Wendy Zuckerman

But then three and a half hours later, Salby was dead. That same day, Eleonora Schlegel goes into Glendale Adventist. She has some chronic illnesses, a nasty case of pneumonia. On New Year's Eve, her son Larry, he said in a documentary that she was sitting upright and breathing as best as she could. They apparently have this toast and say next year will be better. Oh, no.

But on January 2nd, Larry sees a message on his answering machine and it's from the hospital. His mum had died.

But on January 2nd, Larry sees a message on his answering machine and it's from the hospital. His mum had died.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Similar situation happens again. Jose Alfaro Sr. He was a father. He'd fought in World War II. He arrives at Glendale with severe pneumonia and two days later is found dead. And at the time, these deaths are sad, of course, but they don't raise any eyebrows because these patients, they were sick, had chronic illnesses. You know, it's a hospital. People die.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Similar situation happens again. Jose Alfaro Sr. He was a father. He'd fought in World War II. He arrives at Glendale with severe pneumonia and two days later is found dead. And at the time, these deaths are sad, of course, but they don't raise any eyebrows because these patients, they were sick, had chronic illnesses. You know, it's a hospital. People die.

Really close within days of each other. Okay. Okay. A few months later, though, rumors have been circulating that the deaths of patients like these didn't happen just because they were sick and elderly, but that these people were killed on purpose by someone who works at the hospital. The rumor is that someone is injecting something into their IV.

Really close within days of each other. Okay. Okay. A few months later, though, rumors have been circulating that the deaths of patients like these didn't happen just because they were sick and elderly, but that these people were killed on purpose by someone who works at the hospital. The rumor is that someone is injecting something into their IV.

Ashley, tell me what your face is doing right now.

Ashley, tell me what your face is doing right now.

Okay. What on earth happened here and how the hell a lab that develops nuclear bombs got involved? Naturally.

Okay. What on earth happened here and how the hell a lab that develops nuclear bombs got involved? Naturally.

Welcome back. We've just found out that patients at a hospital in California are dying under perhaps suspicious circumstances. Ashley Flowers, host of Crime Junkie, is here with us. Hey, Ashley.

Welcome back. We've just found out that patients at a hospital in California are dying under perhaps suspicious circumstances. Ashley Flowers, host of Crime Junkie, is here with us. Hey, Ashley.

So it's now 1997. Whispers are going around that one guy might be killing these patients, and his name is Efren Saldivar. So we talked about him with science journalist Sarah Scholes, who wrote a book about nuclear weapons and stumbled across this case. So Sarah told us that back in Vertigo Hills High School, Efren was a bit of an oddball.

So it's now 1997. Whispers are going around that one guy might be killing these patients, and his name is Efren Saldivar. So we talked about him with science journalist Sarah Scholes, who wrote a book about nuclear weapons and stumbled across this case. So Sarah told us that back in Vertigo Hills High School, Efren was a bit of an oddball.

In the senior Will's section of his high school yearbook at Vertigo Hills, he wrote, I, Efren, of great mind and hunk body, hereby will three quarters of Vertigo's female population my enduring love and passion. The right to preserve me in their hearts and souls for the rest of their lives and other times. Eternally yours and mine, Efren.

In the senior Will's section of his high school yearbook at Vertigo Hills, he wrote, I, Efren, of great mind and hunk body, hereby will three quarters of Vertigo's female population my enduring love and passion. The right to preserve me in their hearts and souls for the rest of their lives and other times. Eternally yours and mine, Efren.

You know, it was the 80s. He was pretty nutty. A hunk. would not be... If I was making a film, a high school film, he would not be cast in the hunk category. It would more be in sort of the dweeby, oddball category. I love it. Okay. So Efren makes it through senior year, but ultimately drops out of high school.

You know, it was the 80s. He was pretty nutty. A hunk. would not be... If I was making a film, a high school film, he would not be cast in the hunk category. It would more be in sort of the dweeby, oddball category. I love it. Okay. So Efren makes it through senior year, but ultimately drops out of high school.

So he's working at a grocery store, and one day... His friend came in wearing a medical uniform.