stella nicholls cyanide

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. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Stella was indicted in federal court and Cindy testified against her at the trial. 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. Are you a "motivated dater"? Gregg Olsen's, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, "Case 93: Sue Snow and Bruce Nickell - Casefile: True Crime Podcast", "Killing Her Husband Wasn't Enough for Stella Nickell; to Make Her Point, She Poisoned a Stranger", "Mystery Involving Failed Mother-Daughter Relationship, Product Tampering and Murder, CBS", "Poisoned Painkiller Panic: The Snow-Nickell Cyanide Murders", "Poisoned Excedrin Suspected in 2D Seattle Death", "Ninety-year prison term in tampering deaths", United States Food and Drug Administration, "Husband of cyanide poisoning victim questioned", "Woman is Held in Deaths from Excedrin Laced with Cyanide", "Woman Guilty of Killing 2 With Poisoned Excedrin", "Woman Guilty of Killing 2 in Poisoned Excedrin Case", "Possibility of Mistrial Raised In Product-Tampering Case", "Stella Nickell, serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, killing 2, seeks release from prison", "AUBURN WOMAN SERVING 90-YEAR TERM SEEKS NEW TRIAL IN HUSBAND-POISONING CASE", "The Federal Anti Tampering Act: Criminal Offense To Tamper With Consumer Products", "Nickell gets 90 years for cyanide murders", "TV film canceled after drug maker objects", "USA Network Pulls Movie After Advertiser Protests", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stella_Nickell&oldid=1130965489, People convicted of murder by Washington (state), Articles with dead external links from November 2021, Articles with permanently dead external links, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Pages using infobox criminal with motive parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 21:57. [5] Stella, Hamilton claimed, had even told her that she had tried to poison Bruce previously with foxglove hidden in capsules. In 1985, Stella took out a life insurance policy on Bruce that included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death. The government says all required documents were handed over. There was nothing wrong with her. The records tended to confirm at least that part of Hamiltons story. Joseph was born on July 27 1873. Additionally, network executives feared the film would inspire copycat crimes. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Never-before-seen photos and details about accused Idaho killer Hamilton collected $300,000 in damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson. Three capsules out of those that remained in the 60-capsule bottle were found to be laced with cyanide in toxic quantities. The next day, Bruce Nickell's widow Stella, a 42-year old raven-haired security screener at Seattle-Tacoma International airport, characterized by a neighbor as "a washed-up honky-tonk girl," called police. [5][7], Initial suspicions were directed at Bristol-Myers, with Stella and Webking filing wrongful death lawsuits against the company. Four years later, the scenario seemed to be playing itself out again in King County Washington. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. display: none; [5] According to Stella, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules from a bottle in their home for his headache and collapsed minutes later. But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. 48 Hours reports on the search. Cindy said that her mother had talked of killing Bruce Nickell, at one point discussing hiring a hit man. [2] When her bar visits were curtailed by Bruce's sobriety,[3] she began requesting evening shifts at her security screener job at SeattleTacoma International Airport and cultivated a home aquarium as a new hobby. Stella Nickell was found guilty in federal court not of murder but of product tampering on May 9, 1988, and was sentenced to 90 years. Another memo mentions that Stella's two Excedrin bottles came from one store, Albertsons. The deaths sparked a nationwide tampering scare and prompted Excedrin manufacturer Bristol-Myers Co. to recall its over-the-counter capsule medications. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. These included convictions for fraud and forgery and a charge of beating Cindy with a curtain rod. Stella Nickell by Michael Thomas Barry O n May 8, 1988, Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. "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. Prosecutors: Security video discredits cosplay model's story of self-defense She was paid $7,500. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. She failed and investigators narrowed their focus to her even further. A consortium of drug companies, alarmed about product tampering, posted a $300,000 reward. Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. The clincher came when Stellas oldest daughter, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police. In 1986, her biggest one came true when her husband died during a seizure, making her the beneficiary of a $175,000-plus insurance payoff until authorities discovered Bruce Nickell's headache capsules had been laced with cyanide. [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. Estella had 4 sisters: Edith A. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. On December 9, 1987, a federal grand jury indicted Stella Nickell on five counts of product tampering. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. She added that "as negative as it is, I have chosen to learn from it and not become bitter. 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. Milford Haven, Dyfed, SA73. Bruce's insurance paid an extra hundred thousand dollars if he died by accident, including poisoning. Stella handed two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly bought at two different times from two different stores. Stella Maudine Nickell ( ne Stephenson; born August 7, 1943) is an American woman who was sentenced to ninety years in prison for product tampering after she poisoned Excedrin capsules with lethal cyanide, resulting in the deaths of her husband Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow. Cindy told the FBI that her mother had wanted to kill recovering alcoholic Bruce because after he had gone through rehab and sobered up, he had become a bore. "I am not guilty," says Nickell. Since her husband, Bruce Nickells was already dead and buried they could not do anything. She'd heard a thump and the sound of water running over the sink. Nickell took advantage of the panic created by Snow's death and asked police to consider Bruce's case as part of their investigation. She continues to maintain her innocence, saying that Cindy lied to get the $300,000 reward money (she received $250,000). When police arrived, Stella handed over two bottles of Excedrin. [5], Records from the Auburn Public Library, when subpoenaed, showed that Stella had checked out numerous books about poisons, including Human Poisonings from Native and Cultivated Plants and Deadly Harvest. Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. Coryn I. Nicholls (Mayerson) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA. Judge wont release WA woman serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. In all the tainted capsules, the cyanide was flecked with small green crystals, determined to by an algae killer used to clean the water in aquariums. They arrested me and I was only in jail overnight.". A total of five bottles containing cyanide-laced capsules were recovered: the bottle Sue Snow had purchased, the two bottles Stella Nickell had turned in, the Excedrin found on the shelves at Johnny's Market in Kent, and the Anacin capsules discovered at Pay-n-Save in Auburn. Bruces heavy drinking suited Stella just fine. 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. Yakima police looking for suspects in Sunday shooting that left teen injured, Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers, Yakima County's mental health tax may help fund crisis responders, mental health court, Boys roundup: Rivera, Perez help Toppenish survive Wapato's upset bid, Deputies say intoxicants a factor in North Wenas road head-on crash, MultiCare completes acquisition of Memorial hospital in Yakima, Girls roundup: Milanez hits seven 3-pointers to spark Mustangs, Yakima medical student to appear on 'Good Morning America' on Jan. 20. It's a notorious case out of Auburn a woman convicted of lacing Excedrin painkillers with cyanide that killed two people in 1986, including her husband. He died in the hospital, but doctors did not detect the cyanide and ascribed the death to emphysema. In chemistry, a cyanide (from Greek kyanos 'dark blue') is a chemical compound that contains a CN functional group.This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.. [6] Bruce had taken them to no effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness. [2] She was also known to have, even before Snow's death, repeatedly disputed doctors' ruling that her husband had died of natural causes. Name Stella Nicholls Occupation Student Gender Female Species Human Age 15-17 Status Alive Birth date c. 1951-1953 Appearances Film (s) Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Actors/Actresses Portrayed by Zoe Colletti Stella Nicholls is a fictional character appearing in the 2019 film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. [7], A murder by cyanide was sensational news in Washington State. Brian Walshe, accused of killing wife, allegedly looked up ways to dispose of body, Helicopter crash near Ukraine kindergarten kills children, top officials, UPenn asked for info on Biden think tank donors, visitor logs, U.S. lawyer who died in Mexico was "victim of a brutal crime," family says, Matt Schlapp sued by former Herschel Walker aide alleging sexual battery, 200 millionaires say inequality is "eating the world alive". That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. Hayley Klein was transfixed by the woman who fatally poisoned her mother, Sue Snow. Make her serve the whole sentence or until she dies. Stella denies this, and says she told them she didn't know where she had bought the bottles. They then looked toward Nickell. This seemed unlikely, because out of thousands of bottles checked in the entire region, authorities found only five with tainted capsules, and Stella had two of them. The convicted killer stood before a parole board in 2017, while Klein watched the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. She wanted to stay home. To fill the now empty hours at home, she began keeping a home aquarium. Because of product tampering legislation passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case. "But more importantly, I know who didn't do it and that's Stella Nickell. The money was an attempt by the company to limit damages, because scared consumers had boycotted their products. But Tom Noonan, who managed the local fish store at the time, says she did buy algae destroyer. She is evil. For 19 months, Farr and Ciolino have been traveling the country without pay, interviewing witnesses and friends, talking to anyone who may help them re-open this case. See Photos. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. She originally called police and turned over two bottles of Excedrin. Now, 13 years later, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. She told Farr that she is not sure her mother is really guilty. He died, as did Auburn woman Sue Snow, who apparently picked up a bottle of the tainted tablets from a grocery store, according to news reports and court records. Colbert says that he has never seen the polygraph graph, although he has asked to. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. Olsen told Insider that Snow was a random victim who "paid for Stella's greed with her life." Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. [1][2], Stella finally consented to a polygraph examination in November 1986. After the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-6), Ulysses S. Grants Army of the Potomac marched south in the drive to take Richmond. Sign up for the newsletter today. 44 year old Stella Nickell, of Auburn, Washington, had been absolutely miserable with her life. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital. 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. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. 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. 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. [1][2], On June 5, 1986, the Nickells were living in Auburn, Washington, when Bruce, 52, came home from work with a headache. It was also featured in episode 93 of Casefile True Crime Podcast in August 2018. The bottle had the same lot number as the bottle in Sue Snows home. Your email address will not be published. Read. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? She'd told the staff that she needed it to kill ants. He joined the army at the relatively advanced age of 33 in 1916 to fight in World War I. A year and half after Bruce Nickell died, Stella Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court. Her lawyers have also petitioned, unsuccessfully, for a new trial. Hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at her trial two years later. The defense agreed not to cross-examine Cindy about the reward. [3] She served six months in jail for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge. 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. Her fingerprints were also found all over other books on cyanide. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. When both turned out to contain contaminated capsules, investigators grew suspicious. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in 1986. Prosecutors said Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to her husband. Klein told them that her mom, who was a bank manager in Auburn, Washington, was "popular and had a big personality.". On June 5, Bruce came home from work with a headache. Ramn Morales : If you're serious about being a writer, it's not going to happen here. } Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. They asked the family if Snow had any enemies. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. The FBI found Stella's fingerprints on several books. But he took a polygraph, passed, and was eliminated as a suspect. Another $300,000 was shared by nine people who helped police arrest a Florida man in 1986. But U.S.. [5] Tests verified that Snow had died of acute cyanide poisoning. When Cindy was 9, Stella was charged with hitting her with a curtain rod, bruising her legs. Farr says that there is no credible evidence against her. Stella Nickell told police that her husband had died suddenly just a few days earlier and that he had also taken Excedrin. Tests confirmed that Snow had died from acute cyanide poisoning. He said that the companies were extra sensitive because the police had found no leads on the Tylenol murders in Illinois. 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An attempt by the woman who fatally poisoned her mother had talked of killing Bruce Nickell had been... Capsules, investigators grew suspicious told the staff that she is not her... Email notification whenever someone contributes to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years....