Dr. Anthony Garcia is accused of killing four people in Nebraska.
Two of the murders happened in May, the others in 2008. Police arrested Garcia earlier this month.
The details, unearthed by the ABC7 I-Team are as numerous as they are disturbing. They show a history of inappropriate behavior and dishonesty that dates back decades.
Authorities have said Garcia was motivated to commit the murders of a doctor and his wife last May, and the son and housekeeper of another doctor due to failings in his medical career. It has a history of shortcomings, starting with 1999 residency in Albany, NY. Documents say Garcia was removed from his family practice post "due to unprofessional and inappropriate conduct with a radiology technician."
The murder victims were all connected to Omaha's Creighton School of Medicine where from July 2000-May 2001, Garcia was a pathology resident. He was kicked out for "inappropriate contact with a fellow resident (who) was in the process of taking" a high-stakes medical exam.
Nevertheless it appears Garcia soon after got his temporary Illinois license. But the failures kept coming.
From August 2001 to July 2003 the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation says Garcia failed to complete a residency in UIC'S pathology program. But before resigning, in February 2003, he got his permanent state license -- "without disclosing previous failings as required by this application."
Keeping with the pattern, he didn't disclose his past in subsequent renewal applications for his state license -- in June 2005 and May 2008 -- the year he's accused of killing 11-year-old Thomas Hunter and Shirlee Sherman, the son and housekeeper of one of the doctors that threw him out of Creighton in 2001.
There's more. Between 2007 and February 2008, Garcia enrolled as a psychiatry resident at Louisiana State University Health Science Center, but then was kicked out "due to failure to obtain (his) license from Louisiana State Board of Examiners." That board said he had provided false information.
It was a similar story with Indiana regulators who in January 2009 denied his application for a license.
Still, in April 2011, Garcia again renewed his Illinois license -- again "without disclosing (his) failure(s)."
"[Garcia has] Shown a pattern of conduct throughout his residency programs indicating an inability to practice medicine with the requisite skill, judgment and safety."
It's a remarkable assessment, but one has to wonder why they did not act to pull his pull his license until only after his arrest on the murder charges July 15th, a week ago Monday. The regulators will not comment due to Garcia's pending hearing on these charges in front of the state medical board later this month.
Additional information:
State of Illinois medical license application document
State of Illinois medical license renewal document
State of Illinois medical license suspension document
