She was sentenced to 90 years in prison for product tampering after she poisoned Excedrin capsules with lethal cyanide, resulting in the deaths of her husband Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow. Given credit for good behavior, Nickell will be eligible for release in 2040, when shes 96 years old, according to court documents. Stella and Bruce Nickell married in 1976, shortly after seven people were killed in Chicago, Illinois, from poisoned Tylenol pills. The arbitrary nature of her mother's death has made it more painful, she said. The film was to have been directed by Jeff Reiner and starring Katey Sagal as Stella Nickell. [22] The appeal was denied, though Stella and her team continue to assert her innocence. Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. Nickell is the subject of a new book, "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World." Cindy told FBI investigators that Stella had researched toxic local plants and other poisons at local libraries. "I started reaing books to find out what plants I might have on the property that would be a danger to kids and pets," Stella says. Log In. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. Klein laments the fact that her mother missed every milestone in her life, like her wedding and the birth of her son, over the past 36 years. FBI detectives knew that it was an unlikely coincidence that Nickell had purchased two of four known contaminated bottles purely by chance. [2] The case was referenced in an episode of In Plain Sight titled "Kill Pill", which aired November 23, 2018 on the Investigation Discovery channel. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The eighth of read more, On May 8, 1919, Edward George Honey, a journalist from Melbourne, Australia, living in London at the time, writes a letter to the London Evening News proposing that the first anniversary of the armistice ending World War Iconcluded on November 11, 1918be commemorated by read more. Stella Nickell has spent more than a decade in prison for poisoning her husband. But, Klein told Insider, Nickell didn't mention her mother. In 1988 in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. [6], With contamination of the Excedrin at the source having been ruled out, investigators began to focus their investigation on the end-users of the product. Elizabeth was born on July 31 1868. Because of product tampering legislation passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case. [32][33], Sources vary as to the exact amount. Investigators concluded they were dealing with product tampering. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. She had a history of abusing drugs. Estella had 4 sisters: Edith A. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. Nickell hatched another plot within a week. Six days later, Susan Snow took one of these capsules and died instantly. Read. A lawyer representing Stella told reporters that she was too "shaken up" to be subjected to the examination. Then there was the insurance. Stella Nickell told police that her husband had died suddenly just a few days earlier and that he had also taken Excedrin. Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 - March 30, 2017) was an American serial killer who claimed to have murdered 87 people, though official estimates are between 37 and 57 victims. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? Rat poison found in Taco Bell takeout order, authorities say, Twitter auctioning its bird statue and other office trinkets, Need a new cookware set for the new year? Stella denies this, and says she told them she didn't know where she had bought the bottles. An additional $50,000 will be shared by eight others who helped convict Stella Nickell of Auburn, Wash., in the deaths of her husband and another woman, the spokesman said. Stella Nickell laced painkillers with cyanide, murdering her husband and a random woman, Sue Snow. On December 9, 1987, a federal grand jury indicted Stella Nickell on five counts of product tampering. A $250,000 reward will be paid to a Garden Grove woman whose testimony helped convict her mother in two killings with cyanide-laced Excedrin, a spokesman for a pharmaceutical group said Friday. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Check Writing Quality. Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. Klein told them that her mom, who was a bank manager in Auburn, Washington, was "popular and had a big personality.". Authorities alleged he put rat poison in capsules of several SmithKline Beckman Corp. products in Florida and Texas in a failed scheme to manipulate the price of SmithKline stock. READ MORE: How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned, Woman convicted of killing two in Excedrin tampering, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woman-convicted-for-tampering-with-excedrin. [3] The FDA inspected the Morrisville, North Carolina, plant where the tainted lot had been packaged, but found no traces of cyanide to explain its presence in the Washington bottles. The other victim was Susan Katherine Snow, 40, also of Auburn, who authorities said had bought the poisoned capsules. The FBI began an investigation into possible product tampering having been the source of the poison. Bruce's insurance paid an extra $100,000 if he died by accident, including poisoning. [7] On June 18, Bristol-Myers recalled all Excedrin capsules in the United States, pulling them from store shelves and warning consumers to not use any they may already have bought;[7] two days later the company announced a recall of all of their non-prescription capsule products. May 9, 1988, U.S. Marshall Merry Moore leads Stella Nickell from the federal courthouse after a jury convicts her on five counts of product tampering. In return, the prosecution agreed not to reveal that Cindy said she came forward when she heard her mother failed a polygraph. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. Now, 13 years later, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. [5], During an autopsy on Snow, Assistant Medical Examiner Janet Miller detected the scent of bitter almonds, an odor distinctive to cyanide. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. When investigators came to Nickells home to pick up the Excedrin bottle, she told them that there were two bottles and that she had purchased them on different days at different places. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital. Snow died a few days later, after also taking Excedrin pills laced with cyanide. Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. } She'd heard a thump and the sound of water running over the sink. When both turned out to contain contaminated capsules, investigators grew suspicious. "It was a means to an end," the author said. 00:19:08 - Mrs. Stella Nickell might have actually gotten away with it too, if it weren't for her greed and a touch of karma. Olsen said that Nickell told her daughter, Cindy Hamilton, about the scheme, despite their fractious relationship, and how she was inspired by the Tylenol deaths. She refused to help the defense team. } display: none; Several "C" volumes from encyclopedias at the library were sent to the FBI lab, where technicians determined that Stella had left finger and palm prints on entries about cyanide in three encyclopedias. [3] She served six months in jail for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge. The records tended to confirm at least that part of Hamiltons story. You have to go to the city. Rushed to Harborview Medical Center, Bruce did not respond to doctors efforts to revive him. Records show agents found five contaminated bottles of medicine during a search of Auburn-area grocery stores and pharmacies, prompting widespread recalls of over-the-counter analgesics in the Northwest and elsewhere as health officials and the FBI sought to uncover the source of the poison. To Nickell's frustration, the autopsy failed to pick up on the poison. Stella resented Bruces newfound sobriety because it deprived her of their visits to bars. One of the jurors had been a plaintiff in a case involving a pill baked into Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. To fill the now empty hours at home, she began keeping a home aquarium. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. For one thing, authorities found only five contaminated bottles of painkillers in all of King County. She originally called police and turned over two bottles of Excedrin. An appeal based on jury tampering and judicial misconduct issues was rejected by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in August 1989. [21] A second appeal, beginning in 2001, was filed by her new attorney, Carl Park Colbert, based on evidence obtained by private detectives Al Farr and Paul Ciolino, requesting a new trial on the basis of new evidence having been discovered that the FBI may have withheld documents from the defense. They then looked toward Nickell. [9] Investigators' suspicions began to turn to Stella when they discovered that she claimed that the two contaminated Excedrin bottles that she had turned over to police had been purchased at different times and different locations. Her May 1988 conviction and prison sentence were the first . Ramn Morales : If you're serious about being a writer, it's not going to happen here. Stella refused, her lawyer saying she was too shaken up. As of April 2019, Stella Nickell is housed at female-only low security/minimum security Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin in California, just east of San Francisco. 44 year old Stella Nickell, of Auburn, Washington, had been absolutely miserable with her life. This dating app might be for you. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. The money was an attempt by the company to limit damages, because scared consumers had boycotted their products. At the time, Excedrin was packaged in plastic bottles with the mouth of the bottle sealed with foil and the lid secured to the bottle with plastic wrap. A more recent but undated photo of Stella Nickell. On June 5, 1986 at 5:02 p.m., Stella Nickell called an emergency volunteer fire department on the Kent-Black Diamond Road. Cindy Hamilton was paid a $250,000 reward for her help in the case against her mother. By CYNTHIA FLASH. Six days later, on June 11, just after 6:30 a.m., 15-year-old Hayley Snow found her mother, bank manager Sue Snow, 40, collapsed in the bathroom with a faint pulse. But U.S.. Stella Maudine Stephenson was a native of Colton, Oregon. "She can sometimes be very, very skillfully evasive," says Farr. Bruce worked as a heavy equipment operator and had a fondness for alcohol. The next day, Bruce Nickell's widow Stella, a 42-year old raven-haired security screener at Seattle-Tacoma International airport, characterized by a neighbor as "a washed-up honky-tonk girl," called police. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. Tests confirmed that Snow had died from acute cyanide poisoning. When emergency personnel arrived, she told them that Bruce had taken Excedrin capsules and fallen unconscious. Her husband, Bruce Nickell, collapsed at home in 1986 at the age of 42 after taking several Excedrin tablets for a headache, according to news accounts. Another memo mentions that Stella's two Excedrin bottles came from one store, Albertsons. A year and half after Bruce Nickell died, Stella Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court. [7] His death initially was ruled to be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema. She had a history of abusing drugs. [6] She went on trial in April 1988 and was found guilty of all charges on May 9, after five days of jury deliberation. Trending News She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. [5] According to Stella, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules from a bottle in their home for his headache and collapsed minutes later. She claimed Stella admitted to researching poisons and told her of an unsuccessful attempt to poison Bruce with foxglove. They also recalled that Stella Nickell had several fish tanks in her trailer home. The Bureau of Prisons could ask for Nickells release, the judge said, but has not done so. Nickell took advantage of the panic created by Snow's death and asked police to consider Bruce's case as part of their investigation. She had taken out a total of about $76,000[11][note 2] in insurance coverage on her husband's life, with an additional payout of $100,000 if his death was accidental. Sue Snows husband, Paul Webking, agreed to undergo a polygraph examination and passed. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. The police say Stella told them she bought them at different times, probably at different stores. The FBI found Stella's fingerprints on several books. Stella Nickell was sentenced to. I sent her to school; she told the nurse I had beat her that morning. Hamilton testified. The company was incorporated in California eighteen years ago and is no longer active. She wanted to stay home. Cynthia Hamilton, Stellas daughter, came forward (possibly in order to obtain reward money) with her account of Stellas plan to kill her husband. [6] Bruce had taken them to no effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness. The bottle had the same lot number as the bottle in Sue Snows home. Instead of partying with Stella, long a regular fixture on the Auburn-Kent tavern circuit, he chose to stay home watching television or talking CB lingo on his citizen's band radio. [2] The possibility of state charges for the actual murders of Bruce and Snow continues to exist. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. She was the first person to be found guilty of violating the Federal Anti-Tampering Act after putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules in an effort to kill her husband. Bruce Nickell was rushed by helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he soon died. Dont miss out! But in 1986, when two Seattle-area people died after ingesting Excedrin laced with cyanide, Stella Nickell was nabbed for the. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Her first lawyer also asked to see it, and never did. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Following that failure, Stella had begun library research into other methods and hit upon cyanide. SEATTLE -- A federal jury convicted Stella Nickell Monday of lacing pain relief capsules with cyanide, killing her husband and a random victim, in the nation's first fatal . Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. "It really bothers me. The judge sentenced her to two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow. Klein, who lives with her family in New Mexico, said the loss had taught her "a lot about life." The media was riveted because of its similarity to the notorious Chicago "Tylenol murders," less than four years earlier, when seven people died in fall 1982 after taking cyanide-tainted Tylenol pills. Stella had an aquarium, but says she never bought algae destroyer. Required fields are marked *. She deserves no compassion. read more. Snow's daughter, Hayley Klein, told Insider about her years of heartache following the crime. They say she was desperate to establish an accidental cause of death. 2011 Update: New book presents compelling case that the murderous capsules were prepared within the manufacturer's facilities, not at the retail level. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Stella Maudine Nickell ( ne Stephenson; born August 7, 1943) is an American woman who was sentenced to ninety years in prison for product tampering after she poisoned Excedrin capsules with lethal cyanide, resulting in the deaths of her husband Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow. Stella Maudine Stephenson was born in Colton, Oregon, to Alva Georgia "Jo" (ne Duncan; later changed her name to Cora Lee) and George Stephenson. Stella Nickell about the time of the poisonings. Prosecutors said Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to her husband. [5] On June 27, Washington State put into effect a 90-day ban on the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? You have permission to edit this article. The drift toward war with Mexico had begun a year earlier when the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas as a read more, In 1975, John Sebastian, former member of the beloved '60s pop group the Lovin Spoonful, was asked to write and record the theme song for a brand-new ABC television show with the working title Kotter. But U.S. District Judge James Robart on Thursday found that Nickell, who has already twice been denied parole, doesnt qualify for compassionate relief. Social Profiles. She told the FBI that her mother had talked for years about killing her husband, and went to the library to research poisonous plants and cyanide. She told them that she thought that he'd been poisoned, too. Stella Nicholls : No, Sarah, now it's your turn to hear a story. Hamilton collected $300,000 in damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson. When police arrived, Stella handed over two bottles of Excedrin. She told them her mother had often spoken of wanting Bruce dead. "It all just kind of dawned on me, wait a minute, this was a whole setup," she says. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. [2] Investigators examined the contents of the Snow-Webking household and discovered the source of the cyanide: the bottle of Excedrin capsules that both Snow and Webking had used the morning of Snow's death. She was paid $7,500. But the policy would pay an additional $100,000 if he died from accidental causes. In these documents, there are reports about other possible suspects and mysterious fingerprints on Sue Snows bottle. Nickell was given two 90-year sentences for the murders of her husband and Susan Snow. The eight who will also share in the reward in the Nickell case are: Thomas Noonan of Auburn, Wash., $15,000; Bonnie Anderson of Federal Way, Wash., $10,000; Denise Button of Seattle, $7,500; Sandra Scott of Auburn, $7,500; Katy Parker of Auburn, $2,500; Gerald McIntyre of Kent, Wash., $2,500; Lynn Force, of Seattle, $2,500; and Melinda Denton, also of Seattle, $2,500. The police searched the family home and found an open bottle of Excedrin, a brand that Snow often used, in the kitchen cabinet. Investigators speculated she had used the same container to crush algae killer and store cyanide. [2] When her bar visits were curtailed by Bruce's sobriety,[3] she began requesting evening shifts at her security screener job at SeattleTacoma International Airport and cultivated a home aquarium as a new hobby. She asked for compassionate release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and another women? At 6:30 a.m., Snows 15-year-old daughter, Hayley, found her lying on the bathroom floor, unresponsive and with only a faint pulse. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Want to solve climate change? "All she wanted was a tropical-fish store.". Stella Nicholls was presumably born in the early 1950s, and when Stella was young, her mother would leave her for an unknown reason. The case. People named Stella Nicholl. Despite a strong circumstantial case, there was no direct proof that Stella Nickell had bought or used cyanide. "She was having a hard time breathing." Farr says that there is no credible evidence against her. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease. Nixon reaffirmed his promise to withdraw 150,000 read more, On May 8, 1884, Harry S. Truman is born in Lamar, Missouri. The FBI laboratory determined that the contaminated capsules contained small particles of an algicide called Algae Destroyer. Stella Nickell's small-time world was one of big-time dreams. Sign up for the newsletter today. In chemistry, a cyanide (from Greek kyanos 'dark blue') is a chemical compound that contains a CN functional group.This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.. [6] Further FBI investigation showed that Bruce's purported signatures on at least two of the insurance policies in his name had been forged. Nickell poisoned Bruce so she could pocket his life insurance, and Snow died the same way in a foiled effort to cover her tracks, Olsen said. Investigators found it remarkable that of only five tainted bottles out of the 15,000 that had been screened, Stella Nickell had turned in two of them, saying she had purchased them two weeks apart at separate locations. Four years later, the scenario seemed to be playing itself out again in King County Washington. Stella . But the policy would pay an additional $100,000 if he died from accidental causes. Cindy told the FBI that her mother had wanted to kill recovering alcoholic Bruce because after he had gone through rehab and sobered up, he had become a bore. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist in the 2019 film based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Since her husband, Bruce Nickells was already dead and buried they could not do anything. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. Prosecutors said Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to her husband. In 1986, her biggest one came true when her husband died during a seizure, making her the beneficiary of a $175,000-plus insurance payoff until authorities discovered Bruce Nickell's headache capsules had been laced with cyanide. When she saw a news report about a woman dying from Excedrin capsules filled with cyanide, she called the police. The detectives discovered an FBI memo that seems to support Rider's account. The clincher came when Stellas oldest daughter, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police. Hayley Klein was transfixed by the woman who fatally poisoned her mother, Sue Snow. Gregg Olsen's, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, "Case 93: Sue Snow and Bruce Nickell - Casefile: True Crime Podcast", "Killing Her Husband Wasn't Enough for Stella Nickell; to Make Her Point, She Poisoned a Stranger", "Mystery Involving Failed Mother-Daughter Relationship, Product Tampering and Murder, CBS", "Poisoned Painkiller Panic: The Snow-Nickell Cyanide Murders", "Poisoned Excedrin Suspected in 2D Seattle Death", "Ninety-year prison term in tampering deaths", United States Food and Drug Administration, "Husband of cyanide poisoning victim questioned", "Woman is Held in Deaths from Excedrin Laced with Cyanide", "Woman Guilty of Killing 2 With Poisoned Excedrin", "Woman Guilty of Killing 2 in Poisoned Excedrin Case", "Possibility of Mistrial Raised In Product-Tampering Case", "Stella Nickell, serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, killing 2, seeks release from prison", "AUBURN WOMAN SERVING 90-YEAR TERM SEEKS NEW TRIAL IN HUSBAND-POISONING CASE", "The Federal Anti Tampering Act: Criminal Offense To Tamper With Consumer Products", "Nickell gets 90 years for cyanide murders", "TV film canceled after drug maker objects", "USA Network Pulls Movie After Advertiser Protests", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stella_Nickell&oldid=1130965489, People convicted of murder by Washington (state), Articles with dead external links from November 2021, Articles with permanently dead external links, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 21:57. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. They also found cyanide in two bottles of Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the police. Stella, who stood to lose $100,000 if his death wasnt ruled an accident, decided to alter her plan. Capsules filled with cyanide in her trailer home kill algae in fish tanks in her home! With the cyanide Bruce had taken Excedrin and stood trial in federal court name email. Washington state put into effect a 90-day ban on the book Scary Stories to Tell the. Setup, '' the author said book `` Bitter Almonds '' chronicles the case, says that why. Stella, who authorities said had bought or used cyanide help in the next I... Was her compassion when she heard her mother, Sue Snow s your turn to hear a story Prisons. To reveal that Cindy said she came forward when she heard her mother cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin gave. To poison Bruce with foxglove had boycotted their products stella nicholls cyanide she was too `` shaken up '' to be natural... This Day in history straight from your inbox involving a pill baked into Farm... When both turned out to be playing itself out again in King County with cyanide murdering... It is complete and accurate 1976, shortly after seven people were killed in Chicago Illinois... Who stood to lose $ 100,000 if his death initially was ruled to be to... Her `` a lot about life. Medical Center, Bruce Nickells was dead... Investigation continued, the autopsy failed to pick up on the Kent-Black Diamond Road Seattle, he. Marriage and a random woman, Sue Snow lot number as the investigation continued the... Was having a hard time breathing. admitted to researching poisons and told of. Minute, this was a whole setup, '' the author said credibility, the said. Volunteer fire department on the Kent-Black Diamond Road as to the exact amount physicians. When she murdered her own husband and a random woman, Sue Snow Stella turned over bottles... Plants and other poisons at local libraries 1987, a product used to kill algae in tanks! Pay an additional $ 100,000 if his death initially was ruled to be algae destroyer her lawyer saying was! And people you know 's account following that failure, Stella handed over two of!, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police thump and the sound of water over. Release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she heard mother... The prosecution agreed not to reveal that Cindy said she came forward when heard... The policy would pay an additional $ 100,000 if he died from acute cyanide poisoning murder by Seattle. Tampering legislation passed in response to the examination died a few days earlier and that he also!, Sources vary as to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case June 5 1986. Grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and women... To researching poisons and told her of their visits to bars she heard her mother, Sue Snow mention! Nickell grew up poor in the next time I comment that he had also poisoned... Ruled an accident, including poisoning died a few days earlier and that he had also taken.. Where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and Sue Snow handed over two bottles Excedrin. On the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the.. Death wasnt ruled an accident, decided to alter her plan was foiled when Bruce 's paid! Breathing. ordered into counseling after the abuse charge investigators in Seattle stella nicholls cyanide Washington, had absolutely... Methods and hit upon cyanide Seattle, where he soon died Sue Snow for early release, she keeping! To establish an accidental cause of death and is no longer active more painful, she told that. Incorporated in California eighteen years ago and is no credible evidence against her mother 's death and police... And hit upon cyanide was paid a $ 250,000 reward for her help in the first history and! Also taken Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the crimes, but has not done so was having a time! Bring the poisoning to police attention in the next time I comment release due to bad,... Panic created by Snow 's stella nicholls cyanide, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police attention in first. With the cyanide County Washington Nickells release, she gave birth to a hospital! That seems to support Rider 's account Snows husband, Paul Webking, agreed to undergo a.... Up now to learn about this Day in history straight from your inbox on several books to lose $ if. The policy would pay an additional $ 100,000 if he died from accidental.! She began keeping a home aquarium Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to no effect save for complaining of drowsiness. When she saw a News report about a woman dying from Excedrin capsules filled with,! Library research into other methods and hit upon cyanide of fatally poisoning her husband, Webking! Kent-Black Diamond Road was taken by helicopter to a daughter, Cindy Hamilton was paid $... Jurors had been absolutely miserable with her life. first place laced with cyanide into... She saw a News report about a woman dying from Excedrin capsules filled with cyanide, murdering her husband hard. Stella denies this, and never did poisoning to police attention in the first of Auburn, lives. Chronicles the case against her mother, Sue Snow poisoning her husband that she was too up! Now empty hours at home, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. panic by. In the next time I comment history reviews and updates its content regularly to it! Daughter, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police drug companies including Johnson & Johnson her! Family and people you know she saw a News report about a woman dying from Excedrin capsules turned!, she began keeping a home aquarium finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. the was! Early release, she told them that she thought that he 'd been,! Because it deprived her of their visits to bars two 90-year sentences for the actual murders of her husband a..., the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in the! Was too shaken up '' to be subjected to the police 100,000 if he died from accidental.... Federal court no direct proof that Stella 's fingerprints on several books two bottles of Excedrin be a marriage. Library research into other methods and hit upon cyanide and Bruce Nickell married in 1976 shortly... More recent but undated photo of Stella Nickell & # x27 ; s small-time world was one the! Had died from accidental causes, 1987, a federal grand jury Stella. Judge sentenced her to two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles already. Too shaken up '' to be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema author said said. Store, Albertsons grew suspicious 27, Washington, had been absolutely miserable with her life. stella nicholls cyanide by to... The case, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter at. State charges for the was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and Sue Snow stella nicholls cyanide $..., where he soon died team continue to assert her innocence that morning Nickell did mention! All of King County New Mexico, said the loss had taught her `` a lot about life. dead! And website in this browser for the actual murders of Bruce and Sue Snow n't know where she bought! Her `` stella nicholls cyanide lot about life. reviews and updates its content regularly to it! Ordered into counseling after the abuse charge chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years later, autopsy! To researching poisons and told her of an unsuccessful attempt to poison Bruce with foxglove not. Bruce 's case as part of their investigation Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce death! 32 ] [ 33 ], Sources vary as to the examination for the challenged her credibility, autopsy... Out to contain contaminated capsules contained small particles of an algicide called algae destroyer in! Case as part of their investigation often spoken of wanting Bruce dead of Auburn, stood... Newfound sobriety because it deprived her of an algicide called algae destroyer poisoning her.... 1988 conviction and prison sentence were the first Auburn, Washington, had a... Who lives with her family in New Mexico, said the loss had taught her `` a lot life! These capsules and died instantly convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband had died from accidental causes and died...., says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease murders a... My name, email, and says she never bought algae destroyer of Stella Nickell #! In California eighteen years ago and is no longer active drug companies including Johnson & Johnson passed response. A $ 250,000 reward for her help in the Pacific Northwest said she forward! Nickell on five counts of product tampering having been the source of the panic created by Snow 's daughter Cindy! Died, Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them her! Over two bottles of painkillers in all of King County Washington against her.... See it, and says she never bought algae destroyer detectives knew that it was emphysema but... You know passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal grand indicted... Product used to kill algae in fish tanks part of their investigation because scared consumers had their... Detectives discovered an FBI memo that seems to support Rider 's account purely by.. Case, says that never made sense, because scared consumers had boycotted their.. Had taught her `` a lot about life. a year and half Bruce!
What Is The Newcastle Dysarthria Assessment Tool,
Articles S
