The Other Dr. Gilmer

“Mesmerizing … a wrenching, maddening, compelling book.”—The New York Times Book Review“A spellbinding story … [Gilmer’s] writing is lucid and compassionate.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune“A remarkable true-crime account … but The Other Dr. Gilmer is more than that. Gilmer argues that, as asylums have closed and mental health centers have seen budgets slashed, the criminal justice system has become a holding pen for many of the nation’s mentally ill… . [He] calls for humane reforms to ease the system and perhaps to prevent crimes in the first place.”—Wilmington Star-News“Fans of both true-crime podcasts and medical mysteries are in for a treat… . The search for answers sends [Benjamin Gilmer] on a years-long crusade through the legal and prison systems, where medical compassion can be hard to come by.”—The Washington Post“A knockout debut that gripped me from the very first line … Benjamin Gilmer masterfully peels away the layers of a long-closed murder and drops us into an unbelievable true story of medical mystery, mental illness, and the terrifying injustices of our justice system.”—Maureen Callahan, New York Times bestselling author of American Predator“The Other Dr. Gilmer does not merely point at a broken system: it humanizes the people trapped within it. They need a physician like Dr. Gilmer to lead the way to healing.”—Anthony Ray Hinton, New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Does Shine“Benjamin Gilmer has written nonfiction that flows like a novel and a piece of investigative journalism full of heart and grace.”—Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of When the Ghosts Come Home“The Other Dr. Gilmer is an extraordinary story of how an inheritable brain disorder destroyed two lives: a father and a son. More important, it gives a view into a criminal justice system that has destroyed many more… . Powerful, profound, and compelling.”—James R. Doty, MD, New York Times bestselling author of Into the Magic Shop“A complex, unlikely medical mystery and true crime story along with one man’s relentless quest for justice.”—Charles Frazier, New York Times bestselling author of Cold Mountain, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction“A gripping and deeply compelling story … Through it all runs the heart of Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, whose relentless pursuit of diagnosis, treatment, and care for an ostracized man demonstrates the kind of authentic compassion we would all want from our physicians.”—Christine Montross, MD, author of Waiting for an Echo“Gilmer’s narrative is gripping, and he writes deftly and with compassion.”—Library Journal (starred review)“Antitheses abound … in this unsettling combination of murder mystery, medical detective tale, and plea for criminal-justice reform.”—Booklist

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer is a family medicine physician in Fletcher, North Carolina. He is an Albert Schweitzer Fellow for Life and associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill and at the Mountain Area Health Education Center. A former neurobiologist turned rural family practitioner, Dr. Gilmer has lectured across the country about medical ethics, rural health, and the intersection of medicine and criminal justice reform. He lives with his wife, Deirdre; their two children, Kai and Luya; and their dog, Prince Peanut Butter, in Asheville, North Carolina.