But he took a polygraph, passed, and was eliminated as a suspect. They speculated she used the same container to crush both the Algae Destroyer and the cyanide without washing it. The other victim was Susan Katherine Snow, 40, also of Auburn, who authorities said had bought the poisoned capsules. What happens next? Her fate was sealed when Hamilton told the FBI that her mother had repeatedly talked about killing Bruce in different ways. In a panic, Stella Nickell, 43, called police and said that her husband, Bruce, 52, had died on June 5, soon after taking an Excedrin capsule from the same lot as the ones that killed Snow.. The deaths sparked a nationwide tampering scare and prompted Excedrin manufacturer Bristol-Myers Co. to recall its over-the-counter capsule medications. Stella Nickell about the time of the poisonings. Her husband, Bruce Nickell, collapsed at home in 1986 at the age of 42 after taking several Excedrin tablets for a headache, according to news accounts. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. At 6:30 a.m., Snows 15-year-old daughter, Hayley, found her lying on the bathroom floor, unresponsive and with only a faint pulse. This time it was a bottle of Maximum Strength Anacin-3 at the Pay 'n Save store where Sue Snow was thought to have bought her fatal Excedrin. Are you a "motivated dater"? At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. She had a history of abusing drugs. She found none, something the jury never heard. See Photos. Stella Nicholls. A second autopsy proved her right. They asked the family if Snow had any enemies. But by the time of the trial, Rider says, the FBI had convinced her that her friend was the killer. In early 1974, when she was 32, she met Bruce Nickell. They were married two years later. After an autopsy, the cause of death was declared to be emphysema. Written by Gregg Olsen, the book includes interviews with Klein and Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton. This, in turn, brought in the FBI. Judge wont release WA woman serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Milford Haven, Dyfed, SA73. They say she was desperate to establish an accidental cause of death. Hayley Klein was transfixed by the woman who fatally poisoned her mother, Sue Snow. [5] Her husband, Paul Webking, took two capsules from the same bottle for his arthritis and left the house for work. Sign Up. Her lawyers have also petitioned, unsuccessfully, for a new trial. They say she was desperate to establish an accidental cause of death. Suspicious investigators, noting that $100,000 of that would only be paid out because the cause of death was now known to be cyanide, wondered if Stella had randomly killed Sue Snow by planting the bottle that killed her on the Pay-N-Save shelf, simply to bring attention to the fact Bruce had been poisoned and increase her take. They arrested me and I was only in jail overnight.". The police searched the family home and found an open bottle of Excedrin, a brand that Snow often used, in the kitchen cabinet. Stella Nicholl. But in 1986, when two Seattle-area people died after ingesting Excedrin laced with cyanide, Stella Nickell was nabbed for the. [9] On June 24, a cyanide-contaminated bottle of Anacin-3 was found at the same store where Snow had bought her contaminated Excedrin. She belongs in prison until she is dead. Six days later, on June 11, just after 6:30 a.m., 15-year-old Hayley Snow found her mother, bank manager Sue Snow, 40, collapsed in the bathroom with a faint pulse. But this time, it happened on the West Coast of the United States in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. She told them that she thought that he'd been poisoned, too. Find Nicholls's address, hospital affiliations and more. Then there was the insurance. Stella handed two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly bought at two different times from two different stores. She told authorities that her mother had done extensive research at the library. "I am not guilty," says Nickell. He was taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital. Around the time Stella failed a FBI polygraph, her daughter from a previous marriage, Cindy Hamilton, 27, came forward. [5] According to Stella, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules from a bottle in their home for his headache and collapsed minutes later. He was able to do this during his time as a hospital orderly.His spree took place between 1970 and 1987. Paramedics rushed to the home at 1404 N Street NE in Auburn. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Authorities became suspicious because she told them she had bought two bottles of Excedrin at different times, probably in different places. Investigators exhumed Bruce Nickells body and found evidence of cyanide. In 1986, the Nickells lived in Auburn, Washington, a suburb south of Seattle not far from SEA-TAC airport. [6] She went on trial in April 1988 and was found guilty of all charges on May 9, after five days of jury deliberation. } Your email address will not be published. The odds of her selecting two contaminated bottles by random chance were astronomical. Social Profiles. She also planted other bottles of cyanide-tainted Excedrin in local stores to divert suspicion, authorities said. Stella Nicholls : They locked her away because she was different. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. May 9, 1988, U.S. Marshall Merry Moore leads Stella Nickell from the federal courthouse after a jury convicts her on five counts of product tampering. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. 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. [1][2], On June 5, 1986, the Nickells were living in Auburn, Washington, when Bruce, 52, came home from work with a headache. Joanna R Nicholls. Stella Nickell's small-time world was one of big-time dreams. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in 1986. It was found among a thousand pages never turned over to the defense. [6] Concrete evidence proving that she had ever purchased or used cyanide was lacking, and despite their relative certainty that she had orchestrated the poisonings as either an elaborate cover-up for an insurance-motivated murder of her husband or a desperate attempt to force her husband's death to be ruled an accident to increase her insurance payout, they were unable to build a strong case supporting arrest. "She was having a hard time breathing." Let's remember when Stella Nickell was convicted of tampering with Excedrin, on this day in 1988 (May 9) | by Chris Burlingame | Journal of Precipitation | Medium Write Sign up Sign In 500. People named Stella Nicholl. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. In early 1974, when she was 32, she met Bruce Nickell. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. [2] Investigators examined the contents of the Snow-Webking household and discovered the source of the cyanide: the bottle of Excedrin capsules that both Snow and Webking had used the morning of Snow's death. But, Klein told Insider, Nickell didn't mention her mother. [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. Her husband, heavy-equipment operator Bruce Nickell, 52, was in distress in their single-wide trailer home just off Lake Moneysmith Road in the town of Auburn. ", Klein has watched all three of Nickell's parole hearings, where she's petitioned for release on "compassionate grounds." She became eligible in 2017 after serving 30 years of her 90-year sentence. Like last weeks case, this week deals with murder by poison. They informed the FBI, who took jurisdiction of the case. Death by cyanide poisoning was big news in Washington. The police say Stella told them she bought them at different times, probably at different stores. Authorities became suspicious because she told them she had bought two bottles of Excedrin at different times, probably in different places. Stella had two of them. [21] A second appeal, beginning in 2001, was filed by her new attorney, Carl Park Colbert, based on evidence obtained by private detectives Al Farr and Paul Ciolino, requesting a new trial on the basis of new evidence having been discovered that the FBI may have withheld documents from the defense. [7], Both Stella and Webking were asked to take polygraph examinations. They also posted a $100,000 reward. Nickell was convicted after police and FBI agents, following months of investigation, concluded she had laced her husbands Excedrin painkillers with cyanide to collect on his insurance, then planted poisoned pills in stores to throw off investigators. Stella Nickell was convicted after police and FBI agents, following months of investigation, concluded she had laced her husband's Excedrin painkillers with cyanide in order to collect on his. [9] Investigators' suspicions began to turn to Stella when they discovered that she claimed that the two contaminated Excedrin bottles that she had turned over to police had been purchased at different times and different locations. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. The FBI laboratory determined that the contaminated capsules contained small particles of an algicide called Algae Destroyer. Nickell was the first to be convicted under it. Hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at her trial two years later. The FBI found Stella's fingerprints on several books. "My belief is that the polygraph was a ruse to try and coerce a confession out of her," says Stella's new lawyer, Carl Colbert. "Why in the world would she have a second bottle of contaminated capsules just sitting there waiting to hand over to law enforcement," asks Farr. Cynthia Hamilton, Stellas daughter, came forward (possibly in order to obtain reward money) with her account of Stellas plan to kill her husband. Whites hosting gig came about, in read more, On May 8, 1541, south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever do so. In early 1974,. But this time, there was a suspect and an arrest. As any songwriter would, Sebastian first tried working that title into his read more, On May 8, 1963, with the release of Dr. No, North American moviegoers get their first lookdown the barrel of a gunat the super-spy James Bond (codename: 007), the immortal character created by Ian Fleming in his now-famous series of novels and portrayed onscreen by the read more, Claiming that its athletes will not be safe from protests and possible physical attacks, the Soviet Union announces that it will not compete in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. During the trial, the reward was never brought into evidence. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. Stella denies this, and says she told them she didn't know where she had bought the bottles. [2] Tests by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the presence of cyanide in her husband's remains and in two Excedrin bottles Stella had turned over to police. [15][16], Stella's legal team sought a mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct. Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 - March 30, 2017) was an American serial killer who claimed to have murdered 87 people, though official estimates are between 37 and 57 victims. Stella Nickell was sentenced to. Comments can only be made on article within the first 3 days of publication. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Nickell took advantage of the panic created by Snow's death and asked police to consider Bruce's case as part of their investigation. Stella's payoff now totaled $175,000. Farr and Ciolino believe that finding Hamilton is the key to their case. But, the author said, the poisoner has never cared about the attention. Stella was indicted in federal court and Cindy testified against her at the trial. [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, 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. READ MORE: How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned, Woman convicted of killing two in Excedrin tampering, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woman-convicted-for-tampering-with-excedrin. On December 9, 1987, a federal grand jury indicted Stella Nickell on five counts of product tampering. According to Stellas daughter from a previous marriage, Stella had begun planning Bruces murder almost from the honeymoon. Nickell took a lie detector test and failed. Stella was dirt poor, she lived in a small trailer with her husband, grown daughter Cynthia, and grandchild; Stella's her mother lived next door. The drift toward war with Mexico had begun a year earlier when the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas as a read more, In 1975, John Sebastian, former member of the beloved '60s pop group the Lovin Spoonful, was asked to write and record the theme song for a brand-new ABC television show with the working title Kotter. or. They were married two years later. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. Required fields are marked *. Coryn I. Nicholls (Mayerson) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA. She said of Nickell, "She has no regard for what she did to other people's lives I don't know why anybody should have any regard for her now.". Cindy said that her mother had talked of killing Bruce Nickell, at one point discussing hiring a hit man. Trending News Gradually suspicion hardened on Stella Nickell. Read. But this time, pathologists smelled the telltale scent of bitter almonds during the autopsy, and determined that cyanide poisoning had killed Sue Snow. By age 16 she was pregnant with her first daughter, Cindy Hamilton. Farr and Ciolino talked to other people who were also rewarded for their role in the case. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? [25], Seattle author Gregg Olsen wrote about the Nickell case in his 1993 book Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters and the Seattle Cyanide Murders. Stella Nickell has spent more than a decade in prison for poisoning her husband. [1], A second death, less than a week later, forced authorities to reconsider the cause of Bruce's death. Reports said Snow died after swallowing cyanide-laced Excedrin. ER 2002-12, 2014-16 Milford Haven, Dyfed, SA73. Stella Nicholls : I can't leave my dad. Records show agents found five contaminated bottles of medicine during a search of Auburn-area grocery stores and pharmacies, prompting widespread recalls of over-the-counter analgesics in the Northwest and elsewhere as health officials and the FBI sought to uncover the source of the poison. [23], After the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders, new FDA regulations went into effect which made it a federal crimerather than just a state or local crimeto tamper with consumer products. Nickell is the subject of a new book, "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World." He said that the companies were extra sensitive because the police had found no leads on the Tylenol murders in Illinois. "Rock star" reptile breeder murdered; Coroner: "Not a random act" Manufacturer Bristol-Myers initiated a nationwide recall of Extra Strength Excedrin capsules, and immediately stopped making the product. Investigators found it remarkable that of only five tainted bottles out of the 15,000 that had been screened, Stella Nickell had turned in two of them, saying she had purchased them two weeks apart at separate locations. Some cite $71,000, some $75,000, and some $76,000. Correction: Death By Cyanide Despite a strong circumstantial case, there was no direct proof that Stella Nickell had bought or used cyanide. See Photos. Prosecutors: Security video discredits cosplay model's story of self-defense Four years later, the scenario seemed to be playing itself out again in King County Washington. She said she had bought the bottles on two occasions, one somewhere in Auburn, the other at Johnny's Market in Kent. Records from the Auburn Public Library showed Stella had checked out numerous books on poisoning. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. Trusted by millions of genealogists since 2003 Trusted information source for millions of people worldwide Rider was never called to testify. SEATTLE -- Stella Nickell poisoned her husband with cyanide-laced Excedrin so she could collect on his life insurance and caused the death of an innocent woman to fake 'the work of a random. 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. Stella met Bruce Nickell in 1974. ", If you have information regarding this case, please contact Al Farr at, The Tylenol Mafia: Marketing, Murder and Johnson & Johnson. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist in the 2019 film based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Historical Records* 3.9 BILLION RECORDS. Bruce was a heavy equipment operator with a drinking habit, which suited her lifestyle,[3] and the two were married in 1976. [20] Her release date is given as July 10, 2040, when she will be 96 years old. Given credit for good behavior, Nickell will be eligible for release in 2040, when shes 96 years old, according to court documents. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, Want to solve climate change? Investigators concluded they were dealing with product tampering. 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. 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. Ramn Morales : Hospitals have records. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. She will be eligible for parole in 2017. A year and half after Bruce Nickell died, Stella Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court. In 1985, Stella took out a life insurance policy on Bruce that included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease. 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 FBI refused to comment. "She didn't want notoriety," Olsen said. President Nixon, at a news conference, defends the U.S. troop movement into Cambodia, saying the operation would provide six to eight months of time for training South Vietnamese forces and thus would shorten the war for Americans. display: none; Stella . They also recalled that Stella Nickell had several fish tanks in her trailer home. But Tom Noonan, who managed the local fish store at the time, says she did buy algae destroyer. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Search for profiles by email and username. 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. "It's entirely possible that the real killer is walking around somewhere out there," says Farr. [9], Examination of the contaminated bottles by the FBI Crime Lab found that, in addition to containing cyanide powder, the poisoned capsules also contained flecks of an unknown green substance. After building flatboats, de Soto and his 400 ragged troops crossed the great river under the cover of read more, On the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, armed members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) surrender to federal authorities, ending their 71-day siege of Wounded Knee, site of the infamous massacre of 300 Sioux by the U.S. 7th Cavalry in 1890. FBI document examiners determined that Bruce's signature on the applications had been forged. [32][33], Sources vary as to the exact amount. [5] Stella, Hamilton claimed, had even told her that she had tried to poison Bruce previously with foxglove hidden in capsules. They have a history of helping people they feel have been unfairly convicted. Never-before-seen photos and details about accused Idaho killer Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. Cindy told FBI investigators that Stella had researched toxic local plants and other poisons at local libraries. 4 Stella J Nicholls. Olsen said that Nickell laced Bruce's Excedrin with cyanide so that the authorities would think his death was accidental, which would allow her to claim his $100,000 life-insurance policy. Officers broke open the capsules and found the powdered toxin inside. Stella Nickell was convicted two years later. Stella's neighbor, Sandy Scott, became a spy for the FBI. DARLING (born NICHOLLS) and 3 other siblings. [2] The case was referenced in an episode of In Plain Sight titled "Kill Pill", which aired November 23, 2018 on the Investigation Discovery channel. Olsen told Insider that Snow was a random victim who "paid for Stella's greed with her life." Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). Bruce's insurance paid an extra $100,000 if he died by accident, including poisoning. (CBS) Thirteen years ago, in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. Stella says she researched cyanide after her husband died. Although investigators were sure they had the right person, they had very little to take to a jury: No fingerprints, nor any way to prove that Stella Nickell ever bought or possessed cyanide. "The case brought the whole pharmaceutical industry to its knees," Olsen said. After searching for months, they found her in Southern California. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. The film was to have been directed by Jeff Reiner and starring Katey Sagal as Stella Nickell. display: block; They then looked toward Nickell. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. Checked out numerous books on poisoning her 90-year sentence container to crush both the Destroyer! Hayley Klein was transfixed by the time, says that never made sense, because he didnt have that.. Sealed when Hamilton told the FBI lab found an important clue: crystals. One somewhere in Auburn, who authorities said had bought two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly at! Nicholls ( Mayerson ) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA made,! 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