Wendy Zuckerman

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

Yeah. Is he talking about scrubs? He liked the scrubs. Which might sound like a weird reason to go into the healthcare profession. But, you know, you're 18. Cute fit. It's as good as any reason. I like cute fit. I like it. It's pajamas.

Yeah. Is he talking about scrubs? He liked the scrubs. Which might sound like a weird reason to go into the healthcare profession. But, you know, you're 18. Cute fit. It's as good as any reason. I like cute fit. I like it. It's pajamas.

I think the person who came in also had a stethoscope, so that might be kind of cool as well.

I think the person who came in also had a stethoscope, so that might be kind of cool as well.

So Efren enrolls in a respiratory therapy program, and respiratory therapists help patients who have trouble breathing. So they give patients drugs, oxygen, and manage ventilators, stuff like that. Okay. And so when Efren is just 19 years old, in 1989, he gets a job at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. I see where this is going.

So Efren enrolls in a respiratory therapy program, and respiratory therapists help patients who have trouble breathing. So they give patients drugs, oxygen, and manage ventilators, stuff like that. Okay. And so when Efren is just 19 years old, in 1989, he gets a job at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. I see where this is going.

This is the place where the patients at the start of the episode died. So at Glendale Adventist, part of Efren's job was to take care of really sick elderly patients. And Efren is put on the graveyard shift. So he starts moonlighting and working at other jobs too during the day, other hospitals. So Efren is working all these jobs. He's a bit overwhelmed.

This is the place where the patients at the start of the episode died. So at Glendale Adventist, part of Efren's job was to take care of really sick elderly patients. And Efren is put on the graveyard shift. So he starts moonlighting and working at other jobs too during the day, other hospitals. So Efren is working all these jobs. He's a bit overwhelmed.

And at one point, he starts gaining some notoriety at the hospital. So here's Sarah, our journalist again.

And at one point, he starts gaining some notoriety at the hospital. So here's Sarah, our journalist again.

Magic feels like a really weird word to describe it. And this is where, from reporting about this hospital at the time, it seemed like the healthcare workers, particularly the respiratory therapists, had this really, you could call it a dark sense of humor. It

Magic feels like a really weird word to describe it. And this is where, from reporting about this hospital at the time, it seemed like the healthcare workers, particularly the respiratory therapists, had this really, you could call it a dark sense of humor. It

And then sort of other things start happening that make it harder to pass off as a joke. So here's Sarah.

And then sort of other things start happening that make it harder to pass off as a joke. So here's Sarah.

A co-worker also says he sees an empty syringe and a bunch of drugs in Efren's locker, drugs like morphine and this medication called succinylcholine, which is going to become important later. Okay. And so in April of 1997, a co-worker ends up reporting Efren to a supervisor saying, But the supervisor doesn't know about the drugs in the locker, so they really don't have that much to go on.

A co-worker also says he sees an empty syringe and a bunch of drugs in Efren's locker, drugs like morphine and this medication called succinylcholine, which is going to become important later. Okay. And so in April of 1997, a co-worker ends up reporting Efren to a supervisor saying, But the supervisor doesn't know about the drugs in the locker, so they really don't have that much to go on.

It's just kind of rumor in a place where there's a lot of rumors and jokes going around. But still, they look into the hospital records to see if Efren's patients are dying more often than other patients.

It's just kind of rumor in a place where there's a lot of rumors and jokes going around. But still, they look into the hospital records to see if Efren's patients are dying more often than other patients.

Yeah. So they didn't find anything unusual here. They let it go. Efren keeps working. And it's not until almost a year later, in February 1998, that the hospital receives another tip.