New Season - Dr. Death: The Cowboy

Summary

Podcast Summary: “The Mysterious Mr. Epstein”

Guest Episode: Dr. Death: The Cowboy
Host: Audible, presented by Laura Beale
Date: June 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features a preview clip from the new season of “Dr. Death: The Cowboy,” hosted by Laura Beale. The season recounts the chilling true story of a neurosurgeon—nicknamed "The Cowboy"—who, under the guise of healing and professionalism, left a wake of suffering and devastated lives. More than a personal account, the episode highlights critical issues in the healthcare system: misplaced trust, lack of accountability, and the fight for justice when those meant to heal inflict harm.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction: Trust Betrayed (00:00–01:10)

• Laura Beale sets the scene for the larger story of “Dr. Death: The Cowboy,” focusing on the breach of trust between patients and medical professionals.
• Central themes introduced: the dangers of charismatic but reckless doctors, deep-seated systemic failures, and the devastating personal consequences for patients.

Notable Quote:

“There are people you’re told to trust. Lawyers, teachers, especially doctors. But what happens when you put your life in someone’s hands and they betray you?”
— Laura Beale (00:20)

The Patient’s Ordeal: Christy’s Story (01:11–06:03)

Encounter with Dr. Nowadsky (01:11–02:47)

• Christy and her mother consult Dr. Nowadsky for a follow-up after several failed surgeries by Dr. Schneider.
• Dr. Nowadsky is honest yet compassionate, explaining that all previous hardware in her mother’s spine failed to heal.

Notable Quotes:

• "Here’s the problem… None of the hardware has healed. None of it."

— Dr. Nowadsky (as retold by Christy, 01:34)

• “So my mom was walking around with a broken back all this time?”

— Christy (01:51)

• Dr. Nowadsky proposes a third surgery but with cautious optimism; he refrains from promising miracle cures.
• Christy feels relief for finally encountering a doctor who is straightforward and not dismissive.

Notable Quote:

“He wasn’t pushy at all. He said, ‘Think on it. Get back to me. Let me know what you think.’”
— Christy (02:50)

The Confrontation: Seeking Answers and Accountability (03:19–04:35)

• Emotional crescendo: Christy, overwhelmed, calls Dr. Schneider’s office, demanding an explanation and accountability.
• Dr. Schneider refuses to speak to her directly; instead, he later sends a letter responding to her accusations.

Notable Quotes:

• “I wanted to hear it from Schneider, that he lied to us all these years… And I wanted to hear it from him… Did he know all these years that my mom’s fusion didn’t heal?”

— Christy (03:43)

• “I remember a few of the people in the parking lot looking at me because I was screaming on the phone, demanding him to get on the phone and talk to me…”

— Christy (04:16)

Dr. Schneider’s Defensive Letter (04:35–05:17)

• Dr. Schneider expresses outrage at Christy’s accusations and tries to discredit Dr. Nowadsky.
• He warns the family to “be very, very careful” before considering another doctor's advice.

Notable Quote:

“I was aghast that your daughter would intimate and accuse myself or my staff of medical error or ignoring your needs.”
— (Dr. Schneider, as quoted by Christy, 04:38)

• Christy’s reaction encapsulates the episode’s theme of anger at systemic injustice:

“What an asshole. At that point, you think he doesn’t want any other surgeon to see what he did to my mom inside her back.”
— Christy (05:17)

Next Steps and Lingering Doubt (05:26–06:03)

• Despite Dr. Schneider’s warnings, Christy and her mother proceed with Dr. Nowadsky’s recommended treatment.
• The arrival of a second warning letter shakes Christy’s confidence and illustrates the lasting trauma caused by betrayal, gaslighting, and institutional cover-ups.

Notable Quote:

“I panicked. Completely panicked.”
— Christy (05:53)

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Memorable Moments

• Emotional Breakdown in the Parking Lot (03:19–04:35): Christy’s raw frustration and desperation to protect her family and hold a negligent surgeon accountable brings a searing humanity to the episode.
• Dr. Schneider’s Gaslighting Letter (04:35–05:17): The letter’s defensive, almost threatening tone underscores the entrenched resistance to accountability in the medical profession.

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Laura Beale introduces the season’s theme | | 01:11 | Christy and her mom see Dr. Nowadsky | | 03:19 | Christy’s emotional call to Dr. Schneider’s office | | 04:35 | The first defensive letter from Dr. Schneider | | 05:17 | Christy’s reaction and decision | | 05:53 | Arrival of a second warning letter; Christy’s panic |

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Episode Tone & Style

The podcast maintains a somber, investigative, and emotionally charged tone, blending first-person narrative with journalistic rigor. Christy’s account is vulnerable and honest, reflecting the broader themes of betrayal, gaslighting, and the uphill battle for justice.

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Conclusion

This episode clip from “Dr. Death: The Cowboy” shines a light on the alarming consequences of unchecked medical malpractice. Through Christy’s emotional story, listeners are invited to grapple with questions of trust, responsibility, and the courage it takes to seek the truth in the face of institutional denial. The real horror isn’t just one bad doctor—it’s a system that too often protects its own at the expense of patients’ lives.

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To hear the full story, listeners are directed to seek out “Dr. Death: The Cowboy” on Audible or Apple Podcasts.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm the host of Dr. Death, Laura Beale. In an all new season, I dig into the story of a surgeon who took advantage of a broken system and the fight to bring him to justice. There are people you're told to trust. Lawyers, teachers, especially doctors. But what happens when you put your life in someone's hands and they betray you? Dr. Death the Cowboy is the story of a charming neurosurgeon who rode into western towns selling a Persona of confidence and care. He wore cowboy boots in the operating room and became sought after by patients. He promised to heal them, to help them. Instead, he left a trail of broken bodies. This season is about a doctor who's never truly been held accountable for the patients whose lives he ruined. And a story of greed, betrayal, and a fight for justice that will leave you questioning who to trust. We're about to play a clip from Dr. Death the Cowboy. Listen to Dr. Death the Cowboy wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Dr. Death the Cowboy ad free right now. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app or on Apple podcasts.

[B]

When they were called in, he sat at the edge of the exam table. He was in his 60s, tall and wiry. And he began to lay it out for them. I would go over the films with them and say, here's the problem. And then he told them what it meant.

[C]

We're going to have to do surgery. We just need to fix the fusions that never healed. None of them healed.

[B]

Christy was speechless, trying to take it all in.

[C]

I said, the first surgery from Dr. Schneider? He said, no, none of the hardware has healed. None of it. And I'm picturing it in my head, all these screws and bolts in my mom's back just floating around. And I asked him, I said, so my mom was walking around with a broken back all this time? He said, yeah, none of it's healed. My mom didn't say anything. She was just listening in shock.

[B]

Dr. Nowadsky was clear that there were no magic fixes. The best he could do was to remove the hardware and fuse her spine for a third time.

[C]

My brain was just going in every which direction, like, do we trust this doctor? Does he know what he's doing?

[B]

And there was one question in particular that was weighing on her mind. The thought that Dr. Schneider had planted in her head.

[C]

I asked him if this was going to paralyze my mom.

[D]

I still believed that he was right. Dr. Schneider and anybody that touched her was going to paralyze her. There was nothing to be done.

[B]

Dr. Nowadsky told her that wouldn't happen.

[C]

He wasn't pushy at all. He said, think on it. Get back to me. Let me know what you think.

[B]

Christy walked out of Dr. Nowadsky's office, relieved. Finally, she'd found someone willing to take on one of Dr. Schneider's patients. But as she took her mom and her two toddlers back out of the building and into the parking lot, Kristi could feel her emotions rising.

[C]

I got the kids and my mom in the truck and I walked around the parking lot so they wouldn't hear me.

[B]

She pulled out her cell phone and punched in the number for the office of Dr. Schneider.

[C]

I asked to speak to him. He wouldn't take the call. So I told the secretary to give him a message for me. I told her I wanted to hear it from Schneider, that he lied to us all these years, that my mom had a broken back, that she was walking around with hardware that's not even connected to her bones. And I wanted to hear it from him, what his thoughts are. Did he know all these years that my mom's fusion didn't heal? That he put her through so much pain and agony? And I remember a few of the people in the parking lot looking at me because I was screaming on the phone, demanding him to get on the phone and talk to me and tell me what he thinks of this. She just kept saying, he's too busy. He's with patients. He cannot come to the phone, but I'll be sure to tell him.

[B]

A week later, her mom got a letter. It was from Dr. Schneider. He wrote, I was aghast that your daughter would intimate and accuse myself or my staff of medical error or ignoring your needs. He went on with a warning for her. I am very concerned you chose Dr. Nowadsky for your second opinion and would encourage you to be very, very careful before believing or letting this doctor treat you. I would be happy to sit down with your family and review these issues. As she scanned through the words, Christy could only think one thing.

[C]

What an asshole. At that point, you think he's like he doesn't want any other surgeon to see what he did to my mom inside her back.

[B]

So Christy and her mom did not take up Dr. Schneider's offer of a follow up appointment. Nor did she pay any attention to his warnings about Dr. Nowadsky. Instead, she moved ahead with her mom's surgery. But then, not long later, a second letter arrived in the mail with the warning that made her wonder what and who she was really dealing with.

[C]

I panicked. Completely panicked.

[A]

Binge all seasons of Dr. Death the Cowboy ad free right now on Audible. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app or on Apple Podcasts.