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. Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. Federal prosecutors said they opposed her release. The other victim was Susan Katherine Snow, 40, also of Auburn, who authorities said had bought the poisoned capsules. She asked for compassionate release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and another women? Over a few weeks, Farr met with her twice. During the autopsy, an assistant medical examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a tell-tale indicator of cyanide. [1], In January 1987, Stella's now-grown daughter, Cynthia Hamilton, approached police with information: her mother had spoken to her repeatedly about wanting Bruce dead, having grown bored with him after he quit drinking. She became eligible for parole in 2018 but remains in prison. But, Klein told Insider, Nickell didn't mention her mother. Like last weeks case, this week deals with murder by poison. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. She failed and investigators narrowed their focus to her even further. Historical Records* 3.9 BILLION RECORDS. Dont miss out! Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Nickell says her husband walked out on the deck to watch the birds, and suddenly collapsed. 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Records from the Auburn Public Library showed Stella had checked out numerous books on poisoning. One of the bottles happened to be purchased by Snow. Judge wont release WA woman serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Cynthia Hamilton, Stellas daughter, came forward (possibly in order to obtain reward money) with her account of Stellas plan to kill her husband. Nixon reaffirmed his promise to withdraw 150,000 read more, On May 8, 1884, Harry S. Truman is born in Lamar, Missouri. As Stella told it, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules before collapsing minutes later. On the basis of their new findings, Stella's legal team today filed a request for a new trial. They also found cyanide in two bottles of Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the police. Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. Stella Nickell about the time of the poisonings. But he took a polygraph, passed, and was eliminated as a suspect. When investigators came to Nickells home to pick up the Excedrin bottle, she told them that there were two bottles and that she had purchased them on different days at different places. These included convictions for fraud and forgery and a charge of beating Cindy with a curtain rod. Farr and Ciolino believe that finding Hamilton is the key to their case. She had a history of abusing drugs. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. [7], Both Stella and Webking were asked to take polygraph examinations. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. She was the first person to be found guilty of violating the Federal Anti-Tampering Act after putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules in an effort to kill her husband. Bruce was a heavy equipment operator with a drinking habit, which suited her lifestyle,[3] and the two were married in 1976. Rider was never called to testify. 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." Stella Nickell was sentenced to. Bruce Nickell was rushed by helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he soon died. Stella had an aquarium, but says she never bought algae destroyer. Police arrested her the same day, and she went on trial in April 1988. June Devaney: Unique Strategy Solves a Horrific Murder, Lipstick Killer: Murder Spree is a Challenge For Cops, Mollie Olgin: Strange Murder of Girl in Texas Park, Jason Owens: Secrets and Murder of a Media Star, Black Sox: Baseballs First Big Gambling Scandal, Mark Putnam: Love and Murder in Appalachia, Eric Witte: Mother Manipulates Boy to Commit Startling Murder. In the unlikely event she is paroled, at age 73, she could still face state murder charges, which have never been filed. Stella and Bruce Nickell married in 1976, shortly after seven people were killed in Chicago, Illinois, from poisoned Tylenol pills. To Nickell's frustration, the autopsy failed to pick up on the poison. Ramn Morales : If you're serious about being a writer, it's not going to happen here. Stella appealed her conviction but none of her appeals succeeded. Her first lawyer also asked to see it, and never did. "She didn't want notoriety," Olsen said. DARLING (born NICHOLLS) and 3 other siblings. Other evidence pointed to Stella. [7] His death initially was ruled to be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema. [2] The former was marked as overdue in library records, indicating that she had borrowed but never returned it. [3] She served six months in jail for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge. Gradually suspicion hardened on Stella Nickell. 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. In 1988 in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. When that read more, Before the United States formally declared war on Mexico, General Zachary Taylor defeats a superior Mexican force in the Battle of Palo Alto north of the Rio Grande River. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. They say she was desperate to establish an accidental cause of death. Stella continued to maintain her innocence after her trial. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. They were married two years later. Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. 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. But Tom Noonan, who managed the local fish store at the time, says she did buy algae destroyer. The FBI laboratory determined that the contaminated capsules contained small particles of an algicide called Algae Destroyer. Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. Hamilton testified. Rewards authorized for two other drug-tampering cases remain unpaid. The detectives also question how she first became a suspect. [5], During an autopsy on Snow, Assistant Medical Examiner Janet Miller detected the scent of bitter almonds, an odor distinctive to cyanide. In early 1974, when she was 32, she met Bruce Nickell. Rushed to Harborview Medical Center, Bruce did not respond to doctors efforts to revive him. Cindy Hamilton was paid a $250,000 reward for her help in the case against her mother. Nickell watched Bruce die in agony on June 5, 1986, a few days after buying the cyanide at a chemical-supply company. We offered the rewards as a deterrent because we feel that the best way to deter tampering is to catch the tamperers, said John T. Walden, a senior vice president of the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Assn. Elizabeth was born on July 31 1868. People named Stella Nicholl. Sue Snow collapsed in her bathroom of her home in the Seattle, Washington, suburb of Auburn. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Stella Nicholls on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). Klein, who lives with her family in New Mexico, said the loss had taught her "a lot about life." Stella denies abusing her children: "(Hamilton) wasn't feeling good. Bruce worked as a heavy equipment operator and had a fondness for alcohol. Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. Snow died a few days later, after also taking Excedrin pills laced with cyanide. Stella handed two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly bought at two different times from two different stores. When emergency personnel arrived, she told them that Bruce had taken Excedrin capsules and fallen unconscious. Cindy subsequently received $250,000 of the $300,000 drug industry award. 2011 Update: New book presents compelling case that the murderous capsules were prepared within the manufacturer's facilities, not at the retail level. The Auburn Public Library, responding to an FBI subpoena, revealed that Stella had checked out titles such as Deadly Harvest and Human Poisoning from Native Plants. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. She refused to help the defense team. Stella had two of them. Includes Age, Location, Address History for Stella Chen; Arrest, Criminal, & Driving Records . .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Under her husband's insurance policy, which paid out more for accidental death, she stood to receive an extra $100,000. She told police that her husband had recently died suddenly after taking pills from a 40-capsule bottle of Excedrin with the same lot number as the one that had killed Snow. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Authorities alleged he put rat poison in capsules of several SmithKline Beckman Corp. products in Florida and Texas in a failed scheme to manipulate the price of SmithKline stock. Snow died a few days later, after also taking Excedrin pills laced with cyanide. "The case brought the whole pharmaceutical industry to its knees," Olsen said. display: none; 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. He died in the hospital, but doctors did not detect the cyanide and ascribed the death to emphysema. Stella Nicholl. The Seattle cyanide poisonings are the subject of several true-crime television episodes and at least one book Gregg Olsens Bitter Almonds, published in 2013. Your email address will not be published. See Photos. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. She belongs in prison until she is dead. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Stella Nickell (born August 7, 1943) is an American woman murdered her husband and another and tried to make it look like the work of a serial killer. [10], With investigatory focus turned to Stella, detectives uncovered more circumstantial evidence pointing to her as the culprit. [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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider [5], In response to the publicity, Stella came forward on June 19. [7], A murder by cyanide was sensational news in Washington State. 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. 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. Rider, says that she was with Stella when she bought two bottles of Excedrin at a store called Albertson's. They also recalled that Stella Nickell had several fish tanks in her trailer home. Coryn I. Nicholls (Mayerson) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in 1986. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. But police investigators and the federal government still firmly believe she is guilty. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. "It was a means to an end," the author said. Despite the Soviet statement, it was obvious that the boycott was a response to the decision of the read more, On May 8, 1792, Congress passes the second portion of the Militia Act, requiring that every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years be enrolled in the militia. [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. They have a history of helping people they feel have been unfairly convicted. A federal judge has denied a plea for compassionate release from prison by an Auburn woman whos serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills that killed two and prompted national recalls of over-the-counter painkillers. A more recent but undated photo of Stella Nickell. [1][2] Stella soon found herself in various legal issues, including a conviction for fraud in 1968, a charge of spousal abuse for beating Hamilton with a curtain rod in 1969, and a conviction for forgery in 1971. Sue Snows husband, Paul Webking, agreed to undergo a polygraph examination and passed. She was paid $7,500. On June 5, Bruce came home from work with a headache. Tests confirmed that Snow had died from acute cyanide poisoning. The detectives discovered an FBI memo that seems to support Rider's account. But in 1986, when two Seattle-area people died after ingesting Excedrin laced with cyanide, Stella Nickell was nabbed for the. Stella Nickell used Cyanide to kill her victims. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in . Sue Snow collapsed in her bathroom of her home in the Seattle, Washington, suburb of Auburn. She told Farr that she is not sure her mother is really guilty. Stella is a young teenage girl living in a high school for her 1968-69 school year. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. The case made headlines across the world. [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. "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. She is portrayed by Zoe Colletti . [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. Bruce's insurance paid an extra $100,000 if he died by accident, including poisoning. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Stella Nickell was convicted two years later. When Cindy was 9, Stella was charged with hitting her with a curtain rod, bruising her legs. 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