plan their actionscarefully and may maintain a
stable job and relationshipswhile engaging in unethical or
criminal behavior behind thescenes.
Brain studies suggest reducedactivity in the amygdala and
(23:53):
prefrontal cortex that are areasthat are linked to emotions and
impulse control.
Sociopathy is more of animpulse and erratic version of
psychopathy.
So people with sociopathy areprone to outbursts, aggression,
reckless behavior.
They struggle with long-termplanning.
They have less ability tomaintain jobs and relationships
(24:15):
compared to psychopaths.
Sociopaths do feel someemotions, but they have little
regard for the rules or others'feelings.
They're more likely to actimpulsively and violently
compared to psychopaths.
So the key differences are thatpsychopaths are cold
calculative.
I just made up a word.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I do like it.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
And manipulative, while sociopaths are impulsive
and prone to emotional outbursts.
And just to throw in a little,another one that I was wondering
about borderline personalitydisorder, bpd.
It's a mental health disordercharacterized by intense
emotions, unstable relationshipsand impulsive behaviors.
People with BPD often fearabandonment, they experience
(24:58):
rapid mood swings and may engagein self-destructive behaviors.
Unlike psychopaths andsociopaths, bpd involves intense
emotional sensitivity ratherthan a lack of emotion.
So their relationships areoften intense and unstable,
swinging between idealizationand devaluation of others.
This disorder is thought tostem from a combination of
(25:18):
genetics, brain chemistry andearly trauma and neglect.
So the key difference here isthat, unlike psychopathy and
sociopathy, which involve lackof empathy, bpd involves extreme
emotional sensitivity and fearof abandonment.
There are many challenges intreating sociopathy and
(25:39):
psychopathy because a lot ofthese individuals aren't going
to come forward voluntarily.
They don't see their behavioras a problem.
That's the nature of thedisorder.
But those that do seektreatment, they might do so
because they're in legal troubleor they're being pressured by
family or work.
Traditional therapy is lesseffective because people with
(26:02):
ASPD often manipulate thetherapist or resist change.
But all the usual talktherapies, psychotherapy
approaches can help, such ascognitive behavioral therapy to
help address impulsivity,aggression, distorted thinking
patterns and encouraging one tothink about consequences before
(26:28):
acting.
Mentalization-based therapy MBTfocuses on helping the person
understand their own emotionsand other people's perspectives.
Group therapy has lesseffectiveness and often can
actually make things worsebecause some individuals might
use it to manipulate others.
There are medications althoughthey're not FDA approved
specifically for ASPD, approvedspecifically for ASPD, but like
(26:50):
mood stabilizers to reduceimpulsivity and aggression,
antidepressants to deal with anyconcomitant depression or
anxiety, and then atypicalantipsychotics can help with
aggression and impulsivity.
So, while not everyone withASPD is violent or a criminal,
many high-profile criminals andcon artists have exhibited ASPD
(27:13):
traits.
However, aspd can also appearin non-criminal settings like
business, politics andleadership roles.
Here's a few examples ofcriminal cases linked to ASPD
Ted Bundy ever heard of him?
Yeah, heard of him.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
He's from Washington, ted Bundy.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, ted Bundy, I won't say Okay.
Exhibited extreme, manipulation, charm, lack of empathy and
deceitfulness while he committedbrutal crimes.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Bernie Madoff, which I think you alluded to him.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
The fraud stuff fraud case.
Yeah, so he ran a massive ponzischeme, lying to investors
without remorse while he ruinedthousands of lives.
Um some non-criminal examplesof aspd traits um my ex some
individuals yeah I think we alldon't know.
Some, um some individuals withASPD avoid breaking the law, but
(28:13):
they still exhibit manipulativeand exploitative behavior.
Corporate scammers soexecutives who exploit employees
, commit fraud or lie forfinancial gain without guilt.
And con artists, people whodeceive others for personal gain
.
And then you know, people getsucked in because they're
charismatic and they appeartrustworthy.
This is not to say that everyruthless CEO or manipulative
(28:37):
person has ASPD, but those witha persistent pattern of
disregard for others, lack ofremorse and manipulation may
meet this criteria.
So let's go back to the caseand see if we can identify any
of these traits as we go.
They are nurses.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I bet we're gonna find a couple.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, I think yes, gwen Graham.
Gwen was 5'2 and stocky, withreddish brown, curly hair and a
firm jaw.
Gwen was prone to outbursts ofanger and emotional detachment
issues.
She had a reputation as someonewho could be both charming and
intimidating.
Gwendolyn Graham was born inSanta Monica, california, on
(29:18):
August 6, 1963.
Her family moved around a lotduring their early childhood to
Indiana, back to California,then to Tyler, texas, when she
was nine.
As a teenager, graham displayedantisocial tendencies and had
trouble forming stablerelationships.
She reportedly struggled withdeep-seated anger issues and had
a fascination with the macabre.
Despite these red flags, shemanaged to maintain a social
(29:41):
charm that allowed her to formrelationships, particularly with
people she could manipulate ordominate.
When she was 15, she traveledwith a teen missionary group to
the East Coast and then Africa.
When her parents separated atage 17, she moved back to
California to live with herfather.
Gwen's father was allegedlyabusive to her and she was three
(30:03):
months into her senior year inhigh school when she dropped out
of Modesto High School andhitchhiked up the West Coast.
Eventually she moved back toTyler, texas, when she was 20.
There she met, befriended andbegan a relationship with a
woman named Fran.
Gwen had many jobs by the timeshe was 21, she'd laid brick for
Christian dorms in Liberia,shuttled pizza in California,
(30:25):
delivered the Dallas Morningnewspaper in East Texas and ran
a cash register at two differentgas stations in texas.
But gwen always wanted to be avet, so she tried to attend
nursing school, as as you do, um, when you want a little
different um at tyler juniorcollege, but she dropped out
(30:45):
shortly after and I couldn'tfind out why maybe she realized
that was humans and not animals,I don't know.
Yeah, um, well, it ain't Well.
Uh, her girlfriend, Fran, movedto Michigan in search of a job
opportunity there.
Gwen loved motorcycles and shespent her spare time tinkering
on her candy apple red Hondafour 50.
One day, while reading a bikermagazine, she saw an
(31:08):
advertisement for a paramedicprogram at a college in Grand
Rapids.
With $11 in her pocket she setoff for Michigan.
Impulsive anyone.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yeah, I got 11 bucks, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
So soon after Gwen arrived in Grand Rapids, she
began to doubt her relationshipwith Fran.
It turns out that Fran may havepainted her job opportunity and
her life in Grand Rapids with arosy hue.
Fran was delivering newspapersand lived in a cramped apartment
above a used car lot.
Gwen decided Fran had changedand that Gwen needed to find her
own way, which led to herapplication to Alpine Manor for
(31:47):
a nurse's aid position.
The assisting nursingadministrator, margaret Widmeyer
, was shocked at the state ofthe circular scars arranged in
orderly rows on Gwen's forearms19 on her left arm and 12 on her
right.
What happened to your arms, sheasked.
My father had a strange waywith discipline.
Gwen answered her head down.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I don't like that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yeah.
Widmeyer later said she feltthat Gwen was appreciative of
the opportunity to work.
She also liked Gwen's writtenresponses to the application
questions.
Why do you want to work at thisfacility?
I'm working, or plan to work myway through college and this
job can provide good experience,since I plan to pursue a
medical career as a paramedic.
What can you give this facility?
(32:33):
I listen, learn and work veryhard.
What do you expect from thisfacility?
I expect nothing, so that Idon't get disappointed.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
I mean, they were good answers.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah If you're us.
No, yeah if you're us.
So now we'll talk about Kathy.
Kathy Wood was the opposite ofGwen, at least at first glance.
Kathy was over six feet tall,weighing at times 250 to over
400 pounds, and she was animposing character.
(33:07):
However, she was described asgraceful and charismatic.
Her hair was dyed platinumblonde and her face was delicate
, with an upturned nose andpiercing eyes.
Kathy Wood was born in 1962 inMichigan.
Unlike Graham, she did not comefrom an abusive background.
By most accounts, she had arelatively stable and uneventful
childhood.
However, those who knew herdescribed her as highly
(33:34):
manipulative and a habitual liar.
She could always persuadeothers to do what she wanted.
She was known to be deceptiveand controlling even from a
young age, often playing thevictim to gain sympathy.
She developed an earlyunderstanding of power dynamics,
using charm and manipulationrather than physical force.
Kathy Wood's early life andmarriage played a significant
role in shaping her manipulativetendencies and setting the
(33:55):
stage for her deadlyrelationship with Gwendolyn
Graham.
Kathy Wood's first marriage wasfilled with emotional
manipulation and dishonesty.
She married Ken Wood, a man whoinitially saw her as sweet and
caring, but soon realized herdark side.
She frequently lied about smallthings, creating unnecessary
drama to keep Ken off balance.
She would fabricate emotionaldistress and fake crises to make
(34:17):
Ken feel guilty.
She always deflectedresponsibility onto Ken or
someone else if something wentwrong.
Ken Wood later described Kathyas manipulative and emotionally
suffocating.
She would cry or act helplesswhen she wanted something, but
could be so cold and calculatingwhen she needed control.
A little insight into Kathywould when her husband, who was
(34:40):
coaching the Alpine Manorssoftball team, lost a fly ball.
He turned to see the ball,zipping towards the stands and
Kathy was holding their toddlerbaby girl up and cowering behind
her, using her as a shield.
What a mom, what a mom, oh myGod.
As their marriage deteriorated,kathy Wood sought emotional and
(35:05):
physical validation elsewhere.
She engaged in extramaritalaffairs, one of which involved
another woman hinting at hergrowing interest in the same-sex
relationships before she metGraham.
Despite her affairs, she wouldstill play the victim, accusing
Ken of being the reason she wasunhappy.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
What a victim.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, she just ditched him and the baby to go
off and do her own thing.
Uh, instead of resolvingconflicts, she'd escalate
situations to make herself looklike the wronged party.
At one point, kenwood suspectedher of cheating and lying about
financial matters, but everytime he confronted her, she
turned it around on him, makinghim feel guilty for even
questioning her.
(35:44):
Her marriage was filled withdeception, emotional
manipulation and power struggles, all of which foreshadowed her
later ability to control andinfluence Graham into committing
murder.
She had a pattern of twistingreality to fit her needs, often
making herself appear like avictim.
She could be charming andpersuasive, and yet those that
were close to her eventually sawher deception and controlling
(36:05):
nature.
She was an avid reader andgravitated towards stories of
lust and crime.
Okay, I'm not saying I'd judgeher for that, but Her tastes
ranged from the Other Side ofMidnight by Sidney Sheldon to
the Cradle Will Fall by MaryHiggins Clark, which is about a
physician who murders manypatients.
She also liked nonfiction,reading the Life and Times of
(36:25):
Gregory Rasputin, a study of amonk who manipulated the royalty
of Russia with his irresistiblepsychopathic powers.
Her own imagination was activeas well.
One night, kathy confessed toKen that she'd always wondered
what it'd be like to stabsomebody.
Oh my god, ken brushed it offas a passing fancy.
No Ken, no Ken.
Flag, many flags, a bouquet offlags.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
A bouquet of red flags for Valentine's Day, Ken
oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Gwen was introduced to Kathy Wood by a woman she was
sleeping with, who also workedat Alpine Manor, named Dawn Mail
.
They would often go to barstogether after work and end up
at Kathy's house playingdrinking games.
By the time Kathy Wood metGwendolyn Graham at Alpine Manor
Nursing Home, she'd alreadyperfected her ability to
manipulate others.
Their attraction quickly turnedinto a passionate, obsessive
(37:15):
relationship.
They became inseparable andco-workers described them as
openly affectionate.
At work, often to anunprofessional degree, they fed
off of each other's energy,creating a toxic dynamic where
control and submission playedkey roles.
Kathy's failed marriage andtoxic relationships reinforced
her belief that controllingpeople emotionally was easier
than facing consequences herself.
(37:36):
She recognized Graham'svulnerabilities, the history of
abuse and emotional instabilityand exploited them to form an
intense bond.
Their relationship became toxicand codependent, with wood
encouragingly, encouragingincreasingly extreme behaviors
to maintain control.
And that, my listeners, iswhere we leave off.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
I don't like where this is headed.
I don't love what we've builthere.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
It seems like you don't like a little romance?
You don't like a little meetcute?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Hmm, I think, yeah, not the same definition, right?
Yeah, I just still can't getover you drawing that picture in
my head of sweet poorMarguerite.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, yeah, no, it's just terrible because and I
should say, you know theircrimes were, their victims were
all perpetrated against thosewho needed that, what, what did
I call it?
Like total care is what theycalled it.
Where they, they werenon-verbal or even if they were,
(38:52):
there were memory issues oralzheimer's and they weren't
able to fend for themselvesbecause they were like we talked
about earlier.
They were all types, um, and Idon't know if I'm going to talk
about this later or not, I don'tthink so but there was one
instance where one of the nursesand I think it was Gwendolyn
tried to suffocate a guy but hewas too strong, like she picked
(39:17):
the wrong.
You know, he may have lookedweak but he like was able to
overcome it.
And the sad thing is that, evenif people are able, they're not
nonverbal, but they're talking,they're speaking out.
Other people don't believe them.
They just share the ramblingsof the you know, people with
dementia.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
So it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
It's terrifying and tragic and yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Well, I guess, thank you for bringing us that so far,
and we will surely look forwardto hearing the rest of that.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
But until then, Thank you to our listener that
recommended it.
I'm not sure how I feel aboutthis, but it's definitely
compelling reading and I thinkit's important.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Yeah, for sure.
I'm just not looking forward tothe second half because I love
old people so much and it'sgoing to be so sad Probably, I
assume.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Well, I think I'm not going to.
I will talk about the victims alittle bit, but we are going to
talk about, I think, the trial,because I kind of want your
take, and I want listeners take,as to whether or not they think
justice prevailed here.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
Oh dang, you really could have made this a
three-parter, huh yeah, dang, itdoes not.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Yeah, it's kind of a twisty ending.
So okay.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Well, we will be here with you for all the twists and
turns.
Until then, my friends, we'vegot a medical mishap story,
medical mishaps.
We would never get hired to doa jingle on a commercial, but
that's okay.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Well, maybe if we actually practice one.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I mean maybe, yeah, it's kind of just whatever comes
out of her mouth.
Okay, so hang on.
One second Type change Okay,much better.
Let second Type change Okay,much better.
Let me shake it off.
Okay, now it's time for ourmedical mishap segment, and this
week we have an email from alistener named Ray and she
(41:19):
writes hello, jenna and Amanda,hello, hello.
First off, I love your podcastand can't wait for Wednesday
each week so I can get my fix.
Aw, thank you, yay, thank you.
I also get excited forWednesdays, which is weird
because I've already heard allof it, but it's fun to hear it
back.
Anyways here is my medicalmishap when I was in my late
(41:44):
teens.
I had a surgical procedure.
It wasn't supposed to requirean overnight stay, but I had a
negative reaction to theanesthesia and I could not stop
vomiting.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Oh, that sucks.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
The nausea was so intense and I was so incredibly
sick.
Unfortunately, my hospital roomwas shared with another patient
, ugh Hate a double room, hateit.
The patient happened to beundergoing bowel prep and was so
sick herself that she couldn'tmake it to the bathroom, and so
(42:17):
they brought in a portablebedside commode for her to empty
her bowels.
For what seemed like the entiretime.
I was there puking my guts out,hmm.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Okay, so wait.
So for our listeners, um, youknow, if you're going to have to
have a colonoscopy or something, if you haven't had the uh
misfortune of having one ofthose, they give you stuff to
clear out your, your, yourintestines, and oh, it goes on
for hours and hours.
Yeah, and not a fun way.
(42:47):
I can't imagine if you'refeeling nauseous and having to
have a neighbor right across thecurtain from you.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Anyway, I know it's really gross, okay, so she's
puking her guts out yeah.
Puking her guts out.
I was like where am I?
How was that in any way betterthan just sending me home sick?
My mom went all mama bear welove a mama bear moment on the
(43:18):
nurses and despite them claimingthere were no other rooms, I
was eventually moved.
There were no other rooms.
I was eventually moved.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
um, I will say, I'm not gonna say should I say um,
hopefully God didn't do adischarge and that's why you got
a room.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Oh, amanda, I only got that verbiage from working
behind the hospitaladministration.
Okay, back to the story.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
I'm so sorry, ray, I interrupted your story you are
such a good fit for this show.
I mean, why are you surprisedthat?
That's how, that's where yourmind went and your experience
has been, and thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
Thank you so much thank you to our ctc and
formerly ctc, now bam colleaguesat the hospital bed allocation
management.
Thanks for all you do.
Okay, um, I was eventuallymoved and I'm still traumatized
by this.
I hope your listeners neverhave to experience anything like
this.
Thank goodness for privaterooms.
(44:19):
Stay safe and stay suspicious,ray.
Thank you, ray, for sendingthat in.
Sorry, I interrupted your storyseven times.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Oh, but I can.
I just say what a gut-wrenchingstory.
Get it, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
I see what you did there You're so punny, I know
Sorry everyone, we do, you did.
There you're so punny, I knowsorry everyone.
Oh, you day, um, okay, sorry,the exhaustion's kicking in.
Hey, jenna, what can we expectto learn about?
So you kind of already told usa little bit.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
But yeah, it'll be part two of this horrific tale
of nefarious nurses and theirmurderous rampage.
We're going to learn more aboutthe victims, the murders and
the fiery culmination thatresulted in betrayal, revenge
and questionable justice.
We'll don our psychology hatsand dig deep into their psyches.
Stay tuned to hear all thesordid details.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Don't miss a beat.
Subscribe or follow Doctoringthe Truth wherever you enjoy
your podcasts for stories thatshock, intrigue and educate.
Trust, after all, is a delicatething.
You can text us directly on ourwebsite at doctoringthetruth.
At buzzsproutcom, you cansupport the show by clicking on
the subscriber link to thepodcast for as low as $3 a month
(45:45):
.
$3, is that all?
We will give you a shout out onthe show and are looking for
ways to bring you more rewardsin the future.
We're gift givers.
We love that.
This may include exclusivecontent, early access to
episodes, fun, merch and more.
Email us your own story, ideasand comments and correction
(46:10):
sections and all the things atdoctoringthetruth at gmailcom.
Be sure to follow us onInstagram and the book of
Facebook at Doctoring the Truth,and don't forget to download,
rate and review so we can besure to bring you more content
next week.
Until then, stay safe and staysuspicious.
(46:34):
Uh, good night, no, goodbye,goodbye.
See you in minnesota.
Bye.
hello, hello hello hi jenna how are you?
Speaker 1 (00:08):
I'm good, I'm tired.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
After that time, change business yeah, and you
decided to travel during thetime change to a different time
zone, so how confused is yourbody right now my body doesn't
know what's happening right nowat all.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
I'm at a conference, and I think that's the general
consensus of everyone here iswe're all just so tired, so
you're in.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Pittsburgh, pittsburgh, coming live from
Pittsburgh we got the Oilers, wegot the Flyers, I don't know
anything else.
Yeah, I mean I don't do sports,so I just thought I'd sound.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
I was like, say, the Philadelphia Eagles.
And then I was like that's justthe ones.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
I think Philly and Pittsburgh, that's different,
right.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Pittsburgh Steelers right.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, let's say that I'm sure we'll have people.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm sure we'll have a new correction section next
week.
That's kind of embarrassing.
I'm blaming time change on ourlack of NFL knowledge because
time change yeah, I'll put inthis little plug for NFL
knowledge um for all of ourMinnesota Vikings fans out there
.
Did you see?
Darnold was signed by theSeahawks.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
I'm from Seattle.
I'm from Seattle, woohoo GoSeahawks.
Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So for our lack of knowledge everywhere else.
There's that Darnold was tradedto the Seahawks.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well, I hope that's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
I have no idea.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
They need all the help they can get.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Go Chiefs, go Taylor's boyfriend.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Alright.
Well, that unexpected sportsupdate, I know wow.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Go sports, go sports.
We need to hit the correctionsection here.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
For real.
What did I?
Speaker 1 (02:02):
do this time.
No, no, no, this one was me.
I forgot I needed to put thisin the last one, but I
completely forgot it was a thing.
So if we think back to the bigpuke, michael Swango, in episode
one or the part one of hisdealio, I had said a brown star
(02:25):
that he got in the military.
It was a shit stain.
Yeah, the shit stain award.
He does deserve a shit stainaward.
But however, thank you to myfriend Bree, who thank you for
your service.
Bree did serve in the militaryand she corrected me that the
brown star is not a thing, it'sa bronze star.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Bronze, bronze.
Oh, listen, bree, terry, andshe corrected me that the brown
star is not a thing.
Um, it's a bronze star, bronze.
Oh listen, brie.
Thank you for your service andum, thank you for you know,
letting us know, and no shade tothose with the bronze star.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
I honestly think that Swango earned a brown one, so
hopefully we're off the hookthere yeah, I feel like, yes, um
, and then I would just like togive a quick disclaimer that I
am staying at, uh, the oldwestin in downtown pittsburgh.
I have zero control over anyneighbors slamming their doors
(03:19):
and I feel like the toiletsflushing are a little loud, so I
hope it's's not going to beloud for you guys, but if it is
sorry about it, we in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
You know what we're about being real and the least
amount of editing possible untilwe get rich and famous and can
afford someone who knows whatthey're doing so until then.
Dog barking at toilet flushingit's all part and parcel of what
makes us real.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I'm excited that the day I fly home, I'll be able to
tune into our new episode.
So, speaking of what are wegoing to be talking about today?
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Well, today is episode seven and I'm going to
break it to you.
It's part one.
This is a two parter.
It's a two parter.
We'll be lucky if it's not athree-parter.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, no, okay, I'll try andI'll, I'll reign it in, we'll be
a two-parter.
But, um, the title is nefarious.
Nurses, the lethal lovers ofalpine manor nursing home.
(04:16):
Buckle up, because today's caseis as disturbing as it is
bizarre.
Today we're covering the caseof Gwendolyn Graham and Kathy
Wood, the lethal lovers ofAlpine Manor nursing home.
This case has it allallegations of sadistic murder,
a toxic romance and a trialwhere the truth is murkier than
the prosecution made it seem.
(04:37):
These two women were supposedto be caregivers.
At the heart of it, nurses'aides are responsible for
ensuring the safety andwell-being of the patients under
their care.
Nursing homes are meant to beplaces of care, comfort and
healing.
But in the late 1980s, alpineManor became the hunting ground
for these two nurses' aides, whoturned their patients into
(04:58):
pawns in a twisted game of loveand power.
Gwendolyn Graham and Kathy Woodweren't just caregivers, they
were killers.
So what went wrong?
What turned this nursing homeinto a murderous hunting ground
of horrors?
Let's get into it, but first Ihave a trigger warning for those
(05:18):
who need it.
This episode will containmentions of elder abuse, sexual
assault, attempted suicide andmurder.
Mentions of elder abuse, sexualassault, attempted suicide and
murder.
The primary source for today'sshow includes the book Forever
and Five Days by Lowell Coffiel.
The remaining sources will belisted in our show notes.
So let's return to the iconic80s, a time of fluorescent
(05:40):
eyeshadow, bold geometricpatterns and tons of hairspray
meant almost exclusively tobring bangs back to Jesus.
Get it, girls.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Amen, amen, woo Woo.
What a time.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Grand Rapids, michigan, in the 80s, was
described as clean, cultural andfree from corruption.
By the end of the decade it wasranked as the fifth most moved
to city in America.
Oh wow.
The city of 200,000 was knownfor its office furniture which
allowed for low unemploymentrates and a stable economy.
Michigan was known for a strong, diversified Christian
(06:17):
background, with impressive belltowers of 19th century Baptist
missionaries punctuating theskyline.
Jim and Tammy Faye Baker werefrom nearby Muskegon.
Grand Rapids was most influencedby the Christian Reformed
Church as, beginning in the1840s, the area was largely
populated by Dutch Calvinists.
They were shunned in theNetherlands, and so they settled
(06:42):
across the globe in places likeSouth Africa and Western
Michigan.
Go figure across the globe inplaces like South Africa and
Western Michigan.
Later, dutch Catholics settledthere as well, and by the end of
the 19th century a third of thepopulation of Grand Rapids was
born in Holland.
Needless to say, the culture inGrand Rapids was largely
conservative, to the point whereone resident claimed that their
local grocery store would notcarry root beer because it had
(07:04):
the word beer in it.
There was little socialtolerance for minorities or
political differences of opinion.
One school district bannedHalloween and Valentine's Day
celebrations at their schools asthey were not considered
educational.
One library banned a book aboutracism and poverty.
Another library banned a bookby EE Cummings.
And despite this austerity,there was a large gay population
(07:26):
in Grand Rapids in the late1980s.
Some described it as a naturalreaction to the stark gender
roles of the strict religiousconservatives.
But let's talk about AlpineManor.
At the time the story takesplace, alpine Manor Nursing Home
in Grand Rapids, michigan, wasa standard long-term care
facility.
Like many nursing homes, it hadproblems overworked staff, low
(07:50):
wages, elderly residents, avulnerable population often
overlooked by society.
As healthcare providers, we canrelate.
Am I right, amanda?
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah, and when you have patients who are already
vulnerable, many suffering fromdementia and other conditions
that make them unable to fendfor themselves, that makes
conditions ripe for those withnefarious intent.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
I hate this so much already, I know it's going to be
so sad.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
It's going to be so sad, guys.
The name Alpine Manor suggestssome majestic chalet nestled in
a mountain range, but instead itwas described as a single-story
drab, boxy building that lookedlike it was ripped out of a
strip mall and plopped in themiddle of a bunch of farmland.
That's quite so charming, isn'tit?
Oh, the building was initiallycalled English Hills when it
(08:40):
opened in 1973, even though itwas the middle of flat
cornfields when it opened in1973, even though it was the
middle of flat cornfields.
So the new owners changed thename in 1984, but they kept the
nursing station designationsthat were inspired by the
English Hills original name.
The stations were called AbbeyLane, buckingham, camelot and
Dover.
Well, that's kind of cute.
Yeah, the layout looked liketwo square buildings joined
(09:03):
together by a common side.
Each square was hollowed out inthe center by a courtyard and
each leg of the square was ahallway with an average of 16
rooms.
Two patients to a room liningeach leg.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
So there, were 207 beds all together.
Jeepers, creepers, that's a lot, right, that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, responsibilities for each hall
and room were designated to eachnursing station.
So Abbey Lane covered halls 100to 200, buckingham 300 to 400,
camelot 500 and part of 600, andDover was part of 600 and 700
hall.
Each room was divided into bedsone and two.
(09:42):
Bed one was near the window,bed two was near the door and
there was a dividing curtainbetween the beds.
This makes me so sad, becausethen the person who's in bed two
near the door never gets to seeout the window.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Yeah.
I mean hopefully they leave thedoor open and there's some
hallway traffic so they havesomething to watch.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, the halls and the stations were color-coded
pink for abby, yellow forbuckingham, powder blue for
dover and green for camelot.
According to the us departmentof health and human services,
about 70 percent of people aged65 and older will need some form
of long-term, long-term careduring their lifetime.
This includes care in a nursinghome, assisted living facility
(10:26):
or at home with support services.
While the exact likelihoodvaries based on factors like
health, family support andfinancial resources, studies
suggested that approximately 35%of men and 50% of women who
reach 65 will need nursing homecare at some point.
Women tend to have a higherlikelihood because they live
(10:46):
longer on average.
Alpine was a nursing home andevery patient needed nursing
care.
This could range from dailymeds, a good diet and
supervision to total care forpatients who needed nursing
staff for everything exceptpractically breathing.
Patients could have cancer,alzheimer's, organic brain
syndrome, incontinence,tracheostomies, muscle disease,
(11:06):
severe arthritis.
They even had inhabitants fromstate mental facilities, like
patients with schizophrenia,when the mental state facilities
were overflowing, wow.
Really had the whole gamut.
There they did and there were.
No, it wasn't like they had amemory unit and a mental health
disorder unit.
Everybody was just sort ofwilly-nilly.
(11:27):
This is where we had an openroom Yep At its height.
Alpine Manor had more than 70employees, including supervisors
, rns, lpns and nurses' aides,as well as one social worker, an
activity director and herassistant.
In Alpine, an aide was assigneda group of patients for an
entire shift.
Nurses' aides were responsiblefor feeding, bathing and caring
(11:50):
for residents, so you couldimagine that an aide would make
the difference between comfortand misery for a resident.
Although the aides were at thebottom of the pay scale, they
were the ones who had the mostcontact with patients.
Can confirm Did that work once.
Yeah, oh, you did.
That's right.
An aspiring nurse's aide wouldgo through a five-day
orientation run by a registerednurse.
(12:12):
The orientation includedvideotapes of the daily routines
that they used.
That showed how to turnpatients at two-hour intervals
to avoid decubitus, ulcers orbed sores, and they learned the
stages of a deteriorating andcommon skin condition and when
you should apply a balm versusan aerosol called Granulix for
(12:33):
open sores.
They learned how to lift andtransfer patients, feed them and
take vitals.
They learned when and how toapply restraints such as felt
cuffs for legs and hands andpelvic restraints to hold the
lower body in place.
Patient hygiene lessonsconsisted of instruction on
daily sponge baths.
Once a week, patients receiveda complete wash in a shower
(12:54):
chair.
This chair had an open seatlike a toilet for cleaning the
lower body.
The patient sat naked andrestrained if necessary, while
the aide employed a handheldshower spray.
Water temperature was critical,but still some patients would
fight back regardless of watertemperature.
And with that grim description,I'm going to read an excerpt
(13:20):
from the book that I mentionedForever in Five Days.
The author spent a lot of timewith the victim's families and
reading medical records andtalking to staff, and so this is
from the viewpoint of the firstvictim named Marguerite
Chambers, as the authorenvisioned it, so it starts.
(13:44):
A low-pressure front had justpulled a white sheet of snow
over Grand Rapids when EdChambers arrived at the Alpine
Manor for his Sunday night visit.
Later the mercury would hit thesingle digits.
The cold that struck when skiescleared in the dead of the
Michigan winter.
He called Marguerite's nameinside as he turned a corner
(14:04):
into her room.
He grasped her shaking handonce more.
He spent about an hour with her, telling her things of little
consequence and talking to heras though she were normal.
He would never know if sheunderstood.
And he stayed nearly an hour.
It was between seven and eighto'clock when he rose to go.
On January 18th MargueriteChambers was marking day 1,293
(14:25):
as a patient of Alpine Manor.
She'd been institutionalizednearly five years.
Twelve years had passed sinceshe'd been diagnosed with
Alzheimer's disease.
Outside her room 614-1, aideswere working from room to room.
They were rounding up somepatients and changing others and
preparing all of Alpine Manorfor the night.
(14:47):
Most aides were occupied.
Others were taking mid-shiftbreaks.
At 8 pm licensed nurses wouldbegin going from room to room
passing out evening medication.
As Ed stepped outside henoticed a few cars in the lot.
Most of them belonged toemployees.
Three inches of snow had keptmany visitors home for the night
.
There was little traffic onFour Mile Road.
(15:10):
The snow creaked beneath hisfeet.
A light wind made the snaps onthe alpine flagpole ring in
hollow tones.
The clanging seemed to soundmore profound in the cold.
Marguerite had always loved thewaltzes.
She'd dance to them freely,dipping and sweeping across the
floor.
One, two, three, one, two,three, one, two, three.
(15:32):
Strauss had no equal.
The emperor waltz, vienna,blood tales from the Vienna
woods.
She loved the blue Danube waltz.
It rushed and wavered, movinglike the spirit, like the great
river had carried it away.
The blue Danube playedregularly in 614-1.
Once a week A regular visitorbrought the music.
(15:53):
She was a new face forMarguerite.
The chipper activities stafferbrought a portable tape player,
plugged it in and then theStrauss waltzes began.
One, two, three.
One, two, three, one.
In her predictable universe,marguerite Chambers had come to
experience two changes beginningin the days before Christmas.
One was the music courtesy of anew in-room program and the
(16:18):
other was an aberration, anintrusion.
It did not soothe her like thewaltzes.
It quickened the fiercest ofall involuntary impulses.
It unleashed her raw will tolive.
Suppose she could havearticulated the first incident
in detail.
In that case she might havereported it as a quirk, a
momentary loss of respiratoryrhythm, like a chronic snorer
(16:42):
stuck between breaths.
Then the cessation camesuddenly and with much fury.
There was unrelenting pressureacross her nostrils and the
underside of her jaw there wasterrycloth, its loop pile.
So compressed it dug into herskin like dull darts Without air
.
She lost consciousness.
When she awoke and survived,her mind may still have been
(17:05):
capable of associating theexperience with a familiar face,
a pair of hands or the smell ofswing cream.
On Christmas Day she may haveassociated the attack with the
touch of a terrycloth and a washtowel around the lips.
These remained Marguerite'ssecrets.
Her nurse only knew that herpulse was running a little over
a beat per second and that herblood pressure was in the normal
limits for a woman of 60 years.
(17:27):
All through Alpine's third shiftshe'd been very restless the
previous night.
Her limbs were exceptionallykinetic.
She ran a fever of 101 thenight before.
That could have easily causedall the movement.
After Ed left it began.
There may have been some noticeof the intruder's presence, or
perhaps the attack came suddenlyand Marguerite was jolted from
(17:47):
her sleep.
The traverse rod hissed as ahand pulled the divider curtain.
There may have been the soundsof a polyester uniform rubbing
against itself.
Two hands positioned her head,resting it squarely on the back
of her skull.
Maybe this was sudden, or maybeit was gentle, like an oral
surgeon readying a patient forhis handiwork.
Of one thing MargueriteChambers was confident Air Quite
(18:11):
.
Suddenly there was no air.
There was absolutely none.
The terrycloth was rolled Onecovered Marguerite's nostrils
and the other was under her chin.
One covered Marguerite'snostrils and the other was under
her chin, one squeezed and theother thrust up violently,
pushing her toothless gumstogether.
Marguerite began to thrash.
Her groans were guttural deepwithin her belly.
As the need to breathe becamemore urgent, her cheeks began to
puff and collapse.
Her lungs were sucking for thepathetically few cubic inches of
(18:35):
oxygen that were left therebefore her mouth was slammed
shut.
Perhaps trauma stimulated memory, as can happen so near death.
There was the old farmland inWalker.
There was a nursery across thegolden field.
Ed, jan, gary and Ed Jr werethere.
The lake glistened at thefamily cottage.
She loved water skiing for thechildren and putting on a show.
(18:56):
She loved scrabble and sheloved dancing.
The waltzes played the bluedenube.
She was waltzing freely.
One, two, three.
One, two, three, one, perhapsnot.
The muscles strengthened by herfetal rocking drew deep upon
their incessant conditioning andin a great effort she twisted
her head.
But nothing could have preparedher for this.
(19:17):
Her last movements werespasmodic.
In the end, in her finalmoments of consciousness, her
eyes couldn't help but look atthe face above her.
Michelangelo might have paintedit on a sistine chapel cherub,
but it belonged to an angel ofdeath um, anybody else get a
(19:40):
real tight chest there and justyeah.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
And then the chills and the one, two, three, one, oh
so I'm afraid it doesn't getmuch better.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
But um, both kathy wood and gwen graham were
scheduled to be off on Monday,the day after Marguerite
Chambers died.
On Tuesday they were scheduledto work a double shift,
beginning on the second shift.
Kathy called in an excuse forthem both.
Something was amiss in thebasement.
The water heater's broken.
She told a supervisor.
We're waiting for a repairman.
Kathy and Gwen were homedrinking.
(20:14):
They were drinking alone.
The hot water heater waslocated in the center of the
basement, not far from the sewerdrain and the little chimney
door.
Kathy later said she wasespecially afraid to descend the
basement stairs during thosetwo days.
I thought maybe Margueritewould be down there and she'd
get me, she said.
(20:35):
On Monday night they played inthe bedroom.
One of them applied wristrestraints, lashing the hands of
the other to the bed.
One pulled a pair of tube socksfrom the dresser over her hands
.
One mounted the otherstraddling the other's body with
her knees.
One squeezed the other's mouthand nose.
There would be no suffocation,though, only tears.
The restraints were rapidlyuntied.
I'm sorry.
One of them kept saying I'msorry.
(20:56):
Later the 45 spun on theturntable.
Mel Carter was singing onceagain Hold me, thrill me, kiss
me, make me tell you I'm in lovewith you.
I'll love you forever.
Gwen and Kathy said Now it'stime for chart note.
Chart note this is where welearn something about medicine
(21:18):
and health care.
Given what I've just read andwhat's about to come, I wanted
to review the definitions ofpsychopathy, sociopathy,
borderline personality, as muchfor myself as for our listeners.
I know as true crime listeners,y'all likely know all this
already, but I find it helpfulto review, especially
considering the very distinctpersonality disorders of Gwen
(21:40):
and Kathy.
So first we'll talk aboutantisocial personality disorder.
The definition of antisocialpersonality disorder is a mental
health condition characterizedby a persistent pattern of
disregard for the rights ofothers, deceitfulness,
impulsivity and lack of remorse.
It falls under the cluster Bpersonality disorders, which are
(22:03):
marked by dramatic, emotionalor erratic behavior.
So the acronym for this is ASPD.
The key traits of ASPD aredisregard for laws and social
norms, like frequent rulebreaking and why can't I say
rule today?
Rule breaking, it's not ruralCriminal behavior.
(22:24):
Deceitfulness and manipulation,like lying for personal gain or
pleasure.
Impulsivity andirresponsibility, like
difficulty maintaining jobs orfulfilling obligations.
Irritability and aggression,like physical fights, verbal
abuse.
Reckless behavior and lack ofremorse.
No guilt for harming others.
So ASPD is a clinical diagnosis, whereas psychopathy and
(22:48):
sociopathy are consideredsubtypes of ASPD.
Psychopaths are more calculated,manipulative and less emotional
.
Sociopaths are more impulsive,emotionally reactive and
aggressive.
Causes and risk factors aregenetics, brain abnormalities,
(23:08):
like differences in theprefrontal cortex that affect
particularly affecting impulsecontrol.
Childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect in an unstable
environment, and earlybehavioral problems like a
conduct disorder before age 15is a strong predictor.
Psychopathy in particular is apersonality disorder
(23:29):
characterized by persistentantisocial behavior, lack of
empathy and manipulativetendencies.
Psychopaths often appearcharming, intelligent and
calculated, but they lackgenuine emotions.
They plan their actionscarefully and may maintain a
stable job and relationshipswhile engaging in unethical or
criminal behavior behind thescenes.
Brain studies suggest reducedactivity in the amygdala and
(23:53):
prefrontal cortex that are areasthat are linked to emotions and
impulse control.
Sociopathy is more of animpulse and erratic version of
psychopathy.
So people with sociopathy areprone to outbursts, aggression,
reckless behavior.
They struggle with long-termplanning.
They have less ability tomaintain jobs and relationships
(24:15):
compared to psychopaths.
Sociopaths do feel someemotions, but they have little
regard for the rules or others'feelings.
They're more likely to actimpulsively and violently
compared to psychopaths.
So the key differences are thatpsychopaths are cold
calculative.
I just made up a word.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
I do like it.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
And manipulative, while sociopaths are impulsive
and prone to emotional outbursts.
And just to throw in a little,another one that I was wondering
about borderline personalitydisorder, bpd.
It's a mental health disordercharacterized by intense
emotions, unstable relationshipsand impulsive behaviors.
People with BPD often fearabandonment, they experience
(24:58):
rapid mood swings and may engagein self-destructive behaviors.
Unlike psychopaths andsociopaths, bpd involves intense
emotional sensitivity ratherthan a lack of emotion.
So their relationships areoften intense and unstable,
swinging between idealizationand devaluation of others.
This disorder is thought tostem from a combination of
(25:18):
genetics, brain chemistry andearly trauma and neglect.
So the key difference here isthat, unlike psychopathy and
sociopathy, which involve lackof empathy, bpd involves extreme
emotional sensitivity and fearof abandonment.
There are many challenges intreating sociopathy and
(25:39):
psychopathy because a lot ofthese individuals aren't going
to come forward voluntarily.
They don't see their behavioras a problem.
That's the nature of thedisorder.
But those that do seektreatment, they might do so
because they're in legal troubleor they're being pressured by
family or work.
Traditional therapy is lesseffective because people with
(26:02):
ASPD often manipulate thetherapist or resist change.
But all the usual talktherapies, psychotherapy
approaches can help, such ascognitive behavioral therapy to
help address impulsivity,aggression, distorted thinking
patterns and encouraging one tothink about consequences before
(26:28):
acting.
Mentalization-based therapy MBTfocuses on helping the person
understand their own emotionsand other people's perspectives.
Group therapy has lesseffectiveness and often can
actually make things worsebecause some individuals might
use it to manipulate others.
There are medications althoughthey're not FDA approved
specifically for ASPD, approvedspecifically for ASPD, but like
(26:50):
mood stabilizers to reduceimpulsivity and aggression,
antidepressants to deal with anyconcomitant depression or
anxiety, and then atypicalantipsychotics can help with
aggression and impulsivity.
So, while not everyone withASPD is violent or a criminal,
many high-profile criminals andcon artists have exhibited ASPD
(27:13):
traits.
However, aspd can also appearin non-criminal settings like
business, politics andleadership roles.
Here's a few examples ofcriminal cases linked to ASPD
Ted Bundy ever heard of him?
Yeah, heard of him.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
He's from Washington, ted Bundy.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, ted Bundy, I won't say Okay.
Exhibited extreme, manipulation, charm, lack of empathy and
deceitfulness while he committedbrutal crimes.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Bernie Madoff, which I think you alluded to him.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
The fraud stuff fraud case.
Yeah, so he ran a massive ponzischeme, lying to investors
without remorse while he ruinedthousands of lives.
Um some non-criminal examplesof aspd traits um my ex some
individuals yeah I think we alldon't know.
Some, um some individuals withASPD avoid breaking the law, but
(28:13):
they still exhibit manipulativeand exploitative behavior.
Corporate scammers soexecutives who exploit employees
, commit fraud or lie forfinancial gain without guilt.
And con artists, people whodeceive others for personal gain
.
And then you know, people getsucked in because they're
charismatic and they appeartrustworthy.
This is not to say that everyruthless CEO or manipulative
(28:37):
person has ASPD, but those witha persistent pattern of
disregard for others, lack ofremorse and manipulation may
meet this criteria.
So let's go back to the caseand see if we can identify any
of these traits as we go.
They are nurses.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
I bet we're gonna find a couple.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, I think yes, gwen Graham.
Gwen was 5'2 and stocky, withreddish brown, curly hair and a
firm jaw.
Gwen was prone to outbursts ofanger and emotional detachment
issues.
She had a reputation as someonewho could be both charming and
intimidating.
Gwendolyn Graham was born inSanta Monica, california, on
(29:18):
August 6, 1963.
Her family moved around a lotduring their early childhood to
Indiana, back to California,then to Tyler, texas, when she
was nine.
As a teenager, graham displayedantisocial tendencies and had
trouble forming stablerelationships.
She reportedly struggled withdeep-seated anger issues and had
a fascination with the macabre.
Despite these red flags, shemanaged to maintain a social
(29:41):
charm that allowed her to formrelationships, particularly with
people she could manipulate ordominate.
When she was 15, she traveledwith a teen missionary group to
the East Coast and then Africa.
When her parents separated atage 17, she moved back to
California to live with herfather.
Gwen's father was allegedlyabusive to her and she was three
(30:03):
months into her senior year inhigh school when she dropped out
of Modesto High School andhitchhiked up the West Coast.
Eventually she moved back toTyler, texas, when she was 20.
There she met, befriended andbegan a relationship with a
woman named Fran.
Gwen had many jobs by the timeshe was 21, she'd laid brick for
Christian dorms in Liberia,shuttled pizza in California,
(30:25):
delivered the Dallas Morningnewspaper in East Texas and ran
a cash register at two differentgas stations in texas.
But gwen always wanted to be avet, so she tried to attend
nursing school, as as you do, um, when you want a little
different um at tyler juniorcollege, but she dropped out
(30:45):
shortly after and I couldn'tfind out why maybe she realized
that was humans and not animals,I don't know.
Yeah, um, well, it ain't Well.
Uh, her girlfriend, Fran, movedto Michigan in search of a job
opportunity there.
Gwen loved motorcycles and shespent her spare time tinkering
on her candy apple red Hondafour 50.
One day, while reading a bikermagazine, she saw an
(31:08):
advertisement for a paramedicprogram at a college in Grand
Rapids.
With $11 in her pocket she setoff for Michigan.
Impulsive anyone.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Yeah, I got 11 bucks, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
So soon after Gwen arrived in Grand Rapids, she
began to doubt her relationshipwith Fran.
It turns out that Fran may havepainted her job opportunity and
her life in Grand Rapids with arosy hue.
Fran was delivering newspapersand lived in a cramped apartment
above a used car lot.
Gwen decided Fran had changedand that Gwen needed to find her
own way, which led to herapplication to Alpine Manor for
(31:47):
a nurse's aid position.
The assisting nursingadministrator, margaret Widmeyer
, was shocked at the state ofthe circular scars arranged in
orderly rows on Gwen's forearms19 on her left arm and 12 on her
right.
What happened to your arms, sheasked.
My father had a strange waywith discipline.
Gwen answered her head down.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
I don't like that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Yeah.
Widmeyer later said she feltthat Gwen was appreciative of
the opportunity to work.
She also liked Gwen's writtenresponses to the application
questions.
Why do you want to work at thisfacility?
I'm working, or plan to work myway through college and this
job can provide good experience,since I plan to pursue a
medical career as a paramedic.
What can you give this facility?
(32:33):
I listen, learn and work veryhard.
What do you expect from thisfacility?
I expect nothing, so that Idon't get disappointed.
Speaker 1 (32:42):
I mean, they were good answers.
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Yeah If you're us.
No, yeah if you're us.
So now we'll talk about Kathy.
Kathy Wood was the opposite ofGwen, at least at first glance.
Kathy was over six feet tall,weighing at times 250 to over
400 pounds, and she was animposing character.
(33:07):
However, she was described asgraceful and charismatic.
Her hair was dyed platinumblonde and her face was delicate
, with an upturned nose andpiercing eyes.
Kathy Wood was born in 1962 inMichigan.
Unlike Graham, she did not comefrom an abusive background.
By most accounts, she had arelatively stable and uneventful
childhood.
However, those who knew herdescribed her as highly
(33:34):
manipulative and a habitual liar.
She could always persuadeothers to do what she wanted.
She was known to be deceptiveand controlling even from a
young age, often playing thevictim to gain sympathy.
She developed an earlyunderstanding of power dynamics,
using charm and manipulationrather than physical force.
Kathy Wood's early life andmarriage played a significant
role in shaping her manipulativetendencies and setting the
(33:55):
stage for her deadlyrelationship with Gwendolyn
Graham.
Kathy Wood's first marriage wasfilled with emotional
manipulation and dishonesty.
She married Ken Wood, a man whoinitially saw her as sweet and
caring, but soon realized herdark side.
She frequently lied about smallthings, creating unnecessary
drama to keep Ken off balance.
She would fabricate emotionaldistress and fake crises to make
(34:17):
Ken feel guilty.
She always deflectedresponsibility onto Ken or
someone else if something wentwrong.
Ken Wood later described Kathyas manipulative and emotionally
suffocating.
She would cry or act helplesswhen she wanted something, but
could be so cold and calculatingwhen she needed control.
A little insight into Kathywould when her husband, who was
(34:40):
coaching the Alpine Manorssoftball team, lost a fly ball.
He turned to see the ball,zipping towards the stands and
Kathy was holding their toddlerbaby girl up and cowering behind
her, using her as a shield.
What a mom, what a mom, oh myGod.
As their marriage deteriorated,kathy Wood sought emotional and
(35:05):
physical validation elsewhere.
She engaged in extramaritalaffairs, one of which involved
another woman hinting at hergrowing interest in the same-sex
relationships before she metGraham.
Despite her affairs, she wouldstill play the victim, accusing
Ken of being the reason she wasunhappy.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
What a victim.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, she just ditched him and the baby to go
off and do her own thing.
Uh, instead of resolvingconflicts, she'd escalate
situations to make herself looklike the wronged party.
At one point, kenwood suspectedher of cheating and lying about
financial matters, but everytime he confronted her, she
turned it around on him, makinghim feel guilty for even
questioning her.
(35:44):
Her marriage was filled withdeception, emotional
manipulation and power struggles, all of which foreshadowed her
later ability to control andinfluence Graham into committing
murder.
She had a pattern of twistingreality to fit her needs, often
making herself appear like avictim.
She could be charming andpersuasive, and yet those that
were close to her eventually sawher deception and controlling
(36:05):
nature.
She was an avid reader andgravitated towards stories of
lust and crime.
Okay, I'm not saying I'd judgeher for that, but Her tastes
ranged from the Other Side ofMidnight by Sidney Sheldon to
the Cradle Will Fall by MaryHiggins Clark, which is about a
physician who murders manypatients.
She also liked nonfiction,reading the Life and Times of
(36:25):
Gregory Rasputin, a study of amonk who manipulated the royalty
of Russia with his irresistiblepsychopathic powers.
Her own imagination was activeas well.
One night, kathy confessed toKen that she'd always wondered
what it'd be like to stabsomebody.
Oh my god, ken brushed it offas a passing fancy.
No Ken, no Ken.
Flag, many flags, a bouquet offlags.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
A bouquet of red flags for Valentine's Day, Ken
oh my gosh.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
Gwen was introduced to Kathy Wood by a woman she was
sleeping with, who also workedat Alpine Manor, named Dawn Mail
.
They would often go to barstogether after work and end up
at Kathy's house playingdrinking games.
By the time Kathy Wood metGwendolyn Graham at Alpine Manor
Nursing Home, she'd alreadyperfected her ability to
manipulate others.
Their attraction quickly turnedinto a passionate, obsessive
(37:15):
relationship.
They became inseparable andco-workers described them as
openly affectionate.
At work, often to anunprofessional degree, they fed
off of each other's energy,creating a toxic dynamic where
control and submission playedkey roles.
Kathy's failed marriage andtoxic relationships reinforced
her belief that controllingpeople emotionally was easier
than facing consequences herself.
(37:36):
She recognized Graham'svulnerabilities, the history of
abuse and emotional instabilityand exploited them to form an
intense bond.
Their relationship became toxicand codependent, with wood
encouragingly, encouragingincreasingly extreme behaviors
to maintain control.
And that, my listeners, iswhere we leave off.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
I don't like where this is headed.
I don't love what we've builthere.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
It seems like you don't like a little romance?
You don't like a little meetcute?
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Hmm, I think, yeah, not the same definition, right?
Yeah, I just still can't getover you drawing that picture in
my head of sweet poorMarguerite.
Speaker 2 (38:30):
Yeah, yeah, no, it's just terrible because and I
should say, you know theircrimes were, their victims were
all perpetrated against thosewho needed that, what, what did
I call it?
Like total care is what theycalled it.
Where they, they werenon-verbal or even if they were,
(38:52):
there were memory issues oralzheimer's and they weren't
able to fend for themselvesbecause they were like we talked
about earlier.
They were all types, um, and Idon't know if I'm going to talk
about this later or not, I don'tthink so but there was one
instance where one of the nursesand I think it was Gwendolyn
tried to suffocate a guy but hewas too strong, like she picked
(39:17):
the wrong.
You know, he may have lookedweak but he like was able to
overcome it.
And the sad thing is that, evenif people are able, they're not
nonverbal, but they're talking,they're speaking out.
Other people don't believe them.
They just share the ramblingsof the you know, people with
dementia.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
So it's terrifying.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
It's terrifying and tragic and yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Well, I guess, thank you for bringing us that so far,
and we will surely look forwardto hearing the rest of that.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
But until then, Thank you to our listener that
recommended it.
I'm not sure how I feel aboutthis, but it's definitely
compelling reading and I thinkit's important.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
Yeah, for sure.
I'm just not looking forward tothe second half because I love
old people so much and it'sgoing to be so sad Probably, I
assume.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Well, I think I'm not going to.
I will talk about the victims alittle bit, but we are going to
talk about, I think, the trial,because I kind of want your
take, and I want listeners take,as to whether or not they think
justice prevailed here.
Speaker 1 (40:25):
Oh dang, you really could have made this a
three-parter, huh yeah, dang, itdoes not.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Yeah, it's kind of a twisty ending.
So okay.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Well, we will be here with you for all the twists and
turns.
Until then, my friends, we'vegot a medical mishap story,
medical mishaps.
We would never get hired to doa jingle on a commercial, but
that's okay.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Well, maybe if we actually practice one.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
I mean maybe, yeah, it's kind of just whatever comes
out of her mouth.
Okay, so hang on.
One second Type change Okay,much better.
Let second Type change Okay,much better.
Let me shake it off.
Okay, now it's time for ourmedical mishap segment, and this
week we have an email from alistener named Ray and she
(41:19):
writes hello, jenna and Amanda,hello, hello.
First off, I love your podcastand can't wait for Wednesday
each week so I can get my fix.
Aw, thank you, yay, thank you.
I also get excited forWednesdays, which is weird
because I've already heard allof it, but it's fun to hear it
back.
Anyways here is my medicalmishap when I was in my late
(41:44):
teens.
I had a surgical procedure.
It wasn't supposed to requirean overnight stay, but I had a
negative reaction to theanesthesia and I could not stop
vomiting.
Speaker 2 (41:53):
Oh, that sucks.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
The nausea was so intense and I was so incredibly
sick.
Unfortunately, my hospital roomwas shared with another patient
, ugh Hate a double room, hateit.
The patient happened to beundergoing bowel prep and was so
sick herself that she couldn'tmake it to the bathroom, and so
(42:17):
they brought in a portablebedside commode for her to empty
her bowels.
For what seemed like the entiretime.
I was there puking my guts out,hmm.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Okay, so wait.
So for our listeners, um, youknow, if you're going to have to
have a colonoscopy or something, if you haven't had the uh
misfortune of having one ofthose, they give you stuff to
clear out your, your, yourintestines, and oh, it goes on
for hours and hours.
Yeah, and not a fun way.
(42:47):
I can't imagine if you'refeeling nauseous and having to
have a neighbor right across thecurtain from you.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
Anyway, I know it's really gross, okay, so she's
puking her guts out yeah.
Puking her guts out.
I was like where am I?
How was that in any way betterthan just sending me home sick?
My mom went all mama bear welove a mama bear moment on the
(43:18):
nurses and despite them claimingthere were no other rooms, I
was eventually moved.
There were no other rooms.
I was eventually moved.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
um, I will say, I'm not gonna say should I say um,
hopefully God didn't do adischarge and that's why you got
a room.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
Oh, amanda, I only got that verbiage from working
behind the hospitaladministration.
Okay, back to the story.
Speaker 2 (43:48):
I'm so sorry, ray, I interrupted your story you are
such a good fit for this show.
I mean, why are you surprisedthat?
That's how, that's where yourmind went and your experience
has been, and thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
Thank you so much thank you to our ctc and
formerly ctc, now bam colleaguesat the hospital bed allocation
management.
Thanks for all you do.
Okay, um, I was eventuallymoved and I'm still traumatized
by this.
I hope your listeners neverhave to experience anything like
this.
Thank goodness for privaterooms.
(44:19):
Stay safe and stay suspicious,ray.
Thank you, ray, for sendingthat in.
Sorry, I interrupted your storyseven times.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Oh, but I can.
I just say what a gut-wrenchingstory.
Get it, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
I see what you did there You're so punny, I know
Sorry everyone, we do, you did.
There you're so punny, I knowsorry everyone.
Oh, you day, um, okay, sorry,the exhaustion's kicking in.
Hey, jenna, what can we expectto learn about?
So you kind of already told usa little bit.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
But yeah, it'll be part two of this horrific tale
of nefarious nurses and theirmurderous rampage.
We're going to learn more aboutthe victims, the murders and
the fiery culmination thatresulted in betrayal, revenge
and questionable justice.
We'll don our psychology hatsand dig deep into their psyches.
Stay tuned to hear all thesordid details.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Don't miss a beat.
Subscribe or follow Doctoringthe Truth wherever you enjoy
your podcasts for stories thatshock, intrigue and educate.
Trust, after all, is a delicatething.
You can text us directly on ourwebsite at doctoringthetruth.
At buzzsproutcom, you cansupport the show by clicking on
the subscriber link to thepodcast for as low as $3 a month
(45:45):
.
$3, is that all?
We will give you a shout out onthe show and are looking for
ways to bring you more rewardsin the future.
We're gift givers.
We love that.
This may include exclusivecontent, early access to
episodes, fun, merch and more.
Email us your own story, ideasand comments and correction
(46:10):
sections and all the things atdoctoringthetruth at gmailcom.
Be sure to follow us onInstagram and the book of
Facebook at Doctoring the Truth,and don't forget to download,
rate and review so we can besure to bring you more content
next week.
Until then, stay safe and staysuspicious.
(46:34):
Uh, good night, no, goodbye,goodbye.
See you in minnesota.
Bye.
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