Joseph M. Pike, 68, died on March 6, 1987, while a patient in the Cincinnati hospital system. Investigators later identified Pike among the patients deliberately killed by hospital orderly Donald Harvey; published victim lists and the investigation attribute Pike’s death to a lethal dose of Detachol, a cleaning solvent used to remove adhesive from skin. Pike’s death occurred just before the March 7, 1987 death of John W. Powell, whose autopsy found cyanide and helped trigger the inquiry that led authorities to Harvey.

Harvey was taken into custody on April 6, 1987; he became the principal suspect in Pike’s killing and ultimately pleaded guilty on August 18, 1987, to multiple counts of aggravated murder and related charges in Cincinnati. The broader investigation and subsequent civil litigation focused on how Harvey, who worked around seriously ill patients for years, was able to continue working amid warnings and unusual death patterns. Michael Pike, identified in later reporting as Joseph Pike’s son, publicly questioned whether hospital warning signs had been heeded.

Anyone who knew Joseph Pike or has information about his time at Drake Memorial Hospital is asked to come forward.