Doctor Charged With Manslaughter Of Slipknot Bassist

Dr. Daniel Baldi of Des Moines, Iowa better steer clear of the state’s hometown metal act Slipknot and their legion of ‘maggots’ (re: fans) if he knows what’s good for him.

According to local news network KCCI, the medical practitioner has been charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of several patients, including former Slipknot bassist Paul Gray aka The Pig.

The Iowa reporters have obtained criminal complaints that allegedly reveal that Dr. Daniel Baldi’s prescription of highly addictive and dangerous pain medication contribute to the death of his patients, including those found in Gray, a founding member of the award-winning masked nine-piece collective.

The former bassist was found dead in a hotel room on May 24, 2010 aged 38, along with a hypodermic needle and pills scattered around his suite. An autopsy later revealed that Gray showed signs of ‘significant heart disease’ and had died of an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, drugs prescribed to him by Dr. Baldi.

The doctor’s attorney Guy Cook has refute the charges of manslaughter and has sought a ‘not guilty’ plea while Baldi is on a medical leave of absence to fight the charges.

“He vigorously denies doing anything wrong. He has done his best to treat a very difficult patient population,” said Mr. Cook. “These are patients who, because of their chronic severe pain or chronic addictive situations, can die regardless of the best medical care.”

According to court documents, Baldi – who is currently being held on a bail of $US 16,000 – unintentionally caused Gray’s death by overdose by writing prescriptions for narcotics. The criminal complaints stating that Baldi “continually wrote high dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict from Dec. 27, 2005, until [Gray's] death.”

Baldi’s preliminary hearing is set for September 15.

In related news, Slipknot’s percussionist Chris Fehn aka #3, spoke to Tone Deaf about the band’s current greatest hits compilation and Knotfest music festival, while Corey Taylor and Jim Root’s other band, Stone Sour, are headed to Australia early next year – appearing as part of the massive bill for Soundwave 2013.