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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
00:01:25
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
00:01:31
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website headaches were a semi-regular occurrence
00:01:41
for Susan snow they came with little surprised or concerned for the 40 year old Susan was the assistant vice
00:01:49
president at Puget Sound a National Bank under the manager of the bank's organ branch in Washington State through her
00:01:56
work over the years Susan had become well-known and highly regarded within her small close-knit community bank
00:02:03
customers were drawn to her warm and charming personality and often asked the deal with Susan exclusively recently she
00:02:11
closed the deal on a five million dollar account with a local trucking firm but her immense success and popularity did
00:02:17
little to alleviate the pressure and stress that came with her job on most days it wasn't unusual for Susan to get
00:02:25
a headache but they were never bad enough to warrant a sick day instead Susan would just take a few pills of her
00:02:32
preferred brand of over-the-counter pain relief medication extra-strength excedrin another dull headache greeted
00:02:41
Susan as she woke on the morning of June 11 1986 at 6 o'clock she climbed out of
00:02:47
bed and headed straight to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of excedrin from its usual spot in a cabin above the sink
00:02:54
the bottle was already open and its lid was missing needing to take painkillers so often susan developed the habit of
00:03:02
discarding the bothersome safety caps saving her from having to wrestle with them constantly there was still plenty
00:03:09
of the red gelatin shell capsules inside after shaking out a couple into her hand
00:03:15
Susan swallowed them then returned to the bottle back to the cabinet extra-strength excedrin boasted of
00:03:22
relief from headaches within 15 minutes [Music] fifteen-year-old Hayley snow greeted her
00:03:29
mother with a hug it was just the two of them home at the time Susan's husband 45 year old Paul
00:03:37
wept King was a long-haul trucker he left for work early at that morning Susan's eldest daughter 23 year old EXO
00:03:45
spent the night before out on the town and had yet to come home shortly before 6:30 a.m.
00:03:53
Susan headed down the hallway leading to the master bedroom to get ready for work on the way she
00:04:00
gave Hayley a quick kiss and told her she loved her Hayley went to take a shower before school whilst in the
00:04:09
bathroom she could hear the muffled sound of running water through the walls it was coming from the master bedrooms
00:04:15
ensuite where her mother was completing her morning routine during her shower Hayley was startled by a loud thump as
00:04:23
though something heavy dropped somewhere in the house she worried her mother might have been the source of the noise
00:04:29
perhaps she tripped or fallen after waiting listening and hearing nothing else Hayley dismissed her concern convinced
00:04:39
she was just being overdramatic after her shower Hayley stood before the mirror to apply
00:04:47
makeup her attention was once again drawn to the faint sound of running water familiar with her mother's morning
00:04:55
routine Hayley knew Susan should have been out of the ensuite by now yet the water from the ensuite continued
00:05:03
to flow uninterrupted for an unusually long time sensing something wasn't right Hayley went to check on her mother her
00:05:15
parents bedroom was empty the sound of flowing water continued from behind to the ensuite door Hayley couldn't hear
00:05:23
her mother moving about in there and calling out was met with no response so she looked inside the vanity sink was
00:05:33
near overflowing as the tap above flooded it with water lying on the floor at its base was Susan in her purple
00:05:40
bathrobe susan was on her back her head resting awkwardly on the doorframe of the shower
00:05:47
her eyes were wide open fixed and dilated her body was pale and unnaturally stiff
00:05:54
a frightened expression was frozen across her face Hayley had never seen her mother in such a state she rushed in
00:06:03
and attempted to rouse her but Susan didn't react at 6:43 a.m. an emergency call came through to 9-1-1 Hayley snow
00:06:14
struggled to get the words out I think my mother fell while I was in the shower she's breathing in everything but
00:06:22
something's wrong with her when asked by the dispatcher if her mother could talk
00:06:28
Hayley responded I don't know it's like she's sleeping with her eyes open by 7:00 a.m. paramedics had arrived to
00:06:39
the house Susan state appeared consistent with a head injury it was assumed she slipped whilst getting into
00:06:46
the shower hailey quickly dismissed this explanation clarifying that her mother only took showers in the evening
00:06:53
furthermore Susan didn't have any noticeable wounds fractures bumps or bruises located by the vanity sink was
00:07:03
Susan's curling iron used to style her hair yet the possibility Susan was electrocuted didn't seem likely there
00:07:12
were no visible burn marks on her body and the power in the bathroom was still on had she suffered an electric shock
00:07:19
powerful enough to render her unconscious it seemed probable the power would have shored it and shut down
00:07:26
bottles of medication was shaken to determine if Susan overdosed but all were reasonably fool questions raised
00:07:34
about Susan's mental health were quickly clarified by Haley who insists that her
00:07:39
mother was neither depressed nor suicidal when the words recreational drugs were mentioned Haley responded
00:07:46
defensively my mother's not a druggie [Music] Haley informed the medics that her
00:07:53
mother woke up with one of her usual headaches and took some pain relief medication for she retrieved at the
00:07:59
bottle of extra-strength excedrin from the kitchen the 60 pill bottle looked to be missing only a few capsules guarding
00:08:06
any suspicion Susan took an excessive amount it didn't seem likely she was having a reaction to the etc neither
00:08:13
there was her preferred brand she had taken it many times before without issue Susan's breathing pattern was abnormal
00:08:23
every few minutes she would give a labored ineffective gasp for air as though she was suffocating a bag mask
00:08:31
was placed over her nose and mouth and squeezed to facilitate breathing but it didn't relieve her condition more
00:08:38
desperate measures were required a tube was put down Susan's trachea to serve as
00:08:44
an airway but that didn't help either struggling to breathe and pulse fading Susan was
00:08:52
flown by helicopter 30 miles north to Harborview Medical Center in the city of Seattle
00:08:58
prior to her collapse Susan was in good health with no pre-existing illnesses or
00:09:03
conditions that would render her unconscious doctors considered if her headaches indicated a serious
00:09:09
undiagnosed health problem perhaps a tremor stroke or aneurysm but it was hard to tell collectively her symptoms
00:09:18
didn't line up perfectly with any suggested diagnosis doctors were baffled finding it difficult to treat her making
00:09:27
matters worse was the sheer speed susan was deteriorating news of Susan's hospitalization reached her family
00:09:36
husband Paul eldest daughter Axl and ex-husband Connie snow whom she maintained a friendly relationship
00:09:43
arrived to the hospital from what they understood Susan fell or fainted knowing she was otherwise healthy their concerns
00:09:54
were easily brushed off but arriving one by one each was shocked to discover just
00:10:00
how dire Susan's condition really was she was in a coma and on life support doctors pronounced her brain-dead and
00:10:09
concluded there was absolutely no hope for her to recover by midday Susan snow had died
00:10:26
[Music] the loss of one's twin is a profound grief said to be unlike any other Sarah
00:10:49
would attest to that after receiving the call that her identical twin Susan was in a coma she was rushing to the airport
00:10:57
flying from her home in Denver Colorado to Seattle by the time Sara arrived Susan had already passed Sarah was born
00:11:08
15 minutes before Susan on April 13 1946 from that day onwards the twins were inseparable throughout their lives the
00:11:18
pair always remained close despite being polar opposites Sarah was the logical and careful twin she
00:11:26
followed her head Susan on the other hand followed her heart she was the adventurous spontaneous risk-taker by
00:11:36
age 16 Susan was pregnant in preparation for motherhood she dropped out of high school married her baby's father and
00:11:44
moved into his farmhouse she gave birth on June 30 1963 to a girl EXO Susan took
00:11:54
well to being a mother and dota Don her baby girl but she longed to do more with
00:11:59
her life than settling straight into marriage and living a simple quiet farm life
00:12:04
[Music] Susan's brother-in-law was a man named Connie Snow Connie was 11 years Susan's
00:12:11
senior annoyer field worker who's spent his career in and around the Texas Panhandle
00:12:17
nineteen-year-old Susan found herself drawn to the older men and as she always did Susan followed her heart she
00:12:26
divorced her husband and began a relationship with Connie not wanting Susan to rushing to yet another marriage
00:12:33
her parents told her to wait a year first after that if she still loved Connie and wanted to Wed him then they
00:12:40
would not stand in her way this was a big ask for the impulsive Susan but both her and Connie respected
00:12:47
her parents request Susan's love for Connie strengthened over the following year and on the final
00:12:54
day of her parents deadline 20 year-old Susan and four-year-old Axl went to live
00:13:00
with him they settled in a mobile home park in Sumner a small town close to Orban where Connie worked at the time
00:13:08
the couple married the following year in 1969 Susan started work at Puget Sound National Bank as a teller colleagues
00:13:19
believed she was too smart to stay behind at the tellers window and she proved them right hastily climbing the
00:13:25
corporate ladder she spent time in credit and moved on to her least enjoyable role in repossessions stealing
00:13:33
property from the community for the bank didn't sit well with kind-hearted Sue on
00:13:40
April 24 1971 Susan and Connie had a daughter Hayley for Connie his relationship with Susan
00:13:49
was truly wedded bliss she treated him like a king and he felt on top of the world with her yet Susan's feelings for
00:13:58
Connie waned over the years as he got older he slowed down becoming a homebody who would fall asleep on the couch after
00:14:05
work Susan on the other hand was in the prime of her life she was outgoing clever and a popular making leaps and
00:14:14
bounds through a successful career with the bank she outgrew Connie and their marriage fell apart
00:14:21
Susan then moved with her daughters to New Mexico to look after her ailing father the separation was hard for
00:14:29
Connie he felt he couldn't love anyone else as much as he loved Susan around a year and
00:14:35
a half after they split he sent her money to return to Washington in hopes they would rekindle their relationship
00:14:41
Susan did return to the state and the pair remained close over the years mainly for the children but they never
00:14:48
officially got back together eventually they filed for divorce Susan settled with our girls in an
00:14:58
apartment in nearby Puyallup and it was there she was introduced to Paul Webb King by the time he met Susan Snow Paul
00:15:08
had been married and divorced three times he was a Roma he switched homes relationships and jobs constantly he dug
00:15:17
ditches worked to customer service did bar work and eventually became a long-haul trucker the day he met Susan
00:15:25
Paul took her out to get pizza not long after that they became a couple others weren't fully convinced at the paring
00:15:35
Susan herself was a successful career woman who typically dated doctors and lawyers Paul was a shy blue-collar type
00:15:43
who was unapologetically apathetic he often aired his annoyance of the human race which he considered lazy and
00:15:50
selfish although susan was seen as Paul's opposite with an optimistic and outgoing
00:15:56
nature Paul's attitude actually settled well with her in a way Paul's indifference and cynicism allowed
00:16:04
her to finally relax Susan used up a lot of energy maintaining her cheerful facade and struggled to say no to
00:16:11
demanding requests with laid-back Paul she could just be herself and be honest it was therapeutic for Susan to come
00:16:20
home from work and vent to her husband Paul took on a domestic role in the relationship as Susan focused more on
00:16:28
her career he got along well enough with Susan's youngest daughter Haley who aimed the pleased that eldest thought
00:16:35
her exile was more free-spirited and independent she didn't respond too well to strict parenting
00:16:41
at times she butted heads with both Paul and her mother Susan's strictness manifested from her
00:16:50
own experiences she didn't want her daughters to take the same life path that she did and become young mothers
00:16:56
she encouraged them to find to their full potential to study enter in career success
00:17:03
EXIF followed her mother's advice after graduating high school she moved into state to attend university and studied
00:17:11
tax law that had an added bonus for everyone x's move east attention in the household and gave her the full autonomy
00:17:19
she desired throughout her life and all her ups and downs Susan always sought advice from her twin Sarah even though
00:17:30
the sisters had gone their separate ways they spoke on the phone almost daily and
00:17:35
visited each other whenever they could they traded stories secrets and advice their bond was near unbreakable and -
00:17:43
they were each other's pillars of support what exactly caused Susan snow's sudden death remained a medical mystery
00:17:56
seeking answers her family agreed for the medical examiner's office to conduct an autopsy assistant medical examiner
00:18:04
for King County dr. carine floognarg the procedure assisted by pathologist Janet
00:18:10
Miller as an incision was made to open the chest cavity Janet Miller detected a distinct odor emanate from Susan's body
00:18:20
years prior a colleague of Millers committed suicide by ingesting cyanide a highly toxic salt and rapidly acting
00:18:28
poison so I know it stopped cells of the body from absorbing oxygen giving the sensation of suffocation fatal
00:18:37
quantities result in cardiac arrest depending on the dosage cyanide can take hours or just minutes to kill Janet
00:18:46
Miller was aware cyanide was often described as having a smell like a bitter almonds she noticed the unique
00:18:53
scent faint as it was during Susan snows autopsy Miller informed dr. fleckner of
00:19:01
the odor and its implication however flug nerf ailed to detect the odor herself furthermore Susan's flesh was
00:19:10
glaringly pale victims of cyanide poisoning tend to have unnaturally pink to bright
00:19:16
red skintone uncertain of herself Miller didn't push the matter later her doctor
00:19:25
entered the room asking if anything turned up explaining Susan's death dr. fluke no was under the impression Susan
00:19:32
died from natural causes specifically cardiac arrhythmia an irregular heartbeat that in serious
00:19:38
cases can result in stroke or heart failure but Dr Flegg nez assistant Janet Miller was unable to shake the son of
00:19:46
Arlen's lingering in the air she spoke up about its presence once more but still no one else could smell it
00:19:56
prompted by Miller's assertions a sample of Susan's blood was sent to the lab to
00:20:01
receive a specific cox ecology assessment one not routinely performed in standard autopsies Susan's blood was
00:20:10
mixed with an acid solution that separated blood from any possible cyanide molecules after this a special
00:20:17
reactive paper was sealed in a tube with the blood and acid solution mixture as the tube was heated the reactive paper
00:20:25
inside had turned blue the blue coloring indicated Miller's instincts were correct
00:20:32
there was cyanide present in Susan's bloodstream additional tests revealed Susan consumed a fatal amount of cyanide
00:20:41
the amount of poison in her bloodstream would have taken effect approximately 10
00:20:46
minutes after ingestion in hindsight her symptoms lined up perfectly with those associated with cyanide poisoning Susan
00:20:56
experienced the rapid onset of dizziness leading to her collapse shut with the breathe and eventually fell into a coma
00:21:03
all of this occurring within a short timeframe Susan's skin was not unnaturally pink or
00:21:10
bright red but this characteristic was not present in all cases examiner's knew how lucky they were the ability to smell
00:21:20
cyanide is genetic between 20 and 40 percent of the population don't carry the gene required to detect the odor of
00:21:27
cyanide to those people and has no odor at all [Music] this was the case during Susan snows
00:21:36
autopsy no one except for pathologist Janet Miller picked up the almond alike odor of the cyanide as she was the only
00:21:43
one with the genetic ability to do so had Miller not been present during Susan snows autopsy the cyanide that killed
00:21:52
her would have gone undetected cyanide toxicity is considered to be a rare form of poisoning in most cases had occurs
00:22:05
from smoke inhalation during house or industrial fires but this clearly wasn't the case in Susan
00:22:11
snows death cyanide is used in the metal Trades morning jewelry manufacturing photography agriculture and pest control
00:22:20
none of which were relevant activities or interests for Susan it is also present in certain fruit seeds and
00:22:28
stones though the average adult would need to consume anywhere from hundreds to thousands of them to be at risk of
00:22:34
cyanide poisoning with that in mind had seemed highly unlikely Susan accidentally poisoned herself examiner's
00:22:44
wondered if Susan intentionally poisoned herself suicide by cyanide is very uncommon it typically involves health
00:22:52
care or laboratory workers persons who have access to cyanide salts Susan's behavior prior was not a like
00:23:00
someone anticipating their death the morning she collapsed Susan began preparing herself for work it was clear
00:23:07
she intended to go into the office that day the medical examiner's office contacted Susan's family to report on
00:23:16
the results of her autopsy her cause of death was listed as acute cyanide poisoning at the same time the medical
00:23:25
examiner's office contacted Orban police hundreds of oven residents attended the
00:23:33
memorial service held for Susan snow during the service a longtime friend of Susan's recalled with admiration her
00:23:40
Frank and sense of humor a song written by Connie snow called Darling soo was played along with music by the band at
00:23:49
the Judds Susan's favorite musicians a pervasive feeling lingered over the event
00:23:56
different from the expected grief and sorrow that was suspicions Susan's family were aware she had been poisoned
00:24:05
not only were they having to come terms with our death but also her murder like a twin Sarah also suffered from semi
00:24:16
frequent headaches Susan's death assured in a grief induced headache Sarah couldn't shake having visited Susan
00:24:24
often she knew her sister kept painkillers in a kitchen cupboard above the sink when Sarah found the open
00:24:32
bottle of extra-strength excedrin in there she was immediately suspect the issue wasn't the missing lid she was
00:24:39
aware her sister threw those away for ease of access it was the capsules inside Sarah knew her twin better than
00:24:47
anybody Susan never took capsules she preferred tablets it was a preference the sister shared ever since the Chicago
00:24:58
Tylenol notice four years earlier where seven people died after consuming cyanide laced pain relief capsules the
00:25:05
sisters had developed a mistrust of capsules capsules consist of a medicinal powder or jelly encased in a dissolvable
00:25:14
gelatin show as in the case of the Chicago tylenol murders these shells can be easily opened and tampered with
00:25:22
tablets on the other hand are compressed medicinal powder in a solid form far harder to interfere with as such Susan
00:25:31
and Sarah only ever took tablets Sarah raised the point with her brother-in-law Susan's husband Paul Webb King
00:25:40
according to Paul Susan purchased the capsule variety of XA dream by mistake but came to realize she preferred them
00:25:48
over tablets as they were easier to swallow a sense of uneasiness compelled Sarah not to take any of the excedrin
00:25:55
capsules that day instead she put the bottle on the cupboards highest shelf hiding it behind some spice jars
00:26:07
Detective Mike Dunbar and his partner arrived to the snow web King residence in the late morning of June 16 he would
00:26:15
have arrived sooner but Susan snows family were at Mountain View Cemetery overseeing her burial the house was full
00:26:23
of people all friends and family of Susan's the detectives recalled the atmosphere within was bizarre it seemed
00:26:31
like a party even pizzas were being ordered the detectives met Susan's husband Paul Webb King he permitted them
00:26:40
to search the home in an attempt to find the source of the cyanide that killed his wife only Susan Paul and Haley lived
00:26:48
in the house at the time of Susan's death and today were occasionally visited by Susan's oldest daughter EXA
00:26:53
who happened to be in town at the time detectives spoke with Susan's family to determine her actions behavior and state
00:27:02
of mind leading up to the fateful morning the night before Susan's death On June 10
00:27:09
Paul cooked up a barbecue dinner for the family and afterwards they climbed into
00:27:13
the hot tub to relax the mood was pleasant and there were no disturbances this was confirmed by AXA who briefly
00:27:22
visited the house that night to collect some belongings she didn't sense any animosity and said her mother was her
00:27:28
same old self the morning off Paul left for work before Susan got up he drove 25 miles
00:27:37
north from Auburn to Safeways distribution center in Bellevue where he began loading up his truck for his next
00:27:44
tour during the morning word reached him of Susan's hospitalization he knew Susan
00:27:51
was otherwise in good health but was overworked and overstressed he presumed she suffered an anxiety attack or
00:27:57
something similar harmless and recoverable he hitched the ride to the hospital with his boss if Paul harbored
00:28:06
any worry about his wife he hid it well the trip was leisurely in the conversation between the pair
00:28:12
light-hearted when Paul finally arrived to the emergency department Haley noted her stepfathers demeanor was
00:28:20
casual it wasn't until doctors informed him of Susan's critical condition when Paul appeared rattled the color
00:28:28
drained from his face when asked about his marriage with Susan Paul insisted the couple were getting
00:28:36
along well and hadn't argued since September 1985 he recalled the date specifically as it was the moment he
00:28:44
confessed his infidelity whilst away on a work trip Paul had an affair with an ex-girlfriend named Mary
00:28:52
Paul maintained that after seeing a counselor he and Susan were back on track so much so in the following months
00:29:00
they surprised everyone by announcing their engagement they exchanged vows on Thanksgiving Day 1985 around seven
00:29:08
months before Susan's death even though Paul insisted he and Susan were better off others saw things differently
00:29:17
Susan was elated about her marriage to Paul but his affair with Mary was all she talked about she even told her
00:29:25
daughters about it they knew she kept the photograph of Mary in a kitchen drawer hailey remembers her mother
00:29:32
showing it to her once and saying look at this [ __ ] Susan also wanted to phone
00:29:38
Marian have it out a notebook belonging to Susan featured a message she scrawled
00:29:43
the red [ __ ] Paul I hate Mary I hate Paul Haylee revealed her mother and stepfather were prone to heated
00:29:54
arguments during one pull through a phone in anger Susan once contemplated tossing Paul's
00:30:01
belongings on the front lawn and throwing him out of the house but never went through with it as she always did
00:30:08
Susan confided in her sister she admitted wanting to hate Paul but couldn't the thought of losing him
00:30:15
devastated her she still loved him and didn't want to leave him Sarah considered Paul a master manipulator who
00:30:23
had full control over her sister with information gathered so far that wasn't a stretch for detective Dunbar to look
00:30:32
at Paul web King with great suspicion in his opinion Paul's personality lacked positive traits and he spoke of his dead
00:30:41
wife with little emotion he appeared uptight and nervous and even made crude jokes making others uncomfortable given
00:30:49
the situation the only time he showed emotion was when his face turned red with anger after realizing he was being
00:30:56
viewed as a suspect in Susan's death but the detective wasn't the only one who drew issue with the men Paul wasn't
00:31:05
popular those who knew him considered him a possessive and jealous type who seemed too bothered his wife owned more
00:31:12
than him others noted Paul had a tendency to bottle up his emotions and implode in anger when it all became too
00:31:19
much then there was his odd behavior in the days following Susan's death Paul seemed perfectly fine and unfazed he
00:31:30
walked around in Hawaiian shirts and shorts as though on holiday looking and behaving as anything but a grieving
00:31:36
husband detectives found out the household garbage was on the curb and collected
00:31:46
the day Susan died ideal timing for anyone wanting to dispose of evidence nevertheless they took from the house
00:31:54
anything new might contain cyanide including chemicals and incest the sites of particular interest was the open
00:32:02
bottle of extra-strength excedrin in the kitchen cabinet timing wires the painkillers lined up as a feasible
00:32:09
murder weapon and detectives knew from past experiences the capsules could be used to kill analysis of the excedrin
00:32:18
bottle was completed by 8 o'clock that night of the 60 pill bottle 56 remained nine of those capsules were found to
00:32:29
contain four times the lethal dose of cyanide the capsules as well as the bottle were tested for fingerprints none
00:32:38
were found on the capsules themselves but there was a clear one on the bottle it belonged to Sarah
00:32:44
Susan's sister this wasn't surprising and she already admitted to finding the bottle in the cupboard handling it then
00:32:52
hiding it up on a top shelf the test results confirmed what was widely suspected not just for examiner's and
00:33:00
investigators but for Paul Webb King apparently the etc an already raised his suspicions
00:33:09
during Susan's autopsy the medical examiner's office phoned Paul they discussed possible causes of death but
00:33:18
Paul rejected all he then asked dr. Freedman if Susan could have died of capsule poisoning the question baffled
00:33:27
figner there was an unusually specific suggestion she hadn't and probably would never have considered Paul explained a
00:33:35
freshly opened bottle of capsules was found in a kitchen cupboard and it was known Susan took some prior to her death
00:33:42
Wigner dismissed the suggestion at the time stating it was far-fetched with the revelation Susan had in fact
00:33:51
been poisoned via the excedrin capsules Paul was proven right when Paul was informed of the poisoned capsules he was
00:34:00
not surprised stating it was exactly as he suspected Paul gave detectives his own incredible story about the excedrin
00:34:09
in the days before Susan's death he took two painkillers to relieve his arthritis
00:34:15
the bottle was near empty and he mentioned that to Susan who added the medicine to her shopping list during the
00:34:22
following days Susan purchased the new bottle of etc m-- on the morning of her death before
00:34:29
he left for work Paul went to the kitchen cupboard the new bottle was in there and the cap already missing he
00:34:36
took two capsules and headed off a short time later Susan took pills from the same bottle resulting in her death no
00:34:47
one saw Paul take the capsules but there were enough missing from the bottle to imply he had taken some so whether Paul
00:34:55
was the luckiest person alive and somehow avoided the poison once or he knew the capsules were tainted
00:35:03
detectives considered the possibility Paul removed a couple and trashed them to bolster his story later as the
00:35:11
investigation shifted to one involving a homicide police combed through Susan's wife looking for all possible suspects
00:35:17
this included an angry bank customer Susan turned in for embezzlement some six months before her death
00:35:24
then there were the circumstances surrounding a note left for Susan at her work years ago that read to the horror
00:35:31
of Puget Sound Bank the author was never identified detective Dunbar questioned all of her
00:35:39
previous admirers partners and lovers but all the Hazen's ended amicably long ago no potential suspects caught the
00:35:48
attention of detective Dunbar quite like Paul Webb King he was convinced the man
00:35:54
killed his wife tensions within Susan's family Rose boiled by the suspicion someone amongst
00:36:02
them was her killer Susan was the glue that held her family together with her gone the family split in two on one side
00:36:12
stood poor web King and on the other everyone else detectives searched Paul's work truck but failed to find anything
00:36:22
of note after this search Paul admitted to both Sarah and his brother that he kept excedrin in the
00:36:29
truck but police didn't find it he retrieved the meds and Sarah recalled the bottle was gone he just had the
00:36:38
capsules obviously sensing their suspicions Paul offered for the others to take the pills to the police if they
00:36:45
felt they were important but neither took him up on the offer giving Paul the benefit of the doubt
00:36:54
afterwards Paul hurried into the bathroom locked the door and Sara heard the toilet flush thinking Paul just
00:37:03
disposed of evidence she called the authorities to report it when police questioned Paul about it he denied
00:37:10
flushing the pills down the toilet instead he admitted he ground them up in the garbage disposal
00:37:16
when asked why Paul answered he knew possessing the same type of pill that killed his wife made him out to look
00:37:23
guilty so he destroyed them although he strongly denied any involvement in Susan's death
00:37:31
Paul strange statements and behavior were perceived as signs of a guilty man at one stage he tried to dissipate the
00:37:39
suspicion on him by spreading it amongst others he warned his teenage stepdaughter Hayley to get ready being
00:37:46
the only one home at the time of Susan's death she was a prime suspect Haley wasn't the only stepdaughter to feel the
00:37:56
heat EXO was in town at the time but opted to stay at the pony soldier in with a friend George Sanchez denied
00:38:04
before Susan's death exes ed she went to Seattle City with Sanchez and they returned to the hotel in the early hours
00:38:11
the following morning XR attempted to contact her mother at the bank as the pair had made plans to
00:38:17
meet up for lunch but by then Susan was already in a coma there was no sacred xrn Susan clashed in
00:38:27
the past Susan worried about exile and wanted her daughter to exercise better judgement
00:38:33
X's friendship with George Sanchez was one example Susan took issue with Sanchez he was in the midst of a drug
00:38:41
treatment program and AXA barely knew the God exa like everyone else in Susan's immediate circle supply police with a
00:38:50
statement but when asked to come to the station for a second interview she arrived with an attorney
00:38:56
after waiting around for just a minute she abruptly left and never took part in the interview
00:39:04
detectives understood every member of Susan's family had opportunity all had access to the house in the days leading
00:39:10
up to the murder and a nun would raise suspicions rummaging around the kitchen to plant the poison to drugs motive was
00:39:18
the less clear-cut but only one stood the profit from Susan's death at the time of her death Susan had a twenty
00:39:27
thousand dollar life insurance policy and her very basic will left everything to Paul Paul maintained he was going to
00:39:35
use the money to pay off some credit-card bills and the rest would go to Susan's daughters yet Haley indexer
00:39:42
didn't receive a dime when they confronted him about it Paul said money was tight the girls also
00:39:50
noticed several pieces of Susan's jury had disappeared meanwhile Paul changed before them he
00:39:58
swapped Hawaiian shirts for more professional expensive clothing and even purchased the new car then he started
00:40:06
seeing another woman news of the cyanide-laced capsules was relayed to bristol-myers the
00:40:17
manufacturers of excedrin internal discussions revolved around the similarities between Susan snows death
00:40:24
and the Chicago tylenol murders right down to the use of cyanide in capsules raising concerns of a potential copycat
00:40:34
police were confident Susan's murder was an isolated incident committed by someone she knew but not wanting to take
00:40:41
any risks bristol-myers released the heavily publicized nationwide recall of all their extra-strength excedrin
00:40:48
products a decision costing the company Millions the recall became sensational news
00:40:56
thrusting Susan snows murder into the public eye pharmacies and supermarkets were busier than usual as nervous
00:41:04
customers returned to previously purchased excedrin and staff quickly pulled the product from store shelves
00:41:11
investigators assisted in the recall collecting the mass amount of product and sending it away for testing yet
00:41:18
there were certain Susan Snow was not a victim of a pharmaceutical terrorist but
00:41:25
then on June 19 police received a call the female caller was frantic hysterical and in ear unintelligible as publicity
00:41:37
surrounding Susan snows death hit headlines and prime times the woman caller claimed to have noticed strong
00:41:44
similarities between the bank managers death and the death of her husband awake earlier
00:41:52
it was six days before Susan's death June 5 1986 52 year old Bruce nickel spent the day at work where he labored
00:42:02
as a heavy equipment operator for the State Department of Transportation by the time he clocked out drove home and
00:42:09
walked through the front door it was 4:10 p.m. he greeted his wife 43 year old Stella who was in the midst of
00:42:17
preparing dinner Bruce complained of a headache given he toiled and strained all day around the
00:42:25
layout machinery it wasn't unusual for him to feel rough by the end of it he hoped having a shower would clear his
00:42:31
head when that didn't work he decided to take painkillers Bruce took extra-strength
00:42:40
excedrin exclusively for his aches and pains 2 capsules was the recommended dosage but Bruce theorized the meds
00:42:48
would work quicker and be more effective if he doubled that so he took for all he
00:42:55
had to do now was wait Bruce wandered out onto the back patio where he took in the fresh air and peaceful surrounds of
00:43:03
his 5 acre countryside property all the while eagerly awaiting for the capsules contents to kick in
00:43:12
minutes later still a nickel was startled by her husband calling out for her she found Bruce leaning in the frame
00:43:20
of the patio door lightheaded and feeling as though he was about to faint Stella guided him towards the nearby
00:43:28
couch Bruce reached out to brace himself but as he went to sit his legs buckled and
00:43:35
he crumpled to the floor at 5:02 p.m. an emergency call came through to 9-1-1 Stella Nickell attempted to explain what
00:43:47
was happening my husband's gone into some kind of fit he's breathing extremely hard his eye as a robbed back
00:43:55
he told me he was gonna pass out I tried to get him on the couch and he hit the floor when the dispatcher asked if her
00:44:04
husband was conscious Stella replied I don't think so his breathing has slowed down
00:44:14
paramedics rushed to the scene they found Bruce sprawled on the living room floor unresponsive to stimuli every 20
00:44:22
seconds or so he'd gasp awkwardly for air it was Bruce's skin tone that perplexed the first responders his body
00:44:31
was ghostly pale except for his head which was bright red having never seen such a symptom exhibited before the
00:44:40
paramedics had no idea what it signified as they attempted to resuscitate Bruce Stella rattled off her husband's medical
00:44:48
history Bruce was a recovering alcoholic and a chain smoker but with that considered he was in relatively good
00:44:55
health he wasn't prone to anxiety attacks fainting or seizures every so often he'd get a mild headache including
00:45:04
the one he had that afternoon Stella retrieved the bottle of excedrin from the kitchen the medics were quick to
00:45:14
inspect and discount the pills as the cause of Bruce's critical state it was just an over-the-counter product one
00:45:21
that Bruce took regularly without issue there was little time to consider the possible causes of his collapse
00:45:29
Bruce's blood pressure was plummeting and attempts to stabilize him were failing a helicopter airlifted Bruce to
00:45:36
Harborview Medical Center by midnight Bruce Nicol had died CBS all access is the only place you can
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in June 1934 after 14 emotional years of trying to conceive Walter and Ruth Nikhil visited a Seattle maternity home
00:51:55
they left with their newly adopted son a week old baby they named Bruce Walter and Ruth were finally parents it didn't
00:52:06
matter to them how Bruce came into their world he was very much their son when Bruce was 16 years old he overheard his
00:52:14
father talking about his adoption the revelation came as a shock although Bruce loved his adoptive
00:52:21
parents and appreciated the life they afforded him he felt resentment towards his biological mother for giving him up
00:52:27
in the first place these feelings manifested into abandonment issues that impacted his future relationships
00:52:34
resulting in three failed marriages in helping mummy sorrows Bruce became heavily reliant on alcohol and soon
00:52:43
developed an addiction that led to many missteps throughout his life by his late
00:52:48
forties Bruce was a barfly who'd hopped from bar to bar drinking long into the night until he passed out or was kicked
00:52:54
out whichever came first though he could be rarity and stubborn between Bruce's rough edges was gentleness humor and
00:53:04
intelligence available for anyone willing to look one afternoon during the early 70s
00:53:10
Bruce entered a Tavern in Kent not far from where he was living at the time his attention was immediately drawn to a
00:53:17
woman sitting at the bar a dark-haired elegant beauty he'd never seen in town before
00:53:24
Stella didn't seem the type of woman who'd be drawn to a blue-collar rough-around-the-edges kind of Garlock
00:53:30
Bruce nickel yet locked Bruce Stella carried her around scars both emotional and physical Stella helped very few
00:53:41
memories of her childhood in Oregon by the time she was born in 1943 her working-class family had spiraled into
00:53:48
abuse and neglect helmand by a violent and alcoholic patriarchy stories had since been passed on to her by older
00:53:57
siblings including the one where their father chased them out of their house was firing a shotgun no one was hit but
00:54:04
the event became the catalyst for her mother to leave taking the children and resettling in Colorado then there were
00:54:13
the two horrific fire accidents the first resulted in Stella requiring skin grafts
00:54:18
the second caused the death of her baby brother at age 15 Stella felt pregnant confiding in others that it was the
00:54:27
outcome of a rape on October 23 1959 she gave birth to the child a girl she named
00:54:35
Cynthia another pregnancy occurred at age 18 which ended in Stella giving the newborn up for adoption her life was
00:54:44
once spent transitioning between relationships homes and jobs by the time she reached a Kent Stella was living out
00:54:52
of her car throughout the years Stella surrounded herself in a tough emotional show those outside of it found Stella to
00:55:01
be cold distant and incredibly hard to get to know but to those who broke through such as Bruce Nicol they found a
00:55:09
warmth humor and passion their first meeting left a little impression on Stella a week later she ran into Bruce
00:55:18
on the street and saw the men in a different light his rough edges softened and she found him to be intelligent and
00:55:25
handsome she later remarked to a friend that she was going to marry him Bruce's endless capacity for heavy drinking
00:55:34
didn't initially dissuade Stella she embraced it their romance blossomed in bars where
00:55:40
long nights and early mornings were spent playing pool and drinking and every weekend was a wild party the
00:55:47
relationship was not without problems there were complicated periods of being off and on again but the pair would soon
00:55:53
reconcile they married in September 1976 and eventually settled down in a mobile
00:56:00
home on the rural cusp of a store burn by 1977 their marriage was straining under financial pressures including
00:56:09
Bruce's 250 dollar a week drinking habit despite enjoying the liberating fun of their alcohol fueled weekends stella
00:56:17
pushed Bruce to cut back on alcohol or at the very least drink at home where it would be safer and cheaper but Bruce
00:56:25
struggled to change his ways in 1979 he went on a two-week bender skipping work and rarely going home when Stella
00:56:34
confronted him at the bar it was like a switch flipped in Bruce's mind in a snap
00:56:40
decision he signed up as an inpatient for a program for alcoholics over the following 10 days
00:56:46
Bruce participated in counselling and aversion therapy on the tenth day he walked out of the program and from that
00:56:53
day on Bruce Nicol never drank alcohol again Bruce Nichols autopsy report ruled his
00:57:03
cause of death is hypertension juda cardio respiratory collapse a consequence of pulmonary emphysema Bruce
00:57:11
was a habitual cigarette smoker so death arising from an Associated lung disease
00:57:15
wasn't an absurd finding but Stella Nickell had a hard time accepting it her husband was healthy only recently
00:57:24
Bruce passed the physical examination doctors want Bruce was at risk of developing emphysema in the future but
00:57:31
didn't display signs of it yet still aired her confusion at his autopsy report questioning if the lung disease
00:57:39
could have such a rapid and fatal onset nevertheless from a medical standpoint the case was closed and Bruce Nicol was
00:57:48
laid to rest at Sullivan Cemetery one week later Susan snows murder made national news shortly after 6:00 p.m. on
00:58:00
June 17 police officer Edward Sexton turned his vehicle into a crushed gravel driveway off Lake money Smith road in
00:58:07
Albans East he came to a stop at the front of the Nichols mobile home still a nickel appeared at the screen door the
00:58:17
recent widow looked worse for wear since her husband's death still a hit the bottle hard friends worried she was
00:58:24
drinking herself to death doctors prescribed her valium to settle her overwhelming emotional grief her home
00:58:33
had since become a mess even her striking and colorful tropical fish aquariums which still are once
00:58:39
maintained with pride were showing signs of neglect Stella worked as the concourse security
00:58:46
supervisor at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport overseeing the x-ray machines the check to travelers
00:58:52
bags prior to flight she earned her leadership position based on the seriousness in which she took her work
00:58:59
Stella was direct with travelers rarely engaged in small talk and reprimanded colleagues incompetence
00:59:07
but ever since Bruce's death Stella spent work nights out on the town she'd wander into work the following morning
00:59:14
in yesterday's clothes in makeup reeking of liquor Stiller apologized to officer
00:59:22
Edward Sexton for her frantic phone call to police earlier she explained her reasoning for it
00:59:28
the circumstances surrounding her husband's death the subsequent autopsy findings and similarities she'd drawn
00:59:34
between Bruce's death and the murder of Susan snow officer Sexton asked to say the excedrin Bruce took prior to his
00:59:42
collapse the bottle was near empty only eight capsules remained Stella also handed the officer a second bottle of
00:59:52
extra-strength excedrin still in its box packaging she bought that one recently to replace the first bottle once it ran
00:59:59
here the two bottles were purchased about two weeks apart unable to recall the exact details
01:00:06
Stella believed she bought the first bottle somewhere in Auburn in one of two stores she frequented either Albertsons
01:00:12
north or Johnny's market being the more recent purchase she had a clearer memory
01:00:18
of buying the second bottle from Johnny's market in Kent the bottles were sent for testing in the meantime officer
01:00:28
Edward Sexton contacted Harborview Medical Center and inquired if Bruce Nicol was tested for cyanide poisoning
01:00:35
the answer was no at the time doctors didn't have reason to suspect the man was poisoned
01:00:42
[Music] Bruce's remains had since been buried however officer Sexton discovered a tube
01:00:49
of Bruce's blood taken during his autopsy was still stored at the King County Medical Examiner's Office it was
01:00:56
quickly put through the same toxicology assessment that found the solenoid in Susan snows bloodstream the reactive
01:01:04
paper turned blue Bruce Nicol had also died from cyanide poisoning hours later blood tests on the
01:01:16
two excedrin bottles take him from the nickel home were in of the first 40 pill bottle only eight remained two of those
01:01:25
capsules were found to contain cyanide the second unopened 40 pill bottle only had 35 capsules inside for contained
01:01:35
cyanide no foreign fingerprints were found the cyanide used in the snow ended nickel murders were compared it was
01:01:47
determined to have come from the same source Bruce nickel and Susan snow were completely unknown to one another there
01:01:56
was no way the two could be connected other than both being residents of Auburn news of a second poison victim
01:02:04
hit airwaves sweeping terror through the small otherwise peaceful community authorities were once again forced to
01:02:11
shift the focus of their investigation this time to one involving a potential mass murderer so far two victims were
01:02:18
known but authorities worried there could be more yet to be identified the recall of excedrin brand products
01:02:26
continued and for bristol-myers the damage was immeasurable both Paul Webb King and Stella Nickell filed wrongful
01:02:34
death suits against the company Paul front of the media demanding all pain medication in capsule form be
01:02:40
banned he also expressed anger in the way Bruce Nichols death and autopsy were handled
01:02:46
believing if examined correctly Susan might still be alive he aired frustration had still been considered a
01:02:54
suspect in his wife's murder to Paul investigators were wasting time looking into him when they should have been out
01:03:01
finding the real killer surprisingly Paul was defended by his trio of ex-wives they insisted he wasn't
01:03:09
the type to murder his wives just divorced them it was Paul's eventual participation in a polygraph test that
01:03:19
put an end to it all the tests concluded Paul was not being deceptive and investigators were satisfied he didn't
01:03:26
kill his wife whatever people thought of the man personally didn't matter for Webb King was officially cleared as a
01:03:33
suspect in total 15,000 bottles of excedrin were collected and put through an x-ray machine compared to the
01:03:43
medicinal powder in the capsules cyanide powder was more dense therefore the cyanide of waste pills
01:03:50
would appear darker in x-ray imagery of the 15 thousand bottles examined only one more was found to contain cyanide
01:03:58
laced capsules the 60 pill bottle only had 56 capsules for contained cyanide it originated from Johnny's market in Kent
01:04:09
the same store Stella Nickell purchased one of her tampered bottles investigators narrowed in on the store
01:04:17
questioning staff about disgruntled former employees or customers seen behaving suspiciously meanwhile
01:04:24
bristol-myers manufacturing plants were thoroughly examined no evidence was found indicating the cyanide was added
01:04:31
to the capsules during assembly additionally tampered bottles had so far only surfaced within Washington's King
01:04:38
County the batches were spread nationwide so if the tampering occurred during manufacturing more poison two
01:04:45
bottles would appear elsewhere On June 24 in an urban pain safe pharmacy a store manager noticed
01:04:55
something out of place a bottle of maximum strength Anderson 3 brand pain relief was sitting on a can of peanuts
01:05:02
two rows away from the medicine oil finding items in aisles they didn't belong wasn't particularly unusual they
01:05:10
were often left behind by customers who changed their minds mid shot but the store manager was immediately suspect
01:05:17
although this model was an excedrin the focus of the current recall he handed the Anacin three to the FBI it too was
01:05:26
tested the 50 pill bottle only had 45 capsules and four of those contained cyanide it was the first non excedrin
01:05:39
brand product to contain the poison this discovery confirmed the tampering occurred within the King County
01:05:45
community and not in the production chain of either excedrin or Anacin 3 because the two products were from
01:05:52
completely different manufacturing plants investigators believed the offender lived locally and planted the
01:06:00
poison to products in regional stores where it was Asia and a less suspicious for them to do so the FBI put together a
01:06:08
psychological profile of the unknown perpetrator they speculated the killer may have attended the memorial services
01:06:15
of their victims to further avoid suspicion revel in the chaos they caused or to mock the police realizing the
01:06:25
poisoning encompassed two different pain relief brands Washington State affected
01:06:30
a 90-day ban on the sale of all non prescription medication in capsule form drug companies impacted by the being
01:06:37
came together and offered a three hundred thousand dollar reward for the capture of the person responsible
01:06:45
the total of five poison to bottles had so far been located Susan Snow had one Bruce nickel had two
01:06:53
and two others were found on store shelves in Auburn and nearby Kent the bottles were sent to the FBI in
01:07:01
Washington DC for further analysis none of the capsules inside held fingerprints the offender likely wore
01:07:09
gloves even though the bottles were in various states examiner's observed them collectively and were able to piece
01:07:16
together how the offender implanted the poison the box packaging was carefully opened along seams then the safety seal
01:07:25
around the neck of the bottles were cut to gain access a visible alteration but not immediately obvious to unsuspecting
01:07:32
persons the capsules were opened and their contents poured out they were refilled with approximately 700
01:07:40
milligrams of cyanide the casings were then sealed back together poisoned capsules were mixed in with the dozens
01:07:49
of clean pills it was impossible to tell the difference between the two both the medicinal powder and cyanide
01:07:55
were white and when placed in the transparent red casing they all looked the same to the human eye the bottles
01:08:03
were placed back in the box packaging which was glued back together to look as though it had never been opened the
01:08:11
solenoid was extensively examined found within the white powder were traces of tiny green crystals not something
01:08:19
usually found in cyanide examiner's had no idea what it could be the green crystals were analyzed using a mass
01:08:28
spectrometer a device that can identify the exact chemical components of an unknown sample the green crystals were
01:08:36
determined to be made up of four common chemicals atrazine simha's een diaclone and Demong neuron together these four
01:08:45
chemicals were known to be components of our Josiah abaya cider used for clearing
01:08:50
and preventing the growth of algae following this discovery the ingredient lists of hundreds of commercially
01:08:58
produced algaecide products were inspected to find any specifically containing atrazine simha's een diaclone
01:09:05
and ammonia on an FBI chemist scanning the shelves of an aquarium fish store found an exact
01:09:12
match the four chemicals were the ingredients of a brand of our G side called algae destroyer it came in a
01:09:20
blister pack of eighteen tablets following instructions the tablets were meant to be dropped
01:09:25
straight into aquarium water where they dissolve the chemicals would distribute and clear the algae each reenter tablet
01:09:33
was Green when crushed into a powder the tablets became tiny green flecks that were an exact match to those found
01:09:41
in the cyanide FBI Special Agent John Sylvester visited a variety of pet stores throughout King County he carried
01:09:52
a folder of photographs of people well known to Susan Snow and Bruce nickel at each store he questioned staff if they
01:09:59
recognized any persons pictured as customers who'd purchased the algae destroyer he entered a store called fish
01:10:07
gallery in pets the store's manager 24 year old Tom Noonan confirmed the store stocked algae destroyer but not often as
01:10:15
he wasn't a fan of the product Moisture would seep into the pack and harden the tablets making them near insoluble
01:10:22
essentially useless he preferred stocking liquid algaecides but would order in the algae destroyer if
01:10:29
requested by a customer special agent Sylvester showed Tom his father of photographs asking if anyone looked
01:10:38
familiar one photo caught Tom's attention it was of a woman with long wavy dark hair he couldn't remember her
01:10:47
name but knew her as a frequent sometimes weekly customer she was a hobbyist fish keeper with several home
01:10:54
aquariums stocked with tropical varieties she spoke to him of her dream to one day open her own tropical fish
01:11:01
door the photo Tom pointed out the Special Agent Sylvester was of Stella Nickell
01:11:11
Tom explained to Stella purchase to liquid our desired but didn't care for complaining it didn't work so she
01:11:18
requested our G destroyer tablets not wanting to lose a loyal customer Tom put aside his dislike of the product and
01:11:26
ordered it in when Stella bought the RG destroyer Tom warned her of the products
01:11:32
tendency to harden and become insoluble to ensure the artists are dissolved in her tank Tom advised Stella to crush the
01:11:40
tablets first evidence pointed towards Stella Nickell she purchased the algae destroyer the
01:11:49
product whose traces were found in the cyanide that killed both her husband and Susan Snow it appeared the cyanide salt
01:11:56
was ground up in the same container that was previously used to crush the Archy destroyer tablets yet Stella Nickell as
01:12:05
the killer didn't make any sense if she did murder Bruce she got away with it at
01:12:10
the completion of his initial autopsy when his cause of death was ruled as natural causes the case was closed all
01:12:19
she had to do from that day onwards was to play the part of a grieving widow and
01:12:23
stay quiet why would she instead call authorities a week later bring attention to herself
01:12:29
and to let investigators determine Bruce was murdered and where did Susan Snow fit into the plot a thorough
01:12:39
investigation into Stella Nickell began it immediately led to some intriguing discoveries
01:12:49
the nickels were in deep financial debt days before Bruce's death North Pacific banks sent the couple of final
01:12:57
delinquency notice on their mortgage Stella Nickell responded in a letter to her creditors quote dear Sirs I know
01:13:07
that I am tremendously over do with my payments there is good reason for it I am having marital problems they are
01:13:15
about solved and I'd like to ask if you will have faith in me personally Bruce is no longer involved and I would
01:13:22
like a chance to prove my worth to you Stella took may 27 off from work and went shopping with a friend the pair
01:13:32
visited Johnny's market and app is a pharmacy where her friend recalled Stella purchased more than one bottle of
01:13:38
excedrin between June 3 and 5 Stella didn't go into work on the evening of June 5 Bruce Nicol died Stella was the
01:13:52
sole beneficiary of about 76,000 dollars in insurance on her husband's life with
01:13:57
an additional payout of $100,000 if his death was ruled accidental Bruce Nicholls original autopsy report
01:14:05
concluded he died as a consequence of emphysema therefore his death was not considered an accident but as a result
01:14:12
of a pre-existing condition caused by his smoking habit Stella disputed the report from the
01:14:19
moment I was handed down when the news of Susan snows murder by cyanide was publicized the week later Stella was
01:14:27
quick to profess her husband died under similar circumstances her claims were soon confirmed afterwards she was handed
01:14:36
her husband's new death certificate this once dated Bruce died of acute cyanide poisoning
01:14:43
as it was being investigated as a homicide insurance-wise that was considered an accidental death
01:14:49
stella was set to collect the $100,000 accident payor Bruce Nichol signed off on his
01:14:58
accidental death policy just six months before his death however an FBI handwriting expert concluded Bruce's
01:15:05
name was signed by someone else there were noticeable differences between the application signature and these other
01:15:12
known samples the N and K specifically they were not consistent with the way Bruce usually signed his name but they
01:15:21
were consistent with the way Stella signed hers Stella had a history of falsifying documents in 1971 she was
01:15:31
convicted of a single count of forgery spending six months in prison before being released for good behavior a life
01:15:39
insurance payout was a well established two motive for murder but it didn't prove Stella killed Bruce
01:15:45
a search of her home and workplace founded no traces of cyanide she didn't even have our G destroyer amongst her
01:15:52
aquarium supplies yet investigators were aware that right after Bruce's death Stella took a near three-hour drive east
01:16:01
from Auburn to Wenatchee she claimed to have made the trip to visit Bruce's parents and personally inform them of
01:16:08
their son's death but she never met with them it was possible Stella used this trip as an opportunity to discard
01:16:16
evidence what investigators did find in the Nicol home was yet another bottle of
01:16:23
excedrin this one was located in a cupboard underneath the bathroom sink curiously the bottle came from batch
01:16:30
number five h10 to the same light Susan snows tampered bottle came from tests concluded the bottle found in the
01:16:39
Nichols bathroom did not contain cyanide laced capsules Stiller insisted she had
01:16:45
no idea how the bottle got there but there was also the matter of the two bottles of excedrin Stella did know
01:16:53
about and had given investigators previously out of the fifteen thousand bottles of excedrin examined since the
01:17:00
death of Susan Snowe only four were found to contain cyanide Stella Nickell had two out of the four she claimed she
01:17:09
purchased her two bottles at different stores two weeks apart mathematically the chance of this happening was beyond
01:17:17
rare investigators considered if anyone could be so unlucky polygraph testing had done a huge favor for Paul Webb King
01:17:31
in eliminating him as a suspect yet still a nickel was less inclined to participate in her own her lawyer for
01:17:40
her wrongful death suit against Bristol Myers advised her not to the same lawyer
01:17:45
told reporters Stella was too shaken up to be subjected to the intrusive examination and the accuracy of the
01:17:51
tests could be influenced by the prescription tranquilizers Stella was taking at the time yet still it did
01:17:59
agree to be formally interviewed just not while strapped to a lie-detector her answers were direct and responsive she
01:18:07
stuck to her seemingly unbelievable story of having purchased two of the poisoned excedrin bottles regarding her
01:18:14
husband's life insurance Stella claimed Bruce had one policy valued between twenty-five and
01:18:19
thirty-five thousand dollars she didn't mention the extra 100 thousand dollars she was set to receive over the
01:18:26
accidental death cause she didn't deny forging Bruce's signature on the documents either
01:18:32
according to Stella Bruce was fully aware and consenting of it as she took responsibility of the paperwork in the
01:18:39
relationship he gave her permission to sign off on things on his behalf investigators then asked Stella if her
01:18:47
fish tanks had algae problems the question elicited a bizarre reaction Stella blurted out that she didn't use
01:18:56
that product confused investigators asked what product rattled still a skirted around
01:19:06
the question and wouldn't say anything more about it Stiller insisted she was willing to help
01:19:13
with further investigations but when asked again to participate in a polygraph test she started to cry and
01:19:20
questioned why they were doing this to her adding she loved her husband and didn't want to go through such an ordeal
01:19:29
upon realizing she was the prime suspect in her husband's murder Stella relented and finally agreed to
01:19:36
the polygraph test things had dragged on far too long Stella said and she had nothing to heart
01:19:44
throughout the examination Stella denied any involvement in her husband's death the lie detector results
01:19:51
determined she was being deceptive motive and opportunity were abundant but evidence was still very much
01:20:00
circumstantial the lie detector results were not indisputable as the machines accuracy had always been debatable
01:20:08
investigators knew the test results wouldn't hold up in court they needed something more conclusive and there was
01:20:16
still the matter of Susan snows murder a woman Stella Nickell had never met and didn't know with no evidence to arrest
01:20:24
her Stella Nickell was free to go but as word spread of Stella Nichols failed polygraph test
01:20:32
the FBI received a phone call 26 year-old Cynthia had a strained love-hate relationship with her mother
01:20:44
Stella Nickell in many ways the pair were very alike in appearance and personality both were
01:20:52
wild in spirit and fiercely independent Cynthia inherited her mother's love for nightlife and rebellious streak however
01:21:01
from the moment Cynthia was conceived their relationship was destined to be rocky during her childhood
01:21:08
Cynthia found out she was a child of rape as a mother Stella was a tough disciplinarian there were talks of abuse
01:21:17
including an incident in 1969 resulting in Stella's arrest for beating Cynthia who would have been around 10 years old
01:21:25
at the time after a night spent in jail Stella was released as Cynthia grew older the tumultuous relationship
01:21:34
amplified and the two lived very separate lives occasionally they'd wave back together
01:21:40
but very quickly snap apart in 1978 19 year-old Cynthia felt pregnant hope her baby would bring the pair closer
01:21:49
together faded when Stella responded to the announcement I'm not ready to be a grandmother
01:21:56
Cynthia did value her mother in some ways whenever she needed work Stella would help her find it like in 1986
01:22:05
Stella got her a job at her own workplace the Seattle Tacoma International Airport during this period
01:22:16
Stella confided in her daughter about her crippling financial death when Stella enquired about drugs
01:22:23
Cynthia thought her mother was so desperate for cash she was considering becoming a dealer Stella was most
01:22:30
curious about cocaine specifically how much was needed to cause an overdose she raised the query without further
01:22:37
explanation Cynthia felt probing for information would be pointless having learnt long
01:22:44
ago not to question her mother in another conversation still amused about hiring a hitman she pondered optimal
01:22:53
assassination techniques from hidden runs to cutting car breaks remaining elusive about who the target
01:23:00
of her fantasy murder-for-hire plot was eventually she let it slip it was her husband Bruce Cynthia was aware the
01:23:11
relationship between her mother and stepfather was rocky still a regret at Bruce's sobriety as abroad an abrupt end
01:23:18
to the couple's fun social nights of drunken bar hopping nowadays Bruce was a homebody who preferred spending nights
01:23:26
settled in front of the TV to Stella their new lifestyle was stale and boring no matter her efforts bruce was
01:23:35
strong-willed he refused to give in to temptation and fall back into unhealthy drinking habits seeking fun Stella would
01:23:45
disappear for days at a time pursuing fleeting hookups until Bruce tracked her down ending their relationship wasn't an
01:23:52
option for Bruce he loved Stella and couldn't bring himself to leave her hoping in time
01:23:57
she'd readjust to the new him but she didn't Stella aired frustrations about her
01:24:04
marriage at work telling co-workers she loved being on late shift because she didn't have to see much of Bruce
01:24:10
colleagues listened but offered little advice they found Estella intimidating she had a menacing glare that ensured
01:24:18
things were always done her way had told others never to challenge or question her to Stella
01:24:26
divorcing Bruce wasn't an option she'd lose half of everything and she didn't have much to begin with
01:24:33
she often fantasized a lay out what she would do with a life insurance payout if
01:24:38
and when Bruce died opening her own tropical fish store was at the forefront of these fantasies
01:24:46
Cynthia refused to believe her mother was seriously contemplating murder convincing herself it was all in her
01:24:52
head her mum was just joking and venting she agonized over telling Bruce but her
01:24:58
mother's heavy intimidation compelled her to stay quiet Cynthia hoped if it really came down to
01:25:04
ending the relationship Stella would just initiate a divorce when Bruce died Stella sensed her
01:25:14
daughter's suspicion Stella told Cynthia I know what you're thinking and it's no
01:25:21
trusting her mother Cynthia watched on to the autopsy ruling of emphysema had silenced her nagging concerns a medical
01:25:30
professional reached their conclusion therefore and must be correct when she later found out Bruce was poisoned she
01:25:37
again sensed her mother's involvement but Cynthia couldn't be sure of it when questioned by authorities she defended
01:25:46
Stella and said nothing negative about her mother and stepfathers relationship it wasn't until Cynthia found out Stella
01:25:55
failed her polygraph test when her perception changed it confirmed her suspicions and erased a lingering doubt
01:26:02
that's when she decided to contact the FBI and tell them the truth about her mother agents were wary to act suddenly
01:26:12
on Cynthia statements questions were raised regarding Cynthia's credibility given her tumultuous relationship with
01:26:19
Stella and the fact she hadn't come forward sooner her statements boiled down to he say and only added to the
01:26:27
pall of circumstantial evidence they had already amassed Cynthia stories were compelling but investigators needed
01:26:35
evidence nevertheless the FBI are maintained communications with Cynthia over time her stories became more
01:26:47
damning she spoke of her mother's study at poison during visits to the library Stella researched poisonous plants and
01:26:55
to learned about foxglove a tubular flower that blooms on a tall spike the entire plant is toxic including its
01:27:04
roots and seeds foxglove girl Bund enly in the wooded area adjacent to the Nichols rural
01:27:10
property approximately six months before Bruce died Stella told Cynthia she harvested foxglove seeds and put them
01:27:19
into a capsule casing two weeks later she to her unsuspecting husband her plan was
01:27:26
clever still a new Bruce chewed on wild grass he picked outside if he died from her foxglove seed pill authorities would
01:27:34
be easily fooled into thinking Bruce accidentally poisoned himself by munching on the toxic plant
01:27:40
Bruce was sluggish for a couple of days and reports from his workplace they told
01:27:45
he complained of stomach pains but he survived Cynthia recalled her mother was visibly
01:27:51
disappointed this plan didn't work through her mention of poisoned plants Cynthia had given investigators a lead
01:28:02
the FBI subpoenaed Stella Nichols library card records showed Stella checked out numerous books from the
01:28:09
Auburn Public Library prior to her husband's death one book she borrowed was titled deadly harvest a guide to
01:28:17
common poisonous plants the book was sent for testing more than 80 finger and palm prints matching stoas were
01:28:26
discovered throughout pages 66 and 67 detail toxic seeds seven of Stella's prints were found on these two pages
01:28:36
pages 88 and 89 featuring passages on cyanide contained eight prints in another book McGraw Hill's encyclopedia
01:28:46
of Science and Technology nine of Stella's fingerprints and a palm print were found on pages detailing cyanide
01:28:54
five more of Stella's fingerprints and a palm print were found in the cyanide section of the marriage students
01:29:00
encyclopedia according to Stella's library records a book titled human poisonings from native and cultivated
01:29:08
plants was marked as overdue indicating Stella borrowed but never returned it Cynthia had one last piece of
01:29:18
information to provide authorities as the mother and daughter car pulled into work one day stella brought up the
01:29:25
chicago tylenol murders remarking how easier would be to reenact the poisonings at work the pair shared a
01:29:34
locker for their belongings in the days before Bruce's death Cynthia saw capsules and the Tupperware container
01:29:41
stored in the locker the container held white powder which Cynthia assumed was sugar or salt but founded on her mother
01:29:49
never used it on meals upon reflection she now believed it was cyanide after Bruce's death the container and capsules
01:29:59
vanished from the locker as investigators pieced together evidence implicating Stella Nickell for the
01:30:09
murder of her husband discussions commenced about where exactly Susan Snowe fit into the plot at a cursory
01:30:17
glance she didn't fit anywhere yet on deeper inspection Susan's role was pivotal after Stella poisoned her
01:30:28
husband his death was incorrectly labeled natural causes this was not the result Stella anticipated the cyanide
01:30:36
needed to be discovered so his death would be ruled an accident allowing Stella to obtain Bruce's
01:30:42
$100,000 accidental death life-insurance payout demanding his death be ray examined was risky questions would be
01:30:50
raised suspicions would be felt mimicking the Chicago tylenol murders Stella tampered with additional etc
01:30:59
bottles and a single bottle of Anacin 3 inserting several cyanide laced capsules
01:31:05
in each wanting to create the illusion er was the work of a pharmaceutical terrorist
01:31:10
Stella planted these bottles on local store shelves then waited sometime between June 8 and 10 1986
01:31:20
Susan Snow entered her local general store Albertsons North to collect items on her
01:31:26
shopping list from a shelf in the medicine oil she grabbed a 60 pill bottle of extra-strength excedrin On
01:31:34
June 11 susan woke with one of her usual headaches and took the excedrin to relieve it
01:31:40
minutes later Susan collapsed suffocated and died upon Susan's death Stella Nickell had the reason she needed to ask
01:31:52
for her husband's death to be reexamined without drawing attention to herself as
01:31:57
a suspect creating the illusion there was an unknown mass murderer in town poisoning locals indiscriminately Stella
01:32:05
stood amongst the ensuing chaos acting the grieving widow all the while aware the remaining
01:32:11
tampered boxes were still sitting on store shelves waiting to kill another innocent victim
01:32:19
investigators understood how fortunate they were when the cyanide was picked up during Susan snows autopsy leading to
01:32:26
the product recalls who knows how many other people would have died if that had not been the case Stella's confidence in
01:32:36
her plan was not misplaced there was another wise flawless scheme because of its simplicity and anonymity
01:32:42
if Stella's motivation was simply to kill her husband she had committed the perfect murder but she was motivated by
01:32:51
greed and a broad attention to herself over time her plan came unstuck by the small mistakes she carelessly made along
01:32:59
the way she spoke of killing Bruce to her daughter she signed his life away on insurance documents she researched
01:33:07
poisoning library books planting her prints across relevant pages and she crushed the cyanide salt in the same
01:33:14
Bowl she used to crush her algae destroy her tablets on December 9 1987 Stella Nickell was indicted by a federal grand
01:33:28
jury on five counts of product tampering including two which resulted in the deaths of Susan Snow and Bruce Nicol
01:33:35
product tampering was a recently enacted federal charge introduced in the wake of
01:33:40
the Chicago tylenol murders Stella Nichols trial began in April 1988 her daughter Cynthia appeared as the
01:33:49
prosecution's star witness in response to her daughter's testimony Stella Nickell took the stand and rebutted
01:33:56
every claim she was quick to establish her love for Bruce and how she helped him stop drinking boredom wasn't an
01:34:03
issue in their relationship Stella maintained she was happy her husband was home more often she denied
01:34:10
discussions of hitmen overdoses and poisoned according to Stella the thought of getting rid of Bruce never crossed
01:34:18
her mind speaking of her aquariums stellar admitted to shopping at fish gallery in
01:34:25
pets and to knowing the stores manager Tom Noonan she considered algae destroyer might have been a topic of
01:34:32
conversations they heard but denied ever purchasing it when confronted with the evidence of her finger and palm prints
01:34:41
scattered throughout library books on poison Stella didn't deny reading them it was for research purposes she
01:34:48
insisted as she did a lot of babysitting she wanted to identify the types of plants around her property and determine
01:34:55
which ones were poisonous prosecutors put forth Stella did more than simply read up on plant types her palm prints
01:35:04
were pressed on pages relating to cyanide suggesting she didn't just thumb through out of interest that held the
01:35:10
pages open likely as she was taking notes having since come to realize how unbelievable her story was of having
01:35:20
purchased two of the four tainted excedrin bottles at different stores and times
01:35:24
Stella now claimed she didn't remember where or when she purchased them she denied shopping at the pay and safe
01:35:31
pharmacy where one of the tampered bottles was found however seven checks signed by Stella
01:35:38
were recovered all made out to that specific store in closing arguments Assistant United
01:35:46
States Attorney Joanne made our stated quote two people died because Stella Nickell with cool chilling deliberation
01:35:55
set out to eliminate them because it proved her interests to do so her acts reflect a human being with our social or
01:36:03
moral conscience a hard icy human being who is willing to adopt a horrendous course of action as it was convenient to
01:36:11
accomplishing her purposes she had attempted to explain away all of her words and conduct just as she has
01:36:18
attempted to explain away every shred of physical evidence in this case presented
01:36:23
against her but she attempts to deny and she attempts to explain away too much Stella Nickell
01:36:31
attempts to escape accountability for decisions which she made which had a revocable consequences to sue snow and
01:36:38
to Bruce nickel after five days deliberation on may 9 the jury returned to court with a
01:36:47
verdict Stella Nickell was found guilty of all charges during sentencing Stella's defense team asked for mercy
01:36:58
they argued for a sentence that would allow some hope the judge citing Stella's crimes as being of exceptional
01:37:07
callousness and cruelty sentenced her to 290 year terms for the two product tampering charges relating to the deaths
01:37:14
of Susan Snow and Bruce Nicol 3 10-year terms for the remaining product tampering charges were also handed down
01:37:23
Stella Nickell was also ordered to pay a fine and forfeit her remaining assets to
01:37:28
the families of the victims Stella Nickell was convicted of the federal crime of product tampering causing death
01:37:36
no one has ever been convicted for the actual murders of Bruce nickel or Susan snow still a maintained her innocence
01:37:46
after her trial she attempted to appeal her conviction bias but was rejected both times by the court of appeal Stella
01:37:56
Nickell claimed her daughter Cynthia lied about the case in order to reap the $300,000 reward offered by
01:38:02
pharmaceutical companies for the capture of the person responsible others who knew Cynthia noted she was no
01:38:09
fool adding she had no interest in giving up her mother until she heard of the reward money it's a claim Cynthia
01:38:18
has since denied she maintains she didn't know about the reward until after she was working with the FBI
01:38:26
after Stella's conviction Cynthia collected two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of the offered reward money
01:38:32
the remainder went to various other witnesses whose information helped obtain a conviction including Tom Noonan
01:38:39
the fish store manager the FBI maintained Cynthia's motivation was irrelevant all
01:38:47
that mattered was her information led to the discovery of evidence that proved Stella Nickell was responsible for the
01:38:53
deaths of Bruce Nicol and Susan snow [Music] you [Music]