Late Slipknot Bassist's Doctor Charged in Prescription Drug Deaths

Dr. Daniel Baldi is charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter. The doctor allegedly prescribed large amounts of narcotic painkillers to patients who died of overdoses, including Gray. Involuntary manslaughter is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law.

Patients including Gray sought help from Baldi at the Iowa Health System pain clinic. That clinic closed suddenly at the end of June. According to court documents, Dr. Baldi unintentionally caused Gray's death by writing "high-dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict" starting on December 27, 2005. 

Baldi faces four medical malpractice lawsuits, including three wrongful death suits. The three deaths in those lawsuits were among the eight cited in the criminal charges. The Iowa Board of Medicine also filed administrative charges against Baldi last month. Among the administrative charges, the board alleges that the doctor wrote prescriptions for large amounts of narcotics without properly assessing patient need.

Dr. Baldi is fighting the charges. If convicted of all criminal counts, Baldi could face up to 16 years in prison.

STORY COURTESY OF NOISECREEP.

SLIPKNOT'S OFFICIAL POST:

Yesterday (Sept. 5), news broke that Iowa physician Daniel Baldi was charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter, with one of those counts related to the 2010 death of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray. Baldi has been accused of prescribing harmfully excessive amounts of pain medication to his patients. In reaction to the news, Slipknot have released an official statement about the new development.

Paul Gray was found dead on May 24, 2010 and the bassist’s autopsy results showed that Gray had died from an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, along with evidence of “significant heart disease.” More than two years later, Baldi is now connected with the musician’s death. Slipknot member Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan has already spoken about the charges against Baldi, but Slipknot have now unveiled a statement from the entire band:

As the loss of our brother Paul Gray is still very fresh for us in the Slipknot family, this new development has us all in a state of anger and sadness. The fact that this person took advantage of our brother’s illness while he was in a position to help others has outraged everyone in our family. We can only hope that justice will be served so this can NEVER happen to anyone else ever again! Our thoughts go out to the families of the other victims. We plan to cooperate as much as we possibly can to ensure this tragedy is never repeated, and to make sure this man pays for what he has done.

According to the Des Moines Register, Baldi’s attorney Guy Cook has stated, “Unexpected deaths can occur in severe, chronic pain patients, unrelated to medical treatment. This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers.”

Daniel Baldi has entered a not guilty plea to the charges and has been released after posting $16,000 bail. Stay tuned as further news develops.