Michael J. Halberstam

Michael Joseph Halberstam (August 9, 1932 December 5, 1980) was an American cardiologist and author. In 1980 Halberstam was fatally shot during an attempted burglary of his residence in Washington, D.C.

Early life and education Halberstam was born on August 9, 1932, in The Bronx, New York, the first of two sons for Dr. Charles Abraham, a U.S. Army surgeon and Blanche Levy Halberstam, a teacher. Halberstam's younger brother was the award-winning journalist and historian David Halberstam. and litigation against physicians, as well as television reviews of medical shows like Marcus Welby, M.D. In 1978 Halberstam wrote a novel, The Wanting of Levine, about a self-made millionaire real estate investor who becomes the first Jewish U.S. president. In 2017 journalist Ira Stoll described The Wanting of Levine as having "most cannily anticipated" the presidency of Donald Trump.

Death On December 5, 1980, Halberstam was shot at his Washington, D.C. home by Bernard C. Welch Jr., a prolific thief and escaped convict who lived in nearby Great Falls, Virginia. Halberstam and his wife surprised Welch when they returned home that evening to find Welch burglarizing their house.

Despite having been shot twice in the chest by Welch, Halberstam told his wife to get into their car, and he drove them toward Sibley Hospital. On the way to the hospital, Halberstam saw Welch, shouted, "That's the guy!" and swerved to hit him. Welch was wounded, but not fatally injured. Halberstam crashed his car into a tree near the hospital, and was taken to the emergency room by ambulance. Halberstam died on the operating table approximately 90 minutes after he was shot. District of Columbia police arrested the wounded Welch. At Welch's trial, the prosecuting attorney pointed at him, and used Halberstam's words, "That's the guy!"

Welch received life sentences for one count each of felony murder and second-degree armed burglary, to be served concurrently, four counts of burglary and four counts of grand larceny totaling 143 years.

Halberstam's widow, Elliott Jones, filed a successful wrongful death suit against Welch and his common-law wife on behalf of Halberstam's estate, and was awarded a $5.7 million judgment. Bernard Welch died in prison in 1997. The precedent set by the case, Halberstam v. Welch, was used in the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.

Selected bibliography

A Coronary Event (1976) The Pills in Your Life (1973) Making the rounds with Sir William (1974)