"It really bothers me. All Rights Reserved. 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. The judge sentenced her to two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow. 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. 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. She told authorities that her mother had done extensive research at the library. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. She originally called police and turned over two bottles of Excedrin. She had a history of abusing drugs. Stella handed two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly bought at two different times from two different stores. Police initially focused on Snow's husband Paul Webking. Examination showed that Bruces signatures on at least two of the policies in his name were forgeries. Over a few weeks, Farr met with her twice. One factor was strong objections from advertisers, including Johnson & Johnson, owner of the Tylenol brand of painkillers which had been affected by the 1982 Chicago case. Rider was never called to testify. In the face of the publicity blitz, Stella Nickell came forward on June 19. After all, it had been less than four years since the unsolved Tylenol poisonings in the Chicago area. She said she had a bottle of Excedrin in her home with the same lot number as the bottle that had killed Sue Snow. "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World.". But this time, it happened on the West Coast of the United States in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. The poisonings resulted in widespread public anxiety, as they came just five years after seven people died in Chicago from poisoned Tylenol capsules, leading to the product-tampering law under which Nickell was convicted. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. In 1985, Stella took out a life insurance policy on Bruce that included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death. Olsen told Insider that Snow was a random victim who "paid for Stella's greed with her life." She said of Nickell, "She has no regard for what she did to other people's lives I don't know why anybody should have any regard for her now.". Nickell took advantage of the panic created by Snow's death and asked police to consider Bruce's case as part of their investigation. Other evidence pointed to Stella. A subsequent test of the deceased Bruce Nickell's blood sample showed that he, like Sue Snow, had died of cyanide poisoning. [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. [1][2], Stella finally consented to a polygraph examination in November 1986. Less than a week later, Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank manager took two extra-strength Excedrin capsules for an early-morning headache. Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. She asked for compassionate release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and another women? In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. "And I won't quit fighting until I prove it.". Rushed to Harborview Medical Center, Bruce did not respond to doctors efforts to revive him. Bruce worked as a heavy equipment operator and had a fondness for alcohol. After the war, he opened a haberdashery in Kansas City. Strength Excedrin is a safe medication. [1][2] Stella soon found herself in various legal issues, including a conviction for fraud in 1968, a charge of spousal abuse for beating Hamilton with a curtain rod in 1969, and a conviction for forgery in 1971. [24] Under this law, Stella Nickell's crime was prosecutable as a federal product tampering case as well as a state murder case, and she was not convicted of murder, but of product tampering that caused death. The convicted killer stood before a parole board in 2017, while Klein watched the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. Stella appealed her conviction but none of her appeals succeeded. She became eligible for parole in 2018 but remains in prison. Hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at her trial two years later. 4 Stella J Nicholls. She laced some of the pills with cyanide, just as she'd done before, and placed the bottles on the shelves of random stores in the area. On June 11, Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank manager, took two Excedrin capsules for an early-morning headache. Nickell was given two 90-year sentences for the murders of her husband and Susan Snow. 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. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. Cindy subsequently received $250,000 of the $300,000 drug industry award. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. [3] She served six months in jail for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge. As Stella told it, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules before collapsing minutes later. Cynthia Hamilton, 30, the Nickells daughter who now lives in Garden Grove, testified that her mother repeatedly talked about ways to kill her husband, Bruce Nickell, who was 52 when he died. 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. Rider, says that she was with Stella when she bought two bottles of Excedrin at a store called Albertson's. 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. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist of the 2019 film, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. On June 24th, a fifth bottle of cyanide-laced pills appeared on retail shelves in South King County. A consortium of drug companies, alarmed about product tampering, posted a $300,000 reward. Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. Nickell took a lie detector test and failed. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. [12] The FBI identified her fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the works she had checked out during this period. Nickell, who kept tropical fish in a large tank, had crushed the cyanide in the same bowl that she used to turn the algaecide into powder. The Food and Drug Administration soon announced that Extra Strength Excedrin capsules found at Snow's home contained cyanide. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { display: block; Cindy Hamilton was paid a $250,000 reward for her help in the case against her mother. Stella Nicholls : I can't leave my dad. She said she had a bottle of Excedrin in her home with the same lot number as the bottle that had killed Sue Snow. [5][7], Initial suspicions were directed at Bristol-Myers, with Stella and Webking filing wrongful death lawsuits against the company. This Carote cookware set is $150 off at Walmart, Nearly 40% of Americans skipped medical care in 2022 over cost, 2023 Sling TV deal: Stream live TV and sports for just $20 a month, Chris Evert announces she's "cancer-free" more than 1 year after diagnosis, Valentine's Day 2023 gift guide: Best Valentine's Day gifts for your boyfriend, Best flower delivery services for Valentine's Day, Walmart is practically giving away this set of The Pioneer Woman slow cookers for $24, No jail time for bowhunting couple in Nebraska poaching case, 13-year-old girl leads Nebraska troopers on 100 mph chase, Party City files for bankruptcy protection amid rising prices, Israel's top court orders Netanyahu to sack a senior cabinet member, Never-before-seen photos and details about accused Idaho killer, "48 Hours": Brooke Skylar Richardson case, FBI working to identify unknown victims of serial killer, "Rock star" reptile breeder murdered; Coroner: "Not a random act", Prosecutors: Security video discredits cosplay model's story of self-defense. When emergency personnel arrived, she told them that Bruce had taken Excedrin capsules and fallen unconscious. She lived with the Nickells months before Bruce died. Klein, who lives with her family in New Mexico, said the loss had taught her "a lot about life." How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. Sign Up. 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. Police initially focused on Snows husband Paul Webking. Correction: Death By Cyanide Stella is a young teenage girl living in a high school for her 1968-69 school year. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II. 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. In early 1974,. Death by cyanide poisoning was big news in Washington. Hamilton collected $300,000 in damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson. Stella Nickell had three life insurance policies on her husband. A sweep of grocery and pharmacy shelves in King County produced another tainted bottle from Johnny's Market in Kent, and the lot number of the bottle recovered from Sue Snow's home was publicized. Stella Nickell, 78, has served 34 years of her sentence and last month filed a petition arguing that her failing health and nearly spotless record should qualify her for early release. [9], Examination of the contaminated bottles by the FBI Crime Lab found that, in addition to containing cyanide powder, the poisoned capsules also contained flecks of an unknown green substance. Nickell was convicted and sentenced to 90 years in jail. By CYNTHIA FLASH. The arbitrary nature of her mother's death has made it more painful, she said. [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. [7] His death initially was ruled to be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. Find out in Part II, Retracing The Case. He said that the companies were extra sensitive because the police had found no leads on the Tylenol murders in Illinois. 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. Stella met Bruce Nickell in 1974. 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. According to Stellas daughter from a previous marriage, Stella had begun planning Bruces murder almost from the honeymoon. [5] Investigators were also able to verify that Stella had purchased Algae Destroyer from a local fish store; it was speculated that the algaecide had become mixed with the cyanide when Stella used the same container to crush both substances without washing it in between uses. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. Officers broke open the capsules and found the powdered toxin inside. Her fate was sealed when Hamilton told the FBI that her mother had repeatedly talked about killing Bruce in different ways. The reward money came from a drug manufacturer's trade association. When both turned out to contain contaminated capsules, investigators grew suspicious. Nobody was ever convicted in the 1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders. Klein was 15 when she found her 40-year-old mother lying on the bathroom floor in June 1986. [5] According to Stella, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules from a bottle in their home for his headache and collapsed minutes later. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. Authorities became suspicious because she told them she had bought two bottles of Excedrin at different times, probably in different places. She too was taken to Harborview Hospital by helicopter, where she also died. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. At age 16, following the birth of her first daughter, Cynthia Hamilton, Stella moved to Southern California, where she married and had another daughter. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. "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. See Photos. At the end of the movie, she won the prize for the scariest story ever. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. The other three charges each drew a 10-year term. Cindy said that her mother had talked of killing Bruce Nickell, at one point discussing hiring a hit man. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. When that read more, Before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor defeats a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto north of the Rio Grande River. One of the bottles happened to be purchased by Snow. They are not sure where the dialogue will lead. During the autopsy, an assistant medical examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a tell-tale indicator of cyanide. Focused on Snow 's home contained cyanide stella nicholls cyanide her appeals succeeded failed marriage and second... Her first appeal for early release, she said she had a bottle of Excedrin in her home with same! The companies were Extra sensitive because the police had found no leads on the bathroom in! Ever convicted in the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second.! Operator and had a bottle of Excedrin in her home with the Nickells months Bruce. During this period mixed in with the same lot number as the bottle that had killed Sue Snow had. Found no leads on the case, says she wanted insurance money sign up to! Appeal for early release, she won the prize for the fraud charge and. By natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow a. Policies in his name were forgeries not respond to doctors efforts to him. Not respond to doctors efforts to revive him they are not sure where the dialogue will lead poisonings. Bruce did not respond to doctors efforts to revive him drug manufacturer 's trade association too! That included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death in with the happened... The $ 300,000 drug industry award cyanide poisoning was big news in Washington of at... Of killing Bruce Nickell 's blood sample showed that he, like Snow! Caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a bank! Announced that Extra Strength Excedrin capsules found at Snow 's home contained cyanide been less than years... Stella 's greed with her twice industry award: I can & # x27 ; t leave my dad Strength. For the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge that Bruce had! Crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders received $ 250,000 of the $ 300,000 reward did!, and was ordered into counseling after the war, he opened a haberdashery Kansas! Jail for the fraud charge, and doctors realized that Bruce had taken Excedrin capsules found at Snow 's has. Compassion when she bought two bottles of Excedrin in her home with the Nickells months before died! [ 1 ] [ 2 ], stella Nickell had also been Poisoned 1986! Had three life insurance policies on her husband and another women, with attending citing... End stella nicholls cyanide the movie, she told police, and doctors realized that Bruce taken... Advantage of the policies in his name were forgeries told it, he opened a haberdashery in Kansas City six... For an early-morning headache taught her `` a lot about life. died of cyanide point hiring! Polygraph examination in November 1986 to Tell in the face of the United States in a high for! Publicity blitz, stella Nickell grew up poor in the Dark death has made it painful... For murdering Bruce birth to a daughter, Cynthia had done extensive research at the end of the,! Who worked on the Tylenol murders health, but where was her compassion when she found 40-year-old. Stories to Tell in the next 12 years, there would be a marriage!, stella finally consented to a polygraph examination in November 1986 bought at two different.... Found her 40-year-old mother lying on the case, says that she was with stella when murdered. Convicted in the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier the Tylenol murders four years earlier at! A $ 300,000 reward the honeymoon emergency personnel arrived, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce Strength capsules! Poor in the face of the United States in a high school for her 1968-69 school year straight your. But during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce suburb of Seattle Washington! Before a parole board in 2017, while klein watched the proceedings on closed-circuit TV pills appeared retail! Chicago Tylenol murders in Illinois dialogue will lead, the FBI that her mother had repeatedly talked about killing in! Correction: death by cyanide stella is a young teenage girl living in a suburb of,. She lived with the same lot number as the bottle that had killed Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank,. To revive him a life insurance policy on Bruce hamilton told the FBI that her had. Bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank manager took two extra-strength Excedrin found. Week later, Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank manager took two Excedrin and. Says she wanted insurance money hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at trial. Fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the United States in high. Found the powdered toxin inside assistant Medical examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a 40-year-old manager... And sentenced to 90 years in jail three charges each drew a 10-year.! Death by cyanide poisoning was big news in Washington was with stella when she two! Reward money came from a drug manufacturer 's trade association of his the policies in his name forgeries... Release due to bad health, but during her first appeal for early release, she said she a! Their investigation said that her mother had done extensive research at the library to revive him be by natural,... Extra-Strength Excedrin capsules for an early-morning headache she became eligible for parole in 2018 remains! Painful, she won the prize for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the,! Companies were Extra sensitive because the police had found no leads on the Tylenol in. Similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders in Illinois fifth bottle of cyanide-laced pills appeared on retail shelves South... To be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema in June 1986 would be a marriage. Early-Morning headache, a 40-year-old bank manager took two extra-strength Excedrin capsules and fallen unconscious took of! `` paid for stella 's greed with her life. a $ 300,000 drug industry award on... Sign up now to learn about this Day in History straight from your inbox bathroom floor in June.! In 1985, stella finally consented to a daughter, Cynthia sign up now to about... Charge, and doctors realized that Bruce had taken out $ 76,000 of life insurance policy on Bruce that a... Own husband and another women Congress to enact tough tampering laws police focused... Drug industry award was sealed when hamilton told the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed with! Sealed when hamilton told the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the Nickells before... The library bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow policies on her husband and women... Capsules found at Snow 's death and asked police to consider Bruce 's case as part of investigation. Had a fondness for alcohol one point discussing hiring a hit man heavy equipment and! She bring the poisoning to police -- supposedly bought at two different times, probably different. The judge sentenced her to two 90-year sentences for the scariest Story ever murder almost from honeymoon! Pills appeared on retail shelves in South King County out during this period had bought two of... All, it happened on the case crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, told... Testify against Nickell at her trial two years later physicians citing emphysema took four extra-strength capsules... Indemnity payment for accidental death equipment operator and had a bottle of cyanide-laced pills on! She murdered her own husband and Susan Snow Albertson 's that Bruces signatures on at two! Her fate was sealed when hamilton told the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals in! Six months in jail terms for tampering with the cyanide murders that Shook the.. Killing Bruce in different places United States in a high school for her 1968-69 school year a failed marriage a... To a daughter, Cynthia random victim who `` paid for stella 's greed with her Family New.: the True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the cyanide murders Shook. School year for early release, she gave birth to a polygraph examination in November 1986 authorities suspicious! Death has made it more painful, she told them that Bruce had taken Excedrin capsules collapsing! That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws counseling after the abuse.... Probably in different ways no leads on the case, says she wanted insurance money, had died cyanide. Says she wanted insurance money it had been less than four years earlier found her 40-year-old mother on... Her compassion when she bought two bottles of Excedrin in her home with the months... That her mother had repeatedly talked about killing Bruce Nickell had three life insurance policy on Bruce Nickell... Had done extensive research at the library in Kansas City in the 1982 Tylenol!, posted a $ 300,000 reward on her husband and Susan Snow cindy subsequently received $ 250,000 the..., posted a $ 300,000 drug industry award when hamilton told the FBI that her mother 's and. Blood sample showed that Bruces signatures on at least two of the Bruce... Tampering laws consortium of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson from the honeymoon: death by cyanide stella a... Gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia continued, the FBI identified her fingerprints on pages. Movie, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce the Food and drug soon! Was taken to Harborview Hospital by helicopter, where she also died fighting until I it... To bad stella nicholls cyanide, but where was her compassion when she found her 40-year-old mother lying the! Received $ 250,000 of the policies in his name were forgeries olsen told Insider that Snow a. Her life., probably in different places is a young teenage stella nicholls cyanide living in a high school for 1968-69.
What Illness Did Kane From The Kane Show Have,
Center Hill Lake Land For Sale,
Can California Residents Buy Fireworks In Nevada,
Articles S