The Other Dr. Gilmer

Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice

By: Benjamin Gilmer

Narrated by: Benjamin Gilmer

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A “mesmerizing” (The New York Times Book Review) true story about a shocking crime and a mysterious illness that will forever change your notions of how we punish and how we heal—an expansion on one of the most popular This American Life episodes of all time

“A remarkable medical detective story–cum–memoir, grippingly told . . . I was drawn in by every part of it.”—Atul Gawande, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Being Mortal

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Public Library

Fresh out of medical residency, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer joined a rural North Carolina clinic only to find that its previous doctor shared his last name. Dr. Vince Gilmer was loved and respected by the community—right up until he strangled his ailing father and then returned to the clinic for a regular week of work. Vince’s eventual arrest for murder shocked his patients. How could their beloved doctor be capable of such violence? The deeper Benjamin looked into Vince’s case, the more he became obsessed with discovering what pushed a good man toward darkness.

When Benjamin visited Vince in prison, he met a man who appeared to be fighting his own mind, constantly twitching and veering into nonsensical tangents. Sentenced to life in prison, Vince had been branded a cold-blooded killer and a “malingerer”—a person who fakes an illness. But it was obvious to Benjamin that Vince needed help. Alongside This American Life journalist Sarah Koenig, Benjamin resolved to understand what had happened to his predecessor. Time and again, the pair came up against a prison system that cared little about the mental health of its inmates—despite more than a third of them suffering from mental illness.

The Other Dr. Gilmer takes readers on a riveting and heart-wrenching journey through our shared human fallibility, made worse by a prison system that is failing our most vulnerable citizens. With deep compassion and an even deeper sense of justice, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer delves into the mystery of what could make a caring doctor commit a brutal murder. And in the process, his powerful story asks us to answer a profound question: In a country with the highest incarceration rates in the world, what would it look like if we prioritized healing rather than punishment?

Incredible story, punctuated with beautiful storytelling

Everything about this book was superb in my eyes. Not only is the story incredibly compelling, but the empathy and curiosity of the narrator is tangibly felt when it told in his own voice. I’ve recommended this book to many already and will continue to, I was absolutely hooked from start to finish.

Captivating story, well worth the time and credit

I don't usually read true-crime mysteries, but I was captivated from the very first page of "The Other Dr. Gilmer." This book is a must-read for anyone involved in medicine, law, the prison system, mental health advocacy, or simply those who enjoy compelling real-life stories. Dr. Gilmer, who narrates his own work, writes with the skill of a seasoned author, and his narration adds a personal touch that makes the story even more engaging.

The book strikes the perfect balance of description, action, and reflection. Describing mental and physical illness can be challenging, but Gilmer does it with remarkable clarity and insight. While some readers found the details of his personal life distracting, I felt they added depth and context to the narrative. This is the story of BOTH Dr. Gilmers.

Hold on til the last page – there is a zinger twist!

Amazing true story of perseverance

A truly compelling story. As suspenseful as any fiction mystery. It will not disappoint you.

Excellent

Excellent book! Part medical mystery, part societal critique and challenge. Both engrossing and eye-opening. Dr Gilmers’ (both of them) commitment to their patients inspired me. Highly recommended!

Sad, worse that it is very unlikely to change

An important story to hear or read. I worked as a volunteer in the Prison system in Texas for 12 years. I worked very directly with inmates. all had different stories and reasons for why their lives led to incarceration. Amazingly, I met many that I knew as very young children. one, I held in my arms when she was first born. I "randomly" met these, I had no idea any of them were there. A lot of tears...
I was able to help many return to very, even wonderful productive lives.
one thing stood out: the pricing was doing absolutely nothing to rehabilitation. Getting a GED is helpful, but not rehabilitation.
I see no hope for these people except for the efforts of volunteers without an agenda. My service was part of a Christian Ministry, but thete eas no requirementto join a religionor get baptized. We were there to help and let each individual make thier own choices. But most of the "Ministers" I saw working had an agenda. They did way much more harm than good by teaching things out of their own minds rather that the Bible. Several inmates had their hopes brought up so unreasonably high by these "ministers" that when the expectation failed, they committed or tried to commit suicide.
It is amazing that the USA spends so many billions to prosecute and house inmates, instead of using that same money or less, to actually help them.