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Angel of Death: Life of Serial Killer Donald Harvey
Cold Blooded Murderer or Angel of Mercy? Ronald Harvey claimed to have killed 87 persons under his care. This is his story from his first to last breath. Sometimes it seems that each new serial killer caught ends up being convicted of crimes more heinous than his predecessors—but Donald Harvey takes the crown. Born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1952, the “Angel of Death,” as he liked to be called, had committed 13 murders by the time he turned 18. He grew up in an abusive and hostile environment, but all who came to know him described him as a “good boy.” None of them would have guessed that this boy could commit cold-blooded murder without batting an eyelash. On March 30, 2017, the Angel of Death finally took his last breath at the Toledo Correctional Institute. But what spurred this man to commit 87 murders in the span of 17 years? He claimed to have started killing to “ease the pain” of hospital patients but later confided that he liked the feeling of control. Whatever his motive, Donald Harvey was undoubtedly among the most ruthless and heartless criminals ever to plague the United States. Read on your favorite devices such as Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android cellular phone, tablet, laptop, or computer with Amazon's free reading Kindle App. Scroll back up and click the BUY NOW button at the top right side of this page for an immediate download!
72 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2017
About the author
Jack Smith
51 books28 followersBiographer and recorder of the history of serial killers
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 16, 2023
“Because he was so often present when a patient passed, his coworkers started calling him the Angel of Death. They did not know that the man they called an angel was actually killing their patients one by one.”
Donald had a very tough upbringing.
As a child, Donald was raped by his uncle, a neighbor, and even a roommate. The molestation began when Donald was just 4, and didn’t end until he was 20. Neglectful and violent parents. Multiple head injuries, left unattended, due to the aforementioned absent parents.
His early lifetime of being completely controlled led Donald to crave control for himself.
It’s alleged that Donald killed 53 people in the seventeen years he worked for various healthcare institutions.
Manipulative. Despite his kind and responsible affect, Donald was disturbed—and deadly.
Donald moved to Kentucky at age 18. He became a nursing assistant there. After his first arrest for petty theft, Donald joined the Air Force and received an honorable discharge.
Several month-long stays in VA hospitals, and still not on anyone’s radar—despite drunkenly confessing to having murdered fifteen people.
Inexplicably moved from hospital to hospital, in Kentucky and later in Ohio.
Donald dated a funeral director for several months. He learned how to hide evidence.
Sadly, his consent to sex with women is highly questionable—though both instances produced a child.
After initiation into the witch’s coven, Donald receives his spirit guide—Duncan. Duncan helped Donald select his victims—patients that he deemed threats to him and his relationship with his boyfriend.
Used cyanide and arsenic in small, lethal, undetectable doses. Also tampered with oxygen tanks.
“The world is a cruel place to have produced a man like Donald Harvey. He died a death that many people believe he deserved—and yet, did the world not make him who he was?”
Donald had a very tough upbringing.
As a child, Donald was raped by his uncle, a neighbor, and even a roommate. The molestation began when Donald was just 4, and didn’t end until he was 20. Neglectful and violent parents. Multiple head injuries, left unattended, due to the aforementioned absent parents.
His early lifetime of being completely controlled led Donald to crave control for himself.
It’s alleged that Donald killed 53 people in the seventeen years he worked for various healthcare institutions.
Manipulative. Despite his kind and responsible affect, Donald was disturbed—and deadly.
Donald moved to Kentucky at age 18. He became a nursing assistant there. After his first arrest for petty theft, Donald joined the Air Force and received an honorable discharge.
Several month-long stays in VA hospitals, and still not on anyone’s radar—despite drunkenly confessing to having murdered fifteen people.
Inexplicably moved from hospital to hospital, in Kentucky and later in Ohio.
Donald dated a funeral director for several months. He learned how to hide evidence.
Sadly, his consent to sex with women is highly questionable—though both instances produced a child.
After initiation into the witch’s coven, Donald receives his spirit guide—Duncan. Duncan helped Donald select his victims—patients that he deemed threats to him and his relationship with his boyfriend.
Used cyanide and arsenic in small, lethal, undetectable doses. Also tampered with oxygen tanks.
“The world is a cruel place to have produced a man like Donald Harvey. He died a death that many people believe he deserved—and yet, did the world not make him who he was?”
March 16, 2021
The life & times of serial killer: Donald Harvey Angel of Death Gay Caucasian American serial killer/orderly
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
Warning: This book contains descriptive accounts of extremely graphic adult content (elderly), violence, murder, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (minor/adult verbal, psychological, emotional, physical & sexual abuse) which is only suitable for mature readers.
It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. If you are especially sensitive to this type of material, it is strongly advised not to read any further.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written serial killer (individual criminal short stories) book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, a classroom PP presentation, or better yet a paid-per-view mini-TV series or even a documentary (Crime Museum; True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery. There are no references, works cited, postscripts, or endnotes so I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Maplewood Publishing; 1st edition; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
Warning: This book contains descriptive accounts of extremely graphic adult content (elderly), violence, murder, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material (minor/adult verbal, psychological, emotional, physical & sexual abuse) which is only suitable for mature readers.
It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader. If you are especially sensitive to this type of material, it is strongly advised not to read any further.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written serial killer (individual criminal short stories) book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, a classroom PP presentation, or better yet a paid-per-view mini-TV series or even a documentary (Crime Museum; True Crime; American Crime Story; Investigative Discovery. There are no references, works cited, postscripts, or endnotes so I will only rate it at 3/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; Maplewood Publishing; 1st edition; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
August 9, 2024
straight to the point
If you like to pass on the scene setting and all the history about the killer and victims, you will like this book. It goes right into the crimes with little or no lead up.
I prefer books with history about the people involved.
My first 30+ books about true crime were written by the best true crime author to ever write and now it’s hard to find books that match the style and quality of those books.
These short books are a Segway to something more my style.
If you like to pass on the scene setting and all the history about the killer and victims, you will like this book. It goes right into the crimes with little or no lead up.
I prefer books with history about the people involved.
My first 30+ books about true crime were written by the best true crime author to ever write and now it’s hard to find books that match the style and quality of those books.
These short books are a Segway to something more my style.
March 25, 2026
Sad but true, this type of thing has been…
The Angel of Death, commonly referred to as mercy killings has a very long history. Many probably start with that intent, but once the cat is out of the bag it escalates into the God complex.
💥 🧞♀️🙂
The Angel of Death, commonly referred to as mercy killings has a very long history. Many probably start with that intent, but once the cat is out of the bag it escalates into the God complex.
💥 🧞♀️🙂
September 11, 2017
Not enough detail
January 27, 2024
It was slow getting into it.
October 19, 2025
- Littered with typos
- Confusingly non-linear timeline that jumps back and forth
- Constant repetition of things we’ve already been told a page ago
- Very little detail
- Confusingly non-linear timeline that jumps back and forth
- Constant repetition of things we’ve already been told a page ago
- Very little detail
June 14, 2025
Mr. Smith has done it again.
He has researched his subject well.
Donald Harvey was a delusional man who had a calling; he thought he was helping the people he killed and their families.
If Harvey weren't so strange, I might have thought nothing of the fact that he was working at all of these hospitals, and one caught on.
Makes me a bit frightened to be in a hospital.
He has researched his subject well.
Donald Harvey was a delusional man who had a calling; he thought he was helping the people he killed and their families.
If Harvey weren't so strange, I might have thought nothing of the fact that he was working at all of these hospitals, and one caught on.
Makes me a bit frightened to be in a hospital.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews