Two years after Slipknot bassist Paul "The Pig" Gray was found dead in an Iowa-area hotel room from a drug overdose, the musician's doctor has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death.
According to the Des Moines Register [via the New York Times], court papers filed in Iowa's Polk County district court list Dr. Daniel Baldi as being been charged in connection to Gray's death, as well as the deaths of seven other patients he treated at a pain clinic run by Iowa Health System.
In regards to the Slipknot bassist, Baldi is accused of writing prescriptions for high doses of narcotics since 2005, despite knowing that Gray was allegedly addicted to said drugs. Gray's autopsy revealed that his blood contained fatal levels of morphine and a morphine-substitute called fentanyl at the time of his death.
Baldi has since pled not guilty to all charges. "Unexpected deaths can occur in severe-chronic-pain patients unrelated to medical treatment," defence lawyer Guy Cook told reporters. "This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers."
Baldi had previously been sued four times for medical malpractice, including three wrongful death suits, which have now been included as part of the eight cited in these most recent charges.
According to the Des Moines Register [via the New York Times], court papers filed in Iowa's Polk County district court list Dr. Daniel Baldi as being been charged in connection to Gray's death, as well as the deaths of seven other patients he treated at a pain clinic run by Iowa Health System.
In regards to the Slipknot bassist, Baldi is accused of writing prescriptions for high doses of narcotics since 2005, despite knowing that Gray was allegedly addicted to said drugs. Gray's autopsy revealed that his blood contained fatal levels of morphine and a morphine-substitute called fentanyl at the time of his death.
Baldi has since pled not guilty to all charges. "Unexpected deaths can occur in severe-chronic-pain patients unrelated to medical treatment," defence lawyer Guy Cook told reporters. "This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers."
Baldi had previously been sued four times for medical malpractice, including three wrongful death suits, which have now been included as part of the eight cited in these most recent charges.
