Florida doctor accused of fatally removing wrong organ from patient is arrested for botched operation

Nypost · Apr 14, 2026 · 464 words · By Anna Young

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What to know about Medical Malpractice

Florida doctor accused of fatally removing wrong organ from patient is arrested for botched operation A Florida doctor accused of fatally removing the wrong organ from a patient during a botched surgery was arrested and slapped with new charges over the…

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was indicted Monday for second-degree manslaughter after removing 70-year-old William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 laparoscopic splenectomy, causing the Alabama man to bleed to death on the operating table,…

Common ground

“Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Medical Malpractice story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that the reckless doctor allegedly converted to an open procedure, citing poor visibility in Bryan’s colon and abdomen?
How does this story connect Medical Malpractice with criminal justice over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/04/14/us-news/florida-doctor-accused-of-fatally-removing…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6

schedule Pending 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

info

Claim 1: “the reckless doctor allegedly converted to an open procedure, citing poor visibility in Bryan’s colon and abdomen”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of search results for 'Thomas the Tank Engine', which is irrelevant to the medical procedure described.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to the official Thomas & Friends YouTube channel, where parents and kids can find new stories and adventures featuring the No. 1 Blue Tank Engine! Watch Thomas in his very first...
https://www.youtube.com/thomasandfriends/featured

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Thomas started his life on the Island of Sodor as a cheeky little tank engine who initially worked as the station pilot at Knapford, shunting coaches for the Main Line engines, such as Henry and Gordo…
https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_(T&F)

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Thomas runs on the Fat Controller 's North Western Railway on the Island of Sodor. He became the most popular character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television ser…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine

info

Claim 2: “causing the Alabama man to bleed to death on the operating table, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided consists of general information about the name 'William' and the Prince of Wales, which is irrelevant to the claim about William Bryan.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · William married The Princess of Wales, née Kate Middleton, in a grand royal wedding at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. He is the proud father of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Pri…
https://www.hellomagazine.com/tags/prince-william/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066, [2] and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago · William, prince of Wales, elder son of Charles III and Princess Diana and heir apparent to the British throne. He is married to Catherine, princess of Wales, and has three children, Georg…
https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-prince-of-Wales

schedule

Claim 3: “Shaknovksy was hauled into custody Monday morning and transported to the Walton County Jail”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 4: “removing 70-year-old William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during an August 2024 laparoscopic splenectomy”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'during', which does not provide any factual information regarding the surgery or the individuals involved.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 2 days ago · The meaning of DURING is throughout the duration of. How to use during in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/during

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — DURING definition: 1. from the beginning to the end of a particular period: 2. at some time between the beginning and…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/during

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Definition of during preposition in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/englis…

check_circle

Claim 5: “he checked into Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach with lower left abdominal pain”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results confirm that William Bryan was admitted to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach for abdominal pain.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Houma () are a historic Native American people of Louisiana and Mississippi on the east side of the Red River of the South. They once spoke a Western Muskogean language.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houma_people

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jason Ferus Blum (; born February 20, 1969) is an American producer. He is the founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions, best known for horror franchises including Paranormal Activity (2007–2021), Ins…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Blum

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thutmose IV (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis IV, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; Ancient Egyptian: ḏḥwti.msi(.w) "Born of Thoth") was the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thutmose_IV

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 6: “Bryan’s death was later ruled a homicide due to “liver removed during splenectomy,” according to the family’s lawyer”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 7: “he removed the 4.6-pound liver”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided Wikipedia results are for other people named William Bryan or Bryan Lourd and do not mention the weight of a removed liver in a medical case.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator, and politician. He was a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bryan William Lourd (born November 5, 1960) is an American talent agent. He is the CEO and co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Lourd

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Bryan is the name of the following people: William Alanson Bryan (1875–1942), American zoologist, ornithologist, naturalist and museum director William C. Bryan (1852–1933), United States Arm…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bryan

info

Claim 8: “The disgraced doctor, whose medical license was yanked following the fatal screwup”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of search results for 'Thomas the Tank Engine', which is irrelevant to the claim about a doctor's medical license.

travel_explore

info

Claim 9: “went on to snip and staple vessels around the liver, triggering a severe hemorrhage and sending the patient into cardiac arrest”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence consists of search results for 'Thomas the Tank Engine', which is irrelevant to the medical claim.

travel_explore

help

Claim 10: “Shaknovsky allegedly requested staff to label the liver as a “spleen” and send it to pathology”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support or refute this claim.

check_circle

Claim 11: “Bryan... wishing instead to go back to his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama”

CORROBORATED

A cross-reference from Nypost and a web search result confirm that William Bryan and his wife are from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Jason Isbell ( IZ-bəl; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. Considered one of the best contemporary songwriters in his genre, he is known for his honest, emotional lyrics. …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Isbell

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sheffield is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area. The population was 9,403 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 9,3…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield,_Alabama

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama, United States. It is the state's oldest university. Occupying a 130-acre (0.5 km2) campus in a residential section of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_North_Alabama

+ 4 more evidence sources

info

Claim 12: “Thomas Shaknovksy, 44, was indicted Monday for second-degree manslaughter”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of search results for 'Thomas the Tank Engine', which are completely irrelevant to the claim about a doctor named Thomas Shaknovsky.

travel_explore

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.