Bernie Madoff had toes amputated and shouted about release on death bed, new report reveals
Bernie Madoff's final year in prison was filled with illness, injury and confusion, according to Bureau of Prison medical records obtained by MarketWatch.
Prior to his death in April at the Federal Medical Centre in Butner, North Carolina, the Ponzi scheme pusher was serving out his 150-year prison sentence while battling numerous health conditions.
Madoff was suffering from renal failure, which caused numerous other issues for him during his incarceration. Shortly before his death, two of Madoff's toes had to be amputated to prevent renal-failure related gangrene from spreading throughout his body.
As his body began to falter, so too did his mind, according to the reports.
One incident detailed a nurse finding Madoff in his cell, staring at his foot and wriggling it around while screaming for help.
“Help! I hate this f***ing place!” he reportedly yelled.
The nurse told him to quit yelling because he was going to disturb the other inmates, but Madoff shrugged off the warning with a curt “F*** them!”
Madoff continued his tirade, so the nurse attempted to calm him and get to the bottom of his frustration. Confused and annoyed, Madoff finally apologised and explained that “I gave them a pass and no one is respecting me or doing anything! I can't believe they are doing this to me!”
When the nurse asked him who he was talking about, Madoff could not answer. Then he shut down, refusing to talk to the nurse or even lie down. He simply sat at the edge of his bed with his face buried in his hands.
Madoff often struggled to walk across rooms, as severe coronary artery disease left him gasping for breath at the slightest physical exertion. He travelled by wheelchair and often was hooked up to oxygen tanks.
His failing kidneys required dialysis three times a week, though Madoff often cut the sessions short because he found them too debilitating. Madoff's mounting health issues caused him so much collective pain that he was being given low doses of methadone – a drug used to help heroin users kick their habits – because his kidneys could not process more traditional painkillers.
Madoff was considered a “high fall risk” due to his numerous medical problems. He lost eight teeth during his time in prison. At one point, Madoff stumbled and banged his head on a water fountain. He passed out in a pool of his own blood. When he was found by nurses they thought he had been attacked by another inmate.
In Spring of 2019, Madoff tried what he could to get out. He began applying for compassionate release, given that his renal failure would eventually lead to his death. He told prison officials that once he was out he would move to Baltimore and start treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
He claimed that there were people who were “indebted” to him who would help pay for his medical costs.
Madoff's applications always failed. His crime was too severe and he had regularly refused dialysis treatments.
The man's last attempt to leave prison was in January. He sent the warden of the prison a handwritten note that claimed he was at high risk of dying from Covid-19. He feared he'd lose his foot to gangrene.
He was rejected again.
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