When reviewing criminal incidents perpetrated against health care professionals, often at the top of the list are gynecologists, surgeons and emergency room physicians. It's not often you hear of attacks on dermatologists. However, in the case of Dr. David Cornbleet, a dermatologist from Chicago, Ill., a controversial medicine caused one scorned patient to seek revenge.
Cornbleet, 64, was a dedicated professional, father and husband. His son, Jonathan, described him as a caring person who always made sure his children had everything they needed. Outside his family life, Dr. Cornbleet had a well-established medical practice that he had operated for almost 30 years. A habit he formed many years ago was a call to his wife at 6:20 p.m. each night before leaving the office.
On Oct. 24, 2006, Aileen Cornbleet waited for her husband's call. When he didn't call by 7:45 p.m., she became worried and phoned Jonathan. He in turn contacted his sister, who went by the office to check on their father. What she found at the office was a horrific sight: David Cornbleet was sprawled on the floor with several stab wounds evident on his body. There was nothing his daughter could do but call for help.
Police immediately reviewed surveillance videos from cameras in the office building. From what they observed, the perpetrator appeared to be familiar with the layout of the building. He avoided showing his face to any of the cameras, and he knew exactly where he was going. The suspect appeared to be a Caucasian male about 6 feet tall, wearing a gray or cream-colored hooded jacket, dark-colored jeans and a baseball cap. He was carrying a dark bag. He used a glove or cloth to wipe his fingerprints when he entered and left the building.
Evidence found at the scene suggested that an altercation had taken place. This scenario was further supported when the medical examiner revealed several defensive wounds on David Cornbleet's hands. Blood at the scene, not belonging to the victim, also suggested that David had struck his attacker in the face, causing a nosebleed. Despite the massive amount of forensic evidence found at the scene, investigators had nothing concrete to link anyone to the attack. They theorized that the killer was probably one of David's patients; however, given the number of years he had been in business, narrowing down a list of suspects would be no easy task.
Police continued to investigate the case, and then in February 2007, they thought they got a break when they found surveillance footage from a Home Depot store showing someone fitting the suspect's description. It was later discovered that the person in the video had no connection to the murder.
