An unassuming male nurse from Kentucky comes under scrutiny when hospital officials notice that death is unusually prominent during his work shifts.

In fact, death seemed to follow Donald Harvey from job to job, beginning in 1970 and ending with his arrest in 1987. Harvey claimed to have murdered his ailing charges out of compassion, but his meticulous diary, 30 pounds of cyanide and a witch's brew of dangerous drugs discovered in his home pointed to darker motives.

And his quiet rampage would have likely continued, if not for the vigilant coroner who decided to investigate further the odd smell of almonds coming from his fresh corpse.