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. Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. #inline-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Ramn Morales : Hospitals have records. win all terms to run concurrently. People named Stella Nicholl. Stella Maudine Stephenson was a native of Colton, Oregon. Olsen said that Nickell told her daughter, Cindy Hamilton, about the scheme, despite their fractious relationship, and how she was inspired by the Tylenol deaths. Nixon reaffirmed his promise to withdraw 150,000 read more, On May 8, 1884, Harry S. Truman is born in Lamar, Missouri. "I am not guilty," says Nickell. "It all just kind of dawned on me, wait a minute, this was a whole setup," she says. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Stella refused, her lawyer saying she was too shaken up. The money was an attempt by the company to limit damages, because scared consumers had boycotted their products. She had taken out a total of about $76,000[11][note 2] in insurance coverage on her husband's life, with an additional payout of $100,000 if his death was accidental. One of the jurors had been a plaintiff in a case involving a pill baked into Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. 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.. She grew up in a poor family. You have permission to edit this article. Stella had two of them. 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. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. "It was a means to an end," the author said. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. display: none; Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist in the 2019 film based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. display: none; She originally called police and turned over two bottles of Excedrin. The detectives say they simply don't know who the killer is. Johnson & Johnson warned the public not to buy its product, stopped making and advertising it, and recalled more than 30 million bottles worth more than 100 million dollars. [2] She was also known to have, even before Snow's death, repeatedly disputed doctors' ruling that her husband had died of natural causes. They asked the family if Snow had any enemies. She is evil. Stella Maudine Stephenson was born in Colton, Oregon, to Alva Georgia "Jo" (ne Duncan; later changed her name to Cora Lee) and George Stephenson. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. 44 year old Stella Nickell, of Auburn, Washington, had been absolutely miserable with her life. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. They then looked toward Nickell. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. Hayley Klein was transfixed by the woman who fatally poisoned her mother, Sue Snow. According to Olsen, the police theory is that Stella Nickell crushed the algae tablets in a bowl, and then later, when she mixed the cyanide, used that same bowl without cleaning it. They also found cyanide in two bottles of Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the police. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? [1] In the course of their ten-year marriage, Bruce entered a drug rehab and gave up drinking, which Stella reportedly resented as she later felt he had "turned into a boring man". For one thing, authorities found only five contaminated bottles of painkillers in all of King County. Her fingerprints were also found all over other books on cyanide. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. [6] Bruce had taken them to no effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. Stellas lawyer said nothing about the reward because a deal was made. [1], A second death, less than a week later, forced authorities to reconsider the cause of Bruce's death. [2] Further tests showed that the substance was an algaecide used in home aquariums, sold under the brand name Algae Destroyer. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. [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. She also planted other bottles of cyanide-tainted Excedrin in local stores to divert suspicion, authorities said. "And I won't quit fighting until I prove it.". Farr and Ciolino believe that finding Hamilton is the key to their case. Reports said Snow died after swallowing cyanide-laced Excedrin. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. She laced some of the pills with cyanide, just as she'd done before, and placed the bottles on the shelves of random stores in the area. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { SEATTLE -- A federal jury convicted Stella Nickell Monday of lacing pain relief capsules with cyanide, killing her husband and a random victim, in the nation's first fatal . After the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5-6), Ulysses S. Grants Army of the Potomac marched south in the drive to take Richmond. Farr and Ciolino have been traveling the country without pay, interviewing witnesses and friends, talking to anyone who may help them. [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. FBI document examiners determined that Bruce's signature on the applications had been forged. But police investigators and the federal government still firmly believe she is guilty. Her first lawyer also asked to see it, and never did. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. The deaths sparked a nationwide tampering scare and prompted Excedrin manufacturer Bristol-Myers Co. to recall its over-the-counter capsule medications. #inline-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { [3] At 6:30 am, their 15-year-old daughter Hayley found Snow collapsed on the floor of her bathroom, unresponsive and with a faint pulse. 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. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. The Food and Drug Administration soon announced that Extra Strength Excedrin capsules found at Snow's home contained cyanide. [7] On June 18, Bristol-Myers recalled all Excedrin capsules in the United States, pulling them from store shelves and warning consumers to not use any they may already have bought;[7] two days later the company announced a recall of all of their non-prescription capsule products. [22] The appeal was denied, though Stella and her team continue to assert her innocence. The reward money came from a drug manufacturer's trade association. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine during World War II. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. She added that "as negative as it is, I have chosen to learn from it and not become bitter. 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. Dont miss out! According to Cindy, Stella had pointed out that if Bruce died, she and Cindy would have the cash they wanted to open a tropical fish store, or perhaps a ceramics store, another of Stella's hobbies. Cindy Hamilton was paid a $250,000 reward for her help in the case against her mother. 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. "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. "It really bothers me. She claimed Stella admitted to researching poisons and told her of an unsuccessful attempt to poison Bruce with foxglove. 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. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. The eighth of read more, On May 8, 1919, Edward George Honey, a journalist from Melbourne, Australia, living in London at the time, writes a letter to the London Evening News proposing that the first anniversary of the armistice ending World War Iconcluded on November 11, 1918be commemorated by read more. [1] Hamilton also claimed that Stella had spoken to her about what the two of them could do with the insurance money if Bruce was dead. Stella resented Bruces newfound sobriety because it deprived her of their visits to bars. Another $300,000 was shared by nine people who helped police arrest a Florida man in 1986. She showed them the bottle. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Authorities became suspicious because she told them she had bought two bottles of Excedrin at different times, probably in different places. She deserves no compassion. Coryn I. Nicholls (Mayerson) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA. There was nothing wrong with her. It was found among a thousand pages never turned over to the defense. A consortium of drug companies, alarmed about product tampering, posted a $300,000 reward. Stella, who stood to lose $100,000 if his death wasnt ruled an accident, decided to alter her plan. According to Stellas daughter from a previous marriage, Stella had begun planning Bruces murder almost from the honeymoon. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. She stands by her testimony that her mother had talked about killing Bruce, though she never said Stella confessed. Bruce Nickell was rushed by helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he soon died. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. [17], Stella was sentenced to two terms of ninety years in prison for the deaths of Bruce and Snow, and three ten-year terms for the other product tampering charges. 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." She is a citizen of Mill Valley and the daughter of Roy Nicholls. Joanna R Nicholls. [4], Stella met Bruce Nickell in 1974. Stella Nicholas. "I started reading books to find out what plants I might have on the property that would be a danger to kids and pets," Stella says. The case was also featured in episodes of Autopsy, Forensic Files,[26] The New Detectives,[27] Mysteries at the Museum, and Snapped,[28] as well as two episodes of Deadly Women. Stella Nickell was sentenced to. But in 1986, when two Seattle-area people died after ingesting Excedrin laced with cyanide, Stella Nickell was nabbed for the. When detectives investigated, they found that Stella had borrowed, but never returned, a book called Human Poisoning. Stella denies abusing her children: "(Hamilton) wasn't feeling good. Nickell hatched another plot within a week. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. Noonan, the fish store manager, was paid a $15,000 reward. Historical Records* 3.9 BILLION RECORDS. But, the author said, the poisoner has never cared about the attention. She became eligible in 2017 after serving 30 years of her 90-year sentence. [5], During an autopsy on Snow, Assistant Medical Examiner Janet Miller detected the scent of bitter almonds, an odor distinctive to cyanide. Nickell was the first to be convicted under it. Nickell was the first to be convicted. They were married two years later. But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. Nickell took a lie detector test and failed. All sentences were to run concurrently, and the judge ordered Stella to pay a small fine and forfeit her remaining assets to the families of her victims. The Chicago Tylenol case had resulted not only in the 1983 Federal Anti-Tampering Law under which she was charged, but FDA requirements that products be packaged with tamper-resistant technology such as blister-packs, bottle mouth seal covers, shrink wrap bottle covers, visible seals that must be broken to open the bottle, and taped box ends. }, First published on June 4, 2001 / 12:09 PM. Stella continued to maintain her innocence after her trial. Because of product tampering legislation passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case. Some cite $71,000, some $75,000, and some $76,000. But the policy would pay an additional $100,000 if he died from accidental causes. Olsen says Hamilton and her mother had a combative relationship. But this time, there was a suspect and an arrest. Six days later, on June 11, just after 6:30 a.m., 15-year-old Hayley Snow found her mother, bank manager Sue Snow, 40, collapsed in the bathroom with a faint pulse. "She didn't want notoriety," Olsen said. Stella Nickell was convicted two years later. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in 1986. Sign Up. Stella handed two bottles of Excedrin over to police -- supposedly bought at two different times from two different stores. The FBI began an investigation into possible product tampering having been the source of the poison. During the autopsy, an assistant medical examiner noticed the odor of bitter almonds, a tell-tale indicator of cyanide. "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook 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. Rushed to Harborview Medical Center, Bruce did not respond to doctors efforts to revive him. [6], With contamination of the Excedrin at the source having been ruled out, investigators began to focus their investigation on the end-users of the product. Trending News May 08, 2013 12:00 AM. She had a history of abusing drugs. The jury convicted Stella on all counts on May 9, after five days of deliberation. as well as other partner offers and accept our. After all, it had been less than four years since the unsolved Tylenol poisonings in the Chicago area. [6] Further FBI investigation showed that Bruce's purported signatures on at least two of the insurance policies in his name had been forged. Stella Nickell, an Auburn woman who was sentenced to 90 years in prison for product-tampering that left two people dead, is seen here in 1987 at the age of 44. Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. A year later, Stella put cyanide in an Excedrin capsule that Bruce later took for a headache. [5], In response to the publicity, Stella came forward on June 19. When Cindy was 9, Stella was charged with hitting her with a curtain rod, bruising her legs. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. She told authorities that her husband had died suddenly after taking Excedrin. She found none, something the jury never heard. Stella and Steven have lived together in a single family house in Philadelphia, PA. View more. [1] By the summer of 1987, even Stella's attorneys acknowledged that she was the prime suspect in the case. Stella is a young teenage girl living in a high school for her 1968-69 school year. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. Like cyanide poisoning. Three capsules out of those that remained in the 60-capsule bottle were found to be laced with cyanide in toxic quantities. Under her husband's insurance policy, which paid out more for accidental death, she stood to receive an extra $100,000. She will be eligible for parole in 2017. [12] The FBI identified her fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the works she had checked out during this period. } 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. 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. O n this day, May 9, in 1988, a Seattle woman was found guilty of killing her husband and another person by lacing Excedrin capsules with cyanide. But U.S. District Judge James Robart on Thursday found that Nickell, who has already twice been denied parole, doesnt qualify for compassionate relief. The killer in that case has never been caught. 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. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. Stella Nickell had three life insurance policies on her husband. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. The FBI refused to comment. Now, private detective Al Farr and his partner Paul Ciolino are on a mission to prove what they both firmly believe: Nickell is innocent. In early 1974,. Her bar-hopping drastically reduced, Stella began to request more night shifts at her baggage-screener job at SEA-TAC airport. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. [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. Klein was 15 when she found her 40-year-old mother lying on the bathroom floor in June 1986. 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. Her May 1988 conviction and prison sentence were the first under federal product tampering laws instituted after the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders. 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