She continues to maintain her innocence, saying that Cindy lied to get the $300,000 reward money (she received $250,000). [5][7], Initial suspicions were directed at Bristol-Myers, with Stella and Webking filing wrongful death lawsuits against the company. Are you a "motivated dater"? Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. Three capsules out of those that remained in the 60-capsule bottle were found to be laced with cyanide in toxic quantities. According to Cindy, Stella had pointed out that if Bruce died, she and Cindy would have the cash they wanted to open a tropical fish store, or perhaps a ceramics store, another of Stella's hobbies. Stella Nichols. [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. Make her serve the whole sentence or until she dies. 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? The deaths sparked a nationwide tampering scare and prompted Excedrin manufacturer Bristol-Myers Co. to recall its over-the-counter capsule medications. In 1986, the Nickells lived in Auburn, Washington, a suburb south of Seattle not far from SEA-TAC airport. Gradually suspicion hardened on Stella Nickell. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. [1] In the course of their ten-year marriage, Bruce entered a drug rehab and gave up drinking, which Stella reportedly resented as she later felt he had "turned into a boring man". Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease. They have a history of helping people they feel have been unfairly convicted. They were married two years later. The money was an attempt by the company to limit damages, because scared consumers had boycotted their products. The convicted killer stood before a parole board in 2017, while Klein watched the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. (CBS) Thirteen years ago, in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. [2] The possibility of state charges for the actual murders of Bruce and Snow continues to exist. 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. [31], The 2000 TV film Who Killed Sue Snow? #inline-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { They then looked toward Nickell. The same amount is offered in the 1982 Chicago-area deaths of seven people, who also were killed with tainted Tylenol capsules, he said. She lived with the Nickells months before Bruce died. "She was having a hard time breathing." During the autopsy, an assistant medical examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a tell-tale indicator of cyanide. Bruce's insurance paid an extra hundred thousand dollars if he died by accident, including poisoning. Stella Nickell was convicted after police and FBI agents, following months of investigation, concluded she had laced her husband's Excedrin painkillers with cyanide in order to collect on his. When detectives investigated, they found that Stella had borrowed, but never returned, a book called Human Poisoning. She grew up in a poor family. Stella Maudine Stephenson was born in Colton, Oregon, to Alva Georgia "Jo" (ne Duncan; later changed her name to Cora Lee) and George Stephenson. Cindy told FBI investigators that Stella had researched toxic local plants and other poisons at local libraries. Stella denies abusing her children: "(Hamilton) wasn't feeling good. It's a notorious case out of Auburn a woman convicted of lacing Excedrin painkillers with cyanide that killed two people in 1986, including her husband. 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. 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. But Tom Noonan, who managed the local fish store at the time, says she did buy algae destroyer. A federal judge has denied a plea for compassionate release from prison by an Auburn woman whos serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills that killed two and prompted national recalls of over-the-counter painkillers. A more recent but undated photo of Stella Nickell. [7], A murder by cyanide was sensational news in Washington State. [13], On December 9, 1987, Stella was indicted by a federal grand jury on five counts of product tampering, including two which resulted in the deaths of Bruce and Snow,[6][14] and arrested the same day. The other three charges each drew a 10-year term. [9] On June 24, a cyanide-contaminated bottle of Anacin-3 was found at the same store where Snow had bought her contaminated Excedrin. After the war, he opened a haberdashery in Kansas City. She told authorities that her husband had died suddenly after taking Excedrin. ER . [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. Your email address will not be published. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. But this time, there was a suspect and an arrest. Farr and Ciolino talked to other people who were also rewarded for their role in the case. [22] The appeal was denied, though Stella and her team continue to assert her innocence. She bought nine more bottles of Excedrin and cut through the protective film with a razor blade. Stella Nickell had three life insurance policies on her husband. 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. Stella Nicholls : I can't leave my dad. #inline-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { The bottle had the same lot number as the bottle in Sue Snows home. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. 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. Like last weeks case, this week deals with murder by poison. Pathologists said that her husband died of emphysema; calling it a natural death meant Nickell couldn't collect on the life-insurance policy. In June 1986, two Auburn residents were killed by painkillers laced with cyanide. The FBI began an investigation into possible product tampering having been the source of the poison. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. Stella's neighbor, Sandy Scott, became a spy for the FBI. Stella refused, her lawyer saying she was too shaken up. Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. Nickell was given two 90-year sentences for the murders of her husband and Susan Snow. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital. 4 Stella J Nicholls. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. She was paid $7,500. But, the author said, the poisoner has never cared about the attention. You have to go to the city. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. Stella Nickell used Cyanide to kill her victims. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. It was also featured in episode 93 of Casefile True Crime Podcast in August 2018. 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Because of product tampering legislation passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 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.. SEATTLE -- Stella Nickell poisoned her husband with cyanide-laced Excedrin so she could collect on his life insurance and caused the death of an innocent woman to fake 'the work of a random. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. Now some top sleuths are trying to prove her innocence. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. But Tom Noonan, manager of the local fish store, says she did buy algae destroyer. Now 27, Hamilton had been in and out of Stella's life for years. They learned she had purchased the algae killer found in the cyanide, and that she had been told by the clerk to crush it before using. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in 1986. The son of a farmer, Truman could not afford to go to college. Some cite $71,000, some $75,000, and some $76,000. Bruce worked as a heavy equipment operator and had a fondness for alcohol. Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. There was nothing wrong with her. "All she wanted was a tropical-fish store.". 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. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. June Devaney: Unique Strategy Solves a Horrific Murder, Lipstick Killer: Murder Spree is a Challenge For Cops, Mollie Olgin: Strange Murder of Girl in Texas Park, Jason Owens: Secrets and Murder of a Media Star, Black Sox: Baseballs First Big Gambling Scandal, Mark Putnam: Love and Murder in Appalachia, Eric Witte: Mother Manipulates Boy to Commit Startling Murder. He died shortly after arriving. [5], Records from the Auburn Public Library, when subpoenaed, showed that Stella had checked out numerous books about poisons, including Human Poisonings from Native and Cultivated Plants and Deadly Harvest. She became eligible in 2017 after serving 30 years of her 90-year sentence. In inorganic cyanides, the cyanide group is present as the cyanide anion CN.This anion is extremely poisonous.Soluble salts such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) and potassium . When her mom's autopsy results showed she had died of cyanide poisoning, Klein struggled to process the news. 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