Process of Trial
A timeline made by Long Island News Day
April 6, 1987: Angelo begins working as a nurse in the cardiac care/intensive-care unit of Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip.
Oct. 9, 1987: Frederick LaGois, 60, at Good Samaritan awaiting prostate surgery, unexpectedly goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
Oct. 11, 1987: A "heavyset, bearded man in a white coat" enters the Good Samaritan Hospital room of Gerolamo Kucich, a 73-year-old cardiac-care patient. The man injects something into Kucich's intravenous tube; shortly thereafter, Kucich has trouble breathing and nearly goes into respiratory arrest. Richard Angelo , the only bearded man on duty that night, helps revive Kucich with a hand-held respirator.
Oct. 12, 1987: Hospital begins internal inquiry. A photograph of Angelo is shown to Kucich, who says he is "90-percent certain" that he was the man who injected something into his IV. Angelo is suspended from the hospital with pay, pending an investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.
Oct. 13, 1987: A nurse reports that a 10-cubic-centimeter vial of Pavulon - a drug that causes total paralysis of the major muscles of the body - is missing from the unit refrigerator.
Oct. 14, 1987: Good Samaritan reports the Kucich case to the state Health Department. After consulting the Suffolk County medical examiner, the hospital takes a sample of Kucich's urine and sends it for analysis at a Pennsylvania lab. The hospital continues its investigation and finds records of 10 patients whose hearts or breathing stopped under suspicious circumstances and either died or were saved.
Nov. 3, 1987: The Pennsylvania laboratory reports that Pavulon was found in Kucich's urine sample. Hospital officials contact Suffolk District Attorney Patrick Henry, and for the first time tell law-enforcement authorities of their suspicions. Police begin surveillance of Angelo.
Nov. 13, 1987: Newsday gets anonymous tip that the police and DA's office are investigating a series of suspicious deaths at Good Samaritan. Sources in the DA's office confirm and elaborate on details in exchange for Newsday's agreement withhold publication until Sunday, Nov. 15, to give police time to find Angelo.
Nov. 15, 1987: Angelo is arrested in Albany while attending convention of Emergency Medical Technicians. He confesses to police on his way back to Suffolk County, and agrees to confess on videotape when he arrives.
Nov. 16, 1987: Angelo is charged with assault in the Kucich case.
Nov. 19, 1987: Judge orders the exhumations of seven patients who died while Angelo was on duty. More exhumations follow, for a total to 33.
Nov. 21, 1987: Angelo pleads not guilty to three counts of assault and is ordered held without bail.
Jan. 13. 1988: Angelo is indicted on a murder charge in the death of patient Frederick LaGois.
Dec. 22, 1988: Angelo is indicted on charges of second-degree murder in the deaths of John Stanley Fisher, Anthony Greene and Milton Poultney. He was also charged with assault in connection with the death of Joan I. Hayes, and attempted assault in the death of John O'Neill.
Oct. 19, 1989: Opening arguments in trial begin.
Dec. 14, 1989: Jury returns verdict convicting Angelo of two counts of murder, one of manslaughter, one of criminally negligent homicide and one of assault not connected with the deaths.
April 6, 1987: Angelo begins working as a nurse in the cardiac care/intensive-care unit of Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip.
Oct. 9, 1987: Frederick LaGois, 60, at Good Samaritan awaiting prostate surgery, unexpectedly goes into cardiac arrest and dies.
Oct. 11, 1987: A "heavyset, bearded man in a white coat" enters the Good Samaritan Hospital room of Gerolamo Kucich, a 73-year-old cardiac-care patient. The man injects something into Kucich's intravenous tube; shortly thereafter, Kucich has trouble breathing and nearly goes into respiratory arrest. Richard Angelo , the only bearded man on duty that night, helps revive Kucich with a hand-held respirator.
Oct. 12, 1987: Hospital begins internal inquiry. A photograph of Angelo is shown to Kucich, who says he is "90-percent certain" that he was the man who injected something into his IV. Angelo is suspended from the hospital with pay, pending an investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.
Oct. 13, 1987: A nurse reports that a 10-cubic-centimeter vial of Pavulon - a drug that causes total paralysis of the major muscles of the body - is missing from the unit refrigerator.
Oct. 14, 1987: Good Samaritan reports the Kucich case to the state Health Department. After consulting the Suffolk County medical examiner, the hospital takes a sample of Kucich's urine and sends it for analysis at a Pennsylvania lab. The hospital continues its investigation and finds records of 10 patients whose hearts or breathing stopped under suspicious circumstances and either died or were saved.
Nov. 3, 1987: The Pennsylvania laboratory reports that Pavulon was found in Kucich's urine sample. Hospital officials contact Suffolk District Attorney Patrick Henry, and for the first time tell law-enforcement authorities of their suspicions. Police begin surveillance of Angelo.
Nov. 13, 1987: Newsday gets anonymous tip that the police and DA's office are investigating a series of suspicious deaths at Good Samaritan. Sources in the DA's office confirm and elaborate on details in exchange for Newsday's agreement withhold publication until Sunday, Nov. 15, to give police time to find Angelo.
Nov. 15, 1987: Angelo is arrested in Albany while attending convention of Emergency Medical Technicians. He confesses to police on his way back to Suffolk County, and agrees to confess on videotape when he arrives.
Nov. 16, 1987: Angelo is charged with assault in the Kucich case.
Nov. 19, 1987: Judge orders the exhumations of seven patients who died while Angelo was on duty. More exhumations follow, for a total to 33.
Nov. 21, 1987: Angelo pleads not guilty to three counts of assault and is ordered held without bail.
Jan. 13. 1988: Angelo is indicted on a murder charge in the death of patient Frederick LaGois.
Dec. 22, 1988: Angelo is indicted on charges of second-degree murder in the deaths of John Stanley Fisher, Anthony Greene and Milton Poultney. He was also charged with assault in connection with the death of Joan I. Hayes, and attempted assault in the death of John O'Neill.
Oct. 19, 1989: Opening arguments in trial begin.
Dec. 14, 1989: Jury returns verdict convicting Angelo of two counts of murder, one of manslaughter, one of criminally negligent homicide and one of assault not connected with the deaths.