Uncovering a poisoning plot after two mysterious deaths | Forensic Files

here's why on the big fan of simply safe home security Simonton under if a storm
takes out your power simply safe is ready and intruder cuts your phone line simply safe is ready say they destroy
your keypad or siren simply sake will still get you the help you need sure maybe it's overkill maybe you don't
need to be ready for every worst-case scenario but that's what makes simply safes home security system so great it
is always ready simply safe could cost an arm and a leg but it doesn't instead they only charge you what's fair
24/7 professional security monitoring is just $14.99 a month there are no contracts and - no hidden fees
I recommend simply safe to everyone I know you've got to check it out go to simply safecom slash case file today
that's si MP Li SAF a.com slash case file to protect your home and family today simply safecom slash case file
[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website headaches were a semi-regular occurrence
for Susan snow they came with little surprised or concerned for the 40 year old Susan was the assistant vice
president at Puget Sound a National Bank under the manager of the bank's organ branch in Washington State through her
work over the years Susan had become well-known and highly regarded within her small close-knit community bank
customers were drawn to her warm and charming personality and often asked the deal with Susan exclusively recently she
closed the deal on a five million dollar account with a local trucking firm but her immense success and popularity did
little to alleviate the pressure and stress that came with her job on most days it wasn't unusual for Susan to get
a headache but they were never bad enough to warrant a sick day instead Susan would just take a few pills of her
preferred brand of over-the-counter pain relief medication extra-strength excedrin another dull headache greeted
Susan as she woke on the morning of June 11 1986 at 6 o'clock she climbed out of
bed and headed straight to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of excedrin from its usual spot in a cabin above the sink
the bottle was already open and its lid was missing needing to take painkillers so often susan developed the habit of
discarding the bothersome safety caps saving her from having to wrestle with them constantly there was still plenty
of the red gelatin shell capsules inside after shaking out a couple into her hand
Susan swallowed them then returned to the bottle back to the cabinet extra-strength excedrin boasted of
relief from headaches within 15 minutes [Music] fifteen-year-old Hayley snow greeted her
mother with a hug it was just the two of them home at the time Susan's husband 45 year old Paul
wept King was a long-haul trucker he left for work early at that morning Susan's eldest daughter 23 year old EXO
spent the night before out on the town and had yet to come home shortly before 6:30 a.m.
Susan headed down the hallway leading to the master bedroom to get ready for work on the way she
gave Hayley a quick kiss and told her she loved her Hayley went to take a shower before school whilst in the
bathroom she could hear the muffled sound of running water through the walls it was coming from the master bedrooms
ensuite where her mother was completing her morning routine during her shower Hayley was startled by a loud thump as
though something heavy dropped somewhere in the house she worried her mother might have been the source of the noise
perhaps she tripped or fallen after waiting listening and hearing nothing else Hayley dismissed her concern convinced
she was just being overdramatic after her shower Hayley stood before the mirror to apply
makeup her attention was once again drawn to the faint sound of running water familiar with her mother's morning
routine Hayley knew Susan should have been out of the ensuite by now yet the water from the ensuite continued
to flow uninterrupted for an unusually long time sensing something wasn't right Hayley went to check on her mother her
parents bedroom was empty the sound of flowing water continued from behind to the ensuite door Hayley couldn't hear
her mother moving about in there and calling out was met with no response so she looked inside the vanity sink was
near overflowing as the tap above flooded it with water lying on the floor at its base was Susan in her purple
bathrobe susan was on her back her head resting awkwardly on the doorframe of the shower
her eyes were wide open fixed and dilated her body was pale and unnaturally stiff
a frightened expression was frozen across her face Hayley had never seen her mother in such a state she rushed in
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
struggled to get the words out I think my mother fell while I was in the shower she's breathing in everything but
something's wrong with her when asked by the dispatcher if her mother could talk
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
the house Susan state appeared consistent with a head injury it was assumed she slipped whilst getting into
the shower hailey quickly dismissed this explanation clarifying that her mother only took showers in the evening
furthermore Susan didn't have any noticeable wounds fractures bumps or bruises located by the vanity sink was
Susan's curling iron used to style her hair yet the possibility Susan was electrocuted didn't seem likely there
were no visible burn marks on her body and the power in the bathroom was still on had she suffered an electric shock
powerful enough to render her unconscious it seemed probable the power would have shored it and shut down
bottles of medication was shaken to determine if Susan overdosed but all were reasonably fool questions raised
about Susan's mental health were quickly clarified by Haley who insists that her
mother was neither depressed nor suicidal when the words recreational drugs were mentioned Haley responded
defensively my mother's not a druggie [Music] Haley informed the medics that her
mother woke up with one of her usual headaches and took some pain relief medication for she retrieved at the
bottle of extra-strength excedrin from the kitchen the 60 pill bottle looked to be missing only a few capsules guarding
any suspicion Susan took an excessive amount it didn't seem likely she was having a reaction to the etc neither
there was her preferred brand she had taken it many times before without issue Susan's breathing pattern was abnormal
every few minutes she would give a labored ineffective gasp for air as though she was suffocating a bag mask
was placed over her nose and mouth and squeezed to facilitate breathing but it didn't relieve her condition more
desperate measures were required a tube was put down Susan's trachea to serve as
an airway but that didn't help either struggling to breathe and pulse fading Susan was
flown by helicopter 30 miles north to Harborview Medical Center in the city of Seattle
prior to her collapse Susan was in good health with no pre-existing illnesses or
conditions that would render her unconscious doctors considered if her headaches indicated a serious
undiagnosed health problem perhaps a tremor stroke or aneurysm but it was hard to tell collectively her symptoms
didn't line up perfectly with any suggested diagnosis doctors were baffled finding it difficult to treat her making
matters worse was the sheer speed susan was deteriorating news of Susan's hospitalization reached her family
husband Paul eldest daughter Axl and ex-husband Connie snow whom she maintained a friendly relationship
arrived to the hospital from what they understood Susan fell or fainted knowing she was otherwise healthy their concerns
were easily brushed off but arriving one by one each was shocked to discover just
how dire Susan's condition really was she was in a coma and on life support doctors pronounced her brain-dead and
concluded there was absolutely no hope for her to recover by midday Susan snow had died
[Music] the loss of one's twin is a profound grief said to be unlike any other Sarah
would attest to that after receiving the call that her identical twin Susan was in a coma she was rushing to the airport
flying from her home in Denver Colorado to Seattle by the time Sara arrived Susan had already passed Sarah was born
15 minutes before Susan on April 13 1946 from that day onwards the twins were inseparable throughout their lives the
pair always remained close despite being polar opposites Sarah was the logical and careful twin she
followed her head Susan on the other hand followed her heart she was the adventurous spontaneous risk-taker by
age 16 Susan was pregnant in preparation for motherhood she dropped out of high school married her baby's father and
moved into his farmhouse she gave birth on June 30 1963 to a girl EXO Susan took
well to being a mother and dota Don her baby girl but she longed to do more with
her life than settling straight into marriage and living a simple quiet farm life
[Music] Susan's brother-in-law was a man named Connie Snow Connie was 11 years Susan's
senior annoyer field worker who's spent his career in and around the Texas Panhandle
nineteen-year-old Susan found herself drawn to the older men and as she always did Susan followed her heart she
divorced her husband and began a relationship with Connie not wanting Susan to rushing to yet another marriage
her parents told her to wait a year first after that if she still loved Connie and wanted to Wed him then they
would not stand in her way this was a big ask for the impulsive Susan but both her and Connie respected
her parents request Susan's love for Connie strengthened over the following year and on the final
day of her parents deadline 20 year-old Susan and four-year-old Axl went to live
with him they settled in a mobile home park in Sumner a small town close to Orban where Connie worked at the time
the couple married the following year in 1969 Susan started work at Puget Sound National Bank as a teller colleagues
believed she was too smart to stay behind at the tellers window and she proved them right hastily climbing the
corporate ladder she spent time in credit and moved on to her least enjoyable role in repossessions stealing
property from the community for the bank didn't sit well with kind-hearted Sue on
April 24 1971 Susan and Connie had a daughter Hayley for Connie his relationship with Susan
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
Connie waned over the years as he got older he slowed down becoming a homebody who would fall asleep on the couch after
work Susan on the other hand was in the prime of her life she was outgoing clever and a popular making leaps and
bounds through a successful career with the bank she outgrew Connie and their marriage fell apart
Susan then moved with her daughters to New Mexico to look after her ailing father the separation was hard for
Connie he felt he couldn't love anyone else as much as he loved Susan around a year and
a half after they split he sent her money to return to Washington in hopes they would rekindle their relationship
Susan did return to the state and the pair remained close over the years mainly for the children but they never
officially got back together eventually they filed for divorce Susan settled with our girls in an
apartment in nearby Puyallup and it was there she was introduced to Paul Webb King by the time he met Susan Snow Paul
had been married and divorced three times he was a Roma he switched homes relationships and jobs constantly he dug
ditches worked to customer service did bar work and eventually became a long-haul trucker the day he met Susan
Paul took her out to get pizza not long after that they became a couple others weren't fully convinced at the paring
Susan herself was a successful career woman who typically dated doctors and lawyers Paul was a shy blue-collar type
who was unapologetically apathetic he often aired his annoyance of the human race which he considered lazy and
selfish although susan was seen as Paul's opposite with an optimistic and outgoing
nature Paul's attitude actually settled well with her in a way Paul's indifference and cynicism allowed
her to finally relax Susan used up a lot of energy maintaining her cheerful facade and struggled to say no to
demanding requests with laid-back Paul she could just be herself and be honest it was therapeutic for Susan to come
home from work and vent to her husband Paul took on a domestic role in the relationship as Susan focused more on
her career he got along well enough with Susan's youngest daughter Haley who aimed the pleased that eldest thought
her exile was more free-spirited and independent she didn't respond too well to strict parenting
at times she butted heads with both Paul and her mother Susan's strictness manifested from her
own experiences she didn't want her daughters to take the same life path that she did and become young mothers
she encouraged them to find to their full potential to study enter in career success
EXIF followed her mother's advice after graduating high school she moved into state to attend university and studied
tax law that had an added bonus for everyone x's move east attention in the household and gave her the full autonomy
she desired throughout her life and all her ups and downs Susan always sought advice from her twin Sarah even though
the sisters had gone their separate ways they spoke on the phone almost daily and
visited each other whenever they could they traded stories secrets and advice their bond was near unbreakable and -
they were each other's pillars of support what exactly caused Susan snow's sudden death remained a medical mystery
seeking answers her family agreed for the medical examiner's office to conduct an autopsy assistant medical examiner
for King County dr. carine floognarg the procedure assisted by pathologist Janet
Miller as an incision was made to open the chest cavity Janet Miller detected a distinct odor emanate from Susan's body
years prior a colleague of Millers committed suicide by ingesting cyanide a highly toxic salt and rapidly acting
poison so I know it stopped cells of the body from absorbing oxygen giving the sensation of suffocation fatal
quantities result in cardiac arrest depending on the dosage cyanide can take hours or just minutes to kill Janet
Miller was aware cyanide was often described as having a smell like a bitter almonds she noticed the unique
scent faint as it was during Susan snows autopsy Miller informed dr. fleckner of
the odor and its implication however flug nerf ailed to detect the odor herself furthermore Susan's flesh was
glaringly pale victims of cyanide poisoning tend to have unnaturally pink to bright
red skintone uncertain of herself Miller didn't push the matter later her doctor
entered the room asking if anything turned up explaining Susan's death dr. fluke no was under the impression Susan
died from natural causes specifically cardiac arrhythmia an irregular heartbeat that in serious
cases can result in stroke or heart failure but Dr Flegg nez assistant Janet Miller was unable to shake the son of
Arlen's lingering in the air she spoke up about its presence once more but still no one else could smell it
prompted by Miller's assertions a sample of Susan's blood was sent to the lab to
receive a specific cox ecology assessment one not routinely performed in standard autopsies Susan's blood was
mixed with an acid solution that separated blood from any possible cyanide molecules after this a special
reactive paper was sealed in a tube with the blood and acid solution mixture as the tube was heated the reactive paper
inside had turned blue the blue coloring indicated Miller's instincts were correct
there was cyanide present in Susan's bloodstream additional tests revealed Susan consumed a fatal amount of cyanide
the amount of poison in her bloodstream would have taken effect approximately 10
minutes after ingestion in hindsight her symptoms lined up perfectly with those associated with cyanide poisoning Susan
experienced the rapid onset of dizziness leading to her collapse shut with the breathe and eventually fell into a coma
all of this occurring within a short timeframe Susan's skin was not unnaturally pink or
bright red but this characteristic was not present in all cases examiner's knew how lucky they were the ability to smell
cyanide is genetic between 20 and 40 percent of the population don't carry the gene required to detect the odor of
cyanide to those people and has no odor at all [Music] this was the case during Susan snows
autopsy no one except for pathologist Janet Miller picked up the almond alike odor of the cyanide as she was the only
one with the genetic ability to do so had Miller not been present during Susan snows autopsy the cyanide that killed
her would have gone undetected cyanide toxicity is considered to be a rare form of poisoning in most cases had occurs
from smoke inhalation during house or industrial fires but this clearly wasn't the case in Susan
snows death cyanide is used in the metal Trades morning jewelry manufacturing photography agriculture and pest control
none of which were relevant activities or interests for Susan it is also present in certain fruit seeds and
stones though the average adult would need to consume anywhere from hundreds to thousands of them to be at risk of
cyanide poisoning with that in mind had seemed highly unlikely Susan accidentally poisoned herself examiner's
wondered if Susan intentionally poisoned herself suicide by cyanide is very uncommon it typically involves health
care or laboratory workers persons who have access to cyanide salts Susan's behavior prior was not a like
someone anticipating their death the morning she collapsed Susan began preparing herself for work it was clear
she intended to go into the office that day the medical examiner's office contacted Susan's family to report on
the results of her autopsy her cause of death was listed as acute cyanide poisoning at the same time the medical
examiner's office contacted Orban police hundreds of oven residents attended the
memorial service held for Susan snow during the service a longtime friend of Susan's recalled with admiration her
Frank and sense of humor a song written by Connie snow called Darling soo was played along with music by the band at
the Judds Susan's favorite musicians a pervasive feeling lingered over the event
different from the expected grief and sorrow that was suspicions Susan's family were aware she had been poisoned
not only were they having to come terms with our death but also her murder like a twin Sarah also suffered from semi
frequent headaches Susan's death assured in a grief induced headache Sarah couldn't shake having visited Susan
often she knew her sister kept painkillers in a kitchen cupboard above the sink when Sarah found the open
bottle of extra-strength excedrin in there she was immediately suspect the issue wasn't the missing lid she was
aware her sister threw those away for ease of access it was the capsules inside Sarah knew her twin better than
anybody Susan never took capsules she preferred tablets it was a preference the sister shared ever since the Chicago
Tylenol notice four years earlier where seven people died after consuming cyanide laced pain relief capsules the
sisters had developed a mistrust of capsules capsules consist of a medicinal powder or jelly encased in a dissolvable
gelatin show as in the case of the Chicago tylenol murders these shells can be easily opened and tampered with
tablets on the other hand are compressed medicinal powder in a solid form far harder to interfere with as such Susan
and Sarah only ever took tablets Sarah raised the point with her brother-in-law Susan's husband Paul Webb King
according to Paul Susan purchased the capsule variety of XA dream by mistake but came to realize she preferred them
over tablets as they were easier to swallow a sense of uneasiness compelled Sarah not to take any of the excedrin
capsules that day instead she put the bottle on the cupboards highest shelf hiding it behind some spice jars
Detective Mike Dunbar and his partner arrived to the snow web King residence in the late morning of June 16 he would
have arrived sooner but Susan snows family were at Mountain View Cemetery overseeing her burial the house was full
of people all friends and family of Susan's the detectives recalled the atmosphere within was bizarre it seemed
like a party even pizzas were being ordered the detectives met Susan's husband Paul Webb King he permitted them
to search the home in an attempt to find the source of the cyanide that killed his wife only Susan Paul and Haley lived
in the house at the time of Susan's death and today were occasionally visited by Susan's oldest daughter EXA
who happened to be in town at the time detectives spoke with Susan's family to determine her actions behavior and state
of mind leading up to the fateful morning the night before Susan's death On June 10
Paul cooked up a barbecue dinner for the family and afterwards they climbed into
the hot tub to relax the mood was pleasant and there were no disturbances this was confirmed by AXA who briefly
visited the house that night to collect some belongings she didn't sense any animosity and said her mother was her
same old self the morning off Paul left for work before Susan got up he drove 25 miles
north from Auburn to Safeways distribution center in Bellevue where he began loading up his truck for his next
tour during the morning word reached him of Susan's hospitalization he knew Susan
was otherwise in good health but was overworked and overstressed he presumed she suffered an anxiety attack or
something similar harmless and recoverable he hitched the ride to the hospital with his boss if Paul harbored
any worry about his wife he hid it well the trip was leisurely in the conversation between the pair
light-hearted when Paul finally arrived to the emergency department Haley noted her stepfathers demeanor was
casual it wasn't until doctors informed him of Susan's critical condition when Paul appeared rattled the color
drained from his face when asked about his marriage with Susan Paul insisted the couple were getting
along well and hadn't argued since September 1985 he recalled the date specifically as it was the moment he
confessed his infidelity whilst away on a work trip Paul had an affair with an ex-girlfriend named Mary
Paul maintained that after seeing a counselor he and Susan were back on track so much so in the following months
they surprised everyone by announcing their engagement they exchanged vows on Thanksgiving Day 1985 around seven
months before Susan's death even though Paul insisted he and Susan were better off others saw things differently
Susan was elated about her marriage to Paul but his affair with Mary was all she talked about she even told her
daughters about it they knew she kept the photograph of Mary in a kitchen drawer hailey remembers her mother
showing it to her once and saying look at this [ __ ] Susan also wanted to phone
Marian have it out a notebook belonging to Susan featured a message she scrawled
the red [ __ ] Paul I hate Mary I hate Paul Haylee revealed her mother and stepfather were prone to heated
arguments during one pull through a phone in anger Susan once contemplated tossing Paul's
belongings on the front lawn and throwing him out of the house but never went through with it as she always did
Susan confided in her sister she admitted wanting to hate Paul but couldn't the thought of losing him
devastated her she still loved him and didn't want to leave him Sarah considered Paul a master manipulator who
had full control over her sister with information gathered so far that wasn't a stretch for detective Dunbar to look
at Paul web King with great suspicion in his opinion Paul's personality lacked positive traits and he spoke of his dead
wife with little emotion he appeared uptight and nervous and even made crude jokes making others uncomfortable given
the situation the only time he showed emotion was when his face turned red with anger after realizing he was being
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
popular those who knew him considered him a possessive and jealous type who seemed too bothered his wife owned more
than him others noted Paul had a tendency to bottle up his emotions and implode in anger when it all became too
much then there was his odd behavior in the days following Susan's death Paul seemed perfectly fine and unfazed he
walked around in Hawaiian shirts and shorts as though on holiday looking and behaving as anything but a grieving
husband detectives found out the household garbage was on the curb and collected
the day Susan died ideal timing for anyone wanting to dispose of evidence nevertheless they took from the house
anything new might contain cyanide including chemicals and incest the sites of particular interest was the open
bottle of extra-strength excedrin in the kitchen cabinet timing wires the painkillers lined up as a feasible
murder weapon and detectives knew from past experiences the capsules could be used to kill analysis of the excedrin
bottle was completed by 8 o'clock that night of the 60 pill bottle 56 remained nine of those capsules were found to
contain four times the lethal dose of cyanide the capsules as well as the bottle were tested for fingerprints none
were found on the capsules themselves but there was a clear one on the bottle it belonged to Sarah
Susan's sister this wasn't surprising and she already admitted to finding the bottle in the cupboard handling it then
hiding it up on a top shelf the test results confirmed what was widely suspected not just for examiner's and
investigators but for Paul Webb King apparently the etc an already raised his suspicions
during Susan's autopsy the medical examiner's office phoned Paul they discussed possible causes of death but
Paul rejected all he then asked dr. Freedman if Susan could have died of capsule poisoning the question baffled
figner there was an unusually specific suggestion she hadn't and probably would never have considered Paul explained a
freshly opened bottle of capsules was found in a kitchen cupboard and it was known Susan took some prior to her death
Wigner dismissed the suggestion at the time stating it was far-fetched with the revelation Susan had in fact
been poisoned via the excedrin capsules Paul was proven right when Paul was informed of the poisoned capsules he was
not surprised stating it was exactly as he suspected Paul gave detectives his own incredible story about the excedrin
in the days before Susan's death he took two painkillers to relieve his arthritis
the bottle was near empty and he mentioned that to Susan who added the medicine to her shopping list during the
following days Susan purchased the new bottle of etc m-- on the morning of her death before
he left for work Paul went to the kitchen cupboard the new bottle was in there and the cap already missing he
took two capsules and headed off a short time later Susan took pills from the same bottle resulting in her death no
one saw Paul take the capsules but there were enough missing from the bottle to imply he had taken some so whether Paul
was the luckiest person alive and somehow avoided the poison once or he knew the capsules were tainted
detectives considered the possibility Paul removed a couple and trashed them to bolster his story later as the
investigation shifted to one involving a homicide police combed through Susan's wife looking for all possible suspects
this included an angry bank customer Susan turned in for embezzlement some six months before her death
then there were the circumstances surrounding a note left for Susan at her work years ago that read to the horror
of Puget Sound Bank the author was never identified detective Dunbar questioned all of her
previous admirers partners and lovers but all the Hazen's ended amicably long ago no potential suspects caught the
attention of detective Dunbar quite like Paul Webb King he was convinced the man
killed his wife tensions within Susan's family Rose boiled by the suspicion someone amongst
them was her killer Susan was the glue that held her family together with her gone the family split in two on one side
stood poor web King and on the other everyone else detectives searched Paul's work truck but failed to find anything
of note after this search Paul admitted to both Sarah and his brother that he kept excedrin in the
truck but police didn't find it he retrieved the meds and Sarah recalled the bottle was gone he just had the
capsules obviously sensing their suspicions Paul offered for the others to take the pills to the police if they
felt they were important but neither took him up on the offer giving Paul the benefit of the doubt
afterwards Paul hurried into the bathroom locked the door and Sara heard the toilet flush thinking Paul just
disposed of evidence she called the authorities to report it when police questioned Paul about it he denied
flushing the pills down the toilet instead he admitted he ground them up in the garbage disposal
when asked why Paul answered he knew possessing the same type of pill that killed his wife made him out to look
guilty so he destroyed them although he strongly denied any involvement in Susan's death
Paul strange statements and behavior were perceived as signs of a guilty man at one stage he tried to dissipate the
suspicion on him by spreading it amongst others he warned his teenage stepdaughter Hayley to get ready being
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
heat EXO was in town at the time but opted to stay at the pony soldier in with a friend George Sanchez denied
before Susan's death exes ed she went to Seattle City with Sanchez and they returned to the hotel in the early hours
the following morning XR attempted to contact her mother at the bank as the pair had made plans to
meet up for lunch but by then Susan was already in a coma there was no sacred xrn Susan clashed in
the past Susan worried about exile and wanted her daughter to exercise better judgement
X's friendship with George Sanchez was one example Susan took issue with Sanchez he was in the midst of a drug
treatment program and AXA barely knew the God exa like everyone else in Susan's immediate circle supply police with a
statement but when asked to come to the station for a second interview she arrived with an attorney
after waiting around for just a minute she abruptly left and never took part in the interview
detectives understood every member of Susan's family had opportunity all had access to the house in the days leading
up to the murder and a nun would raise suspicions rummaging around the kitchen to plant the poison to drugs motive was
the less clear-cut but only one stood the profit from Susan's death at the time of her death Susan had a twenty
thousand dollar life insurance policy and her very basic will left everything to Paul Paul maintained he was going to
use the money to pay off some credit-card bills and the rest would go to Susan's daughters yet Haley indexer
didn't receive a dime when they confronted him about it Paul said money was tight the girls also
noticed several pieces of Susan's jury had disappeared meanwhile Paul changed before them he
swapped Hawaiian shirts for more professional expensive clothing and even purchased the new car then he started
seeing another woman news of the cyanide-laced capsules was relayed to bristol-myers the
manufacturers of excedrin internal discussions revolved around the similarities between Susan snows death
and the Chicago tylenol murders right down to the use of cyanide in capsules raising concerns of a potential copycat
police were confident Susan's murder was an isolated incident committed by someone she knew but not wanting to take
any risks bristol-myers released the heavily publicized nationwide recall of all their extra-strength excedrin
products a decision costing the company Millions the recall became sensational news
thrusting Susan snows murder into the public eye pharmacies and supermarkets were busier than usual as nervous
customers returned to previously purchased excedrin and staff quickly pulled the product from store shelves
investigators assisted in the recall collecting the mass amount of product and sending it away for testing yet
there were certain Susan Snow was not a victim of a pharmaceutical terrorist but
then on June 19 police received a call the female caller was frantic hysterical and in ear unintelligible as publicity
surrounding Susan snows death hit headlines and prime times the woman caller claimed to have noticed strong
similarities between the bank managers death and the death of her husband awake earlier
it was six days before Susan's death June 5 1986 52 year old Bruce nickel spent the day at work where he labored
as a heavy equipment operator for the State Department of Transportation by the time he clocked out drove home and
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
preparing dinner Bruce complained of a headache given he toiled and strained all day around the
layout machinery it wasn't unusual for him to feel rough by the end of it he hoped having a shower would clear his
head when that didn't work he decided to take painkillers Bruce took extra-strength
excedrin exclusively for his aches and pains 2 capsules was the recommended dosage but Bruce theorized the meds
would work quicker and be more effective if he doubled that so he took for all he
had to do now was wait Bruce wandered out onto the back patio where he took in the fresh air and peaceful surrounds of
his 5 acre countryside property all the while eagerly awaiting for the capsules contents to kick in
minutes later still a nickel was startled by her husband calling out for her she found Bruce leaning in the frame
of the patio door lightheaded and feeling as though he was about to faint Stella guided him towards the nearby
couch Bruce reached out to brace himself but as he went to sit his legs buckled and
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
was happening my husband's gone into some kind of fit he's breathing extremely hard his eye as a robbed back
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
husband was conscious Stella replied I don't think so his breathing has slowed down
paramedics rushed to the scene they found Bruce sprawled on the living room floor unresponsive to stimuli every 20
seconds or so he'd gasp awkwardly for air it was Bruce's skin tone that perplexed the first responders his body
was ghostly pale except for his head which was bright red having never seen such a symptom exhibited before the
paramedics had no idea what it signified as they attempted to resuscitate Bruce Stella rattled off her husband's medical
history Bruce was a recovering alcoholic and a chain smoker but with that considered he was in relatively good
health he wasn't prone to anxiety attacks fainting or seizures every so often he'd get a mild headache including
the one he had that afternoon Stella retrieved the bottle of excedrin from the kitchen the medics were quick to
inspect and discount the pills as the cause of Bruce's critical state it was just an over-the-counter product one
that Bruce took regularly without issue there was little time to consider the possible causes of his collapse
Bruce's blood pressure was plummeting and attempts to stabilize him were failing a helicopter airlifted Bruce to
Harborview Medical Center by midnight Bruce Nicol had died CBS all access is the only place you can
stream some of the best groundbreaking original series like Star Trek discovery the good fight no activity and strange
angel enter the newest CBS all access original series our August 30th looks like it could be one of my favorites
yours to set in a small Rust Belt town in post-recession America this thrilling mystery follows a $1 bill that connects
a group of people involved in a horrifying multiple murder each episode follows the path of a dollar bill as it
changes hands among the town's complicated characters you'll experience shifting points of view in a place
broken by deep class and cultural divides getting closer to the truth as the darkest secrets are revealed leaving
you shocked at every turn if you're a fan of case file this show looks perfect for you and I'm thoroughly looking
forward to checking it out the talented cast makes this new series even more exciting $1 includes John Carroll Lynch
from American Horror Story in The Walking Dead Leslie Odom jr. from Hamilton and Person of Interest
and Grammy award-winning musical artist Sturgill Simpson how much does it cost to bury the truth follow the money on
August 30th hurry to cbs.com / case file now for your free trial of CBS all access and don't miss the season
premiere of one dollar that's cbs.com / case file today's episode is also brought to you by
audible listening is an awesome way to binge content you love while doing things you love audiobooks are a great
summer sidekick for summer activities like hiking sunbathing running road tripping at the gym or just enjoying be
on time audible has the largest selection of audiobooks on the planet which lets you fill your summer with
stories like the dark web an audible original which takes a deep look into the anonymous and a wallis
online of the dark web and features extensive interviews with arlene Ormsby author of
the books Silk Road and the darkest web and most recent writer of case file episodes audible helps you listen to
more books by letting you switch seamlessly between devices picking up exactly where you left off whether it's
on your phone through your car from a tablet or at home on the Amazon echo you can get through tons of books hands and
dice free while doing almost anything audible members get a credit every month good for any audiobook you narrow
regardless of price and unused credits roll over to the next month if you don't like your audiobook you can exchange it
no questions asked plus your books are yours to keep we thought of all you can go back and listen at anytime even if
you cancel your membership start a 30-day trial and your first audiobook is free go to audible.com slash case file
or text the case file to five zero zero five zero zero to get started audible original the dark web is the
perfect thing to listen to while waiting for the next episode of case file to drop go and start a 30-day trial now and
your first audio book is free go to audible.com slash case file or text case file to five zero zero five zero zero to
get started that's a UD IB le dot-com slash case file or text the case file two five double zero five double zero
today's episode is also brought to you by quip the truth is most of us are brushing our teeth wrong
not for long enough and forget to change our brush on time that's because most brands focus on selling flashy gimmicks
rather than better brushing but not quit so what makes quit different for starters quip is an electric toothbrush
that's a fraction of the cost of bulkier brushes while still packing just the right amount of vibrations to help clean
your teeth quips build in tirana helps you clean for the dentist recommended two minutes with guiding pulses that
remind you when to switch sides and quip has subscription plans that are for your health not just convenience
they deliver new brush heads on a dentist recommended schedule every three months for just five dollars including
free shipping worldwide quip also comes with a meant that suctions right to your
mirror and unsticks to use as a cover for hygienic travel wherever you take your teeth and finally everyone loves
quip they were on Oprah's o list named one of Times best inventions and is the first subscription electric toothbrush
accepted by the American Dental Association plus they're backed by network of over 20,000 dentists and
hygienists and hundreds of thousands of happy brushes who use quip every day I personally love the look and feel of the
quipped toothbrush and before I used the quip I was absolutely hopeless are remembering to change brush heads more
like once every now and then as opposed to the recommended every three months so
quip subscription plan with free worldwide shipping is perfect quip starts at just 25 dollars and if you go
to get quip calm slash case file right now you'll get your first two refill pack free with a quip electric
toothbrush that's your first refill pack free at get quip calm slash case file that's GE t qu yp.com slash case file
in June 1934 after 14 emotional years of trying to conceive Walter and Ruth Nikhil visited a Seattle maternity home
they left with their newly adopted son a week old baby they named Bruce Walter and Ruth were finally parents it didn't
matter to them how Bruce came into their world he was very much their son when Bruce was 16 years old he overheard his
father talking about his adoption the revelation came as a shock although Bruce loved his adoptive
parents and appreciated the life they afforded him he felt resentment towards his biological mother for giving him up
in the first place these feelings manifested into abandonment issues that impacted his future relationships
resulting in three failed marriages in helping mummy sorrows Bruce became heavily reliant on alcohol and soon
developed an addiction that led to many missteps throughout his life by his late
forties Bruce was a barfly who'd hopped from bar to bar drinking long into the night until he passed out or was kicked
out whichever came first though he could be rarity and stubborn between Bruce's rough edges was gentleness humor and
intelligence available for anyone willing to look one afternoon during the early 70s
Bruce entered a Tavern in Kent not far from where he was living at the time his attention was immediately drawn to a
woman sitting at the bar a dark-haired elegant beauty he'd never seen in town before
Stella didn't seem the type of woman who'd be drawn to a blue-collar rough-around-the-edges kind of Garlock
Bruce nickel yet locked Bruce Stella carried her around scars both emotional and physical Stella helped very few
memories of her childhood in Oregon by the time she was born in 1943 her working-class family had spiraled into
abuse and neglect helmand by a violent and alcoholic patriarchy stories had since been passed on to her by older
siblings including the one where their father chased them out of their house was firing a shotgun no one was hit but
the event became the catalyst for her mother to leave taking the children and resettling in Colorado then there were
the two horrific fire accidents the first resulted in Stella requiring skin grafts
the second caused the death of her baby brother at age 15 Stella felt pregnant confiding in others that it was the
outcome of a rape on October 23 1959 she gave birth to the child a girl she named
Cynthia another pregnancy occurred at age 18 which ended in Stella giving the newborn up for adoption her life was
once spent transitioning between relationships homes and jobs by the time she reached a Kent Stella was living out
of her car throughout the years Stella surrounded herself in a tough emotional show those outside of it found Stella to
be cold distant and incredibly hard to get to know but to those who broke through such as Bruce Nicol they found a
warmth humor and passion their first meeting left a little impression on Stella a week later she ran into Bruce
on the street and saw the men in a different light his rough edges softened and she found him to be intelligent and
handsome she later remarked to a friend that she was going to marry him Bruce's endless capacity for heavy drinking
didn't initially dissuade Stella she embraced it their romance blossomed in bars where
long nights and early mornings were spent playing pool and drinking and every weekend was a wild party the
relationship was not without problems there were complicated periods of being off and on again but the pair would soon
reconcile they married in September 1976 and eventually settled down in a mobile
home on the rural cusp of a store burn by 1977 their marriage was straining under financial pressures including
Bruce's 250 dollar a week drinking habit despite enjoying the liberating fun of their alcohol fueled weekends stella
pushed Bruce to cut back on alcohol or at the very least drink at home where it would be safer and cheaper but Bruce
struggled to change his ways in 1979 he went on a two-week bender skipping work and rarely going home when Stella
confronted him at the bar it was like a switch flipped in Bruce's mind in a snap
decision he signed up as an inpatient for a program for alcoholics over the following 10 days
Bruce participated in counselling and aversion therapy on the tenth day he walked out of the program and from that
day on Bruce Nicol never drank alcohol again Bruce Nichols autopsy report ruled his
cause of death is hypertension juda cardio respiratory collapse a consequence of pulmonary emphysema Bruce
was a habitual cigarette smoker so death arising from an Associated lung disease
wasn't an absurd finding but Stella Nickell had a hard time accepting it her husband was healthy only recently
Bruce passed the physical examination doctors want Bruce was at risk of developing emphysema in the future but
didn't display signs of it yet still aired her confusion at his autopsy report questioning if the lung disease
could have such a rapid and fatal onset nevertheless from a medical standpoint the case was closed and Bruce Nicol was
laid to rest at Sullivan Cemetery one week later Susan snows murder made national news shortly after 6:00 p.m. on
June 17 police officer Edward Sexton turned his vehicle into a crushed gravel driveway off Lake money Smith road in
Albans East he came to a stop at the front of the Nichols mobile home still a nickel appeared at the screen door the
recent widow looked worse for wear since her husband's death still a hit the bottle hard friends worried she was
drinking herself to death doctors prescribed her valium to settle her overwhelming emotional grief her home
had since become a mess even her striking and colorful tropical fish aquariums which still are once
maintained with pride were showing signs of neglect Stella worked as the concourse security
supervisor at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport overseeing the x-ray machines the check to travelers
bags prior to flight she earned her leadership position based on the seriousness in which she took her work
Stella was direct with travelers rarely engaged in small talk and reprimanded colleagues incompetence
but ever since Bruce's death Stella spent work nights out on the town she'd wander into work the following morning
in yesterday's clothes in makeup reeking of liquor Stiller apologized to officer
Edward Sexton for her frantic phone call to police earlier she explained her reasoning for it
the circumstances surrounding her husband's death the subsequent autopsy findings and similarities she'd drawn
between Bruce's death and the murder of Susan snow officer Sexton asked to say the excedrin Bruce took prior to his
collapse the bottle was near empty only eight capsules remained Stella also handed the officer a second bottle of
extra-strength excedrin still in its box packaging she bought that one recently to replace the first bottle once it ran
here the two bottles were purchased about two weeks apart unable to recall the exact details
Stella believed she bought the first bottle somewhere in Auburn in one of two stores she frequented either Albertsons
north or Johnny's market being the more recent purchase she had a clearer memory
of buying the second bottle from Johnny's market in Kent the bottles were sent for testing in the meantime officer
Edward Sexton contacted Harborview Medical Center and inquired if Bruce Nicol was tested for cyanide poisoning
the answer was no at the time doctors didn't have reason to suspect the man was poisoned
[Music] Bruce's remains had since been buried however officer Sexton discovered a tube
of Bruce's blood taken during his autopsy was still stored at the King County Medical Examiner's Office it was
quickly put through the same toxicology assessment that found the solenoid in Susan snows bloodstream the reactive
paper turned blue Bruce Nicol had also died from cyanide poisoning hours later blood tests on the
two excedrin bottles take him from the nickel home were in of the first 40 pill bottle only eight remained two of those
capsules were found to contain cyanide the second unopened 40 pill bottle only had 35 capsules inside for contained
cyanide no foreign fingerprints were found the cyanide used in the snow ended nickel murders were compared it was
determined to have come from the same source Bruce nickel and Susan snow were completely unknown to one another there
was no way the two could be connected other than both being residents of Auburn news of a second poison victim
hit airwaves sweeping terror through the small otherwise peaceful community authorities were once again forced to
shift the focus of their investigation this time to one involving a potential mass murderer so far two victims were
known but authorities worried there could be more yet to be identified the recall of excedrin brand products
continued and for bristol-myers the damage was immeasurable both Paul Webb King and Stella Nickell filed wrongful
death suits against the company Paul front of the media demanding all pain medication in capsule form be
banned he also expressed anger in the way Bruce Nichols death and autopsy were handled
believing if examined correctly Susan might still be alive he aired frustration had still been considered a
suspect in his wife's murder to Paul investigators were wasting time looking into him when they should have been out
finding the real killer surprisingly Paul was defended by his trio of ex-wives they insisted he wasn't
the type to murder his wives just divorced them it was Paul's eventual participation in a polygraph test that
put an end to it all the tests concluded Paul was not being deceptive and investigators were satisfied he didn't
kill his wife whatever people thought of the man personally didn't matter for Webb King was officially cleared as a
suspect in total 15,000 bottles of excedrin were collected and put through an x-ray machine compared to the
medicinal powder in the capsules cyanide powder was more dense therefore the cyanide of waste pills
would appear darker in x-ray imagery of the 15 thousand bottles examined only one more was found to contain cyanide
laced capsules the 60 pill bottle only had 56 capsules for contained cyanide it originated from Johnny's market in Kent
the same store Stella Nickell purchased one of her tampered bottles investigators narrowed in on the store
questioning staff about disgruntled former employees or customers seen behaving suspiciously meanwhile
bristol-myers manufacturing plants were thoroughly examined no evidence was found indicating the cyanide was added
to the capsules during assembly additionally tampered bottles had so far only surfaced within Washington's King
County the batches were spread nationwide so if the tampering occurred during manufacturing more poison two
bottles would appear elsewhere On June 24 in an urban pain safe pharmacy a store manager noticed
something out of place a bottle of maximum strength Anderson 3 brand pain relief was sitting on a can of peanuts
two rows away from the medicine oil finding items in aisles they didn't belong wasn't particularly unusual they
were often left behind by customers who changed their minds mid shot but the store manager was immediately suspect
although this model was an excedrin the focus of the current recall he handed the Anacin three to the FBI it too was
tested the 50 pill bottle only had 45 capsules and four of those contained cyanide it was the first non excedrin
brand product to contain the poison this discovery confirmed the tampering occurred within the King County
community and not in the production chain of either excedrin or Anacin 3 because the two products were from
completely different manufacturing plants investigators believed the offender lived locally and planted the
poison to products in regional stores where it was Asia and a less suspicious for them to do so the FBI put together a
psychological profile of the unknown perpetrator they speculated the killer may have attended the memorial services
of their victims to further avoid suspicion revel in the chaos they caused or to mock the police realizing the
poisoning encompassed two different pain relief brands Washington State affected
a 90-day ban on the sale of all non prescription medication in capsule form drug companies impacted by the being
came together and offered a three hundred thousand dollar reward for the capture of the person responsible
the total of five poison to bottles had so far been located Susan Snow had one Bruce nickel had two
and two others were found on store shelves in Auburn and nearby Kent the bottles were sent to the FBI in
Washington DC for further analysis none of the capsules inside held fingerprints the offender likely wore
gloves even though the bottles were in various states examiner's observed them collectively and were able to piece
together how the offender implanted the poison the box packaging was carefully opened along seams then the safety seal
around the neck of the bottles were cut to gain access a visible alteration but not immediately obvious to unsuspecting
persons the capsules were opened and their contents poured out they were refilled with approximately 700
milligrams of cyanide the casings were then sealed back together poisoned capsules were mixed in with the dozens
of clean pills it was impossible to tell the difference between the two both the medicinal powder and cyanide
were white and when placed in the transparent red casing they all looked the same to the human eye the bottles
were placed back in the box packaging which was glued back together to look as though it had never been opened the
solenoid was extensively examined found within the white powder were traces of tiny green crystals not something
usually found in cyanide examiner's had no idea what it could be the green crystals were analyzed using a mass
spectrometer a device that can identify the exact chemical components of an unknown sample the green crystals were
determined to be made up of four common chemicals atrazine simha's een diaclone and Demong neuron together these four
chemicals were known to be components of our Josiah abaya cider used for clearing
and preventing the growth of algae following this discovery the ingredient lists of hundreds of commercially
produced algaecide products were inspected to find any specifically containing atrazine simha's een diaclone
and ammonia on an FBI chemist scanning the shelves of an aquarium fish store found an exact
match the four chemicals were the ingredients of a brand of our G side called algae destroyer it came in a
blister pack of eighteen tablets following instructions the tablets were meant to be dropped
straight into aquarium water where they dissolve the chemicals would distribute and clear the algae each reenter tablet
was Green when crushed into a powder the tablets became tiny green flecks that were an exact match to those found
in the cyanide FBI Special Agent John Sylvester visited a variety of pet stores throughout King County he carried
a folder of photographs of people well known to Susan Snow and Bruce nickel at each store he questioned staff if they
recognized any persons pictured as customers who'd purchased the algae destroyer he entered a store called fish
gallery in pets the store's manager 24 year old Tom Noonan confirmed the store stocked algae destroyer but not often as
he wasn't a fan of the product Moisture would seep into the pack and harden the tablets making them near insoluble
essentially useless he preferred stocking liquid algaecides but would order in the algae destroyer if
requested by a customer special agent Sylvester showed Tom his father of photographs asking if anyone looked
familiar one photo caught Tom's attention it was of a woman with long wavy dark hair he couldn't remember her
name but knew her as a frequent sometimes weekly customer she was a hobbyist fish keeper with several home
aquariums stocked with tropical varieties she spoke to him of her dream to one day open her own tropical fish
door the photo Tom pointed out the Special Agent Sylvester was of Stella Nickell
Tom explained to Stella purchase to liquid our desired but didn't care for complaining it didn't work so she
requested our G destroyer tablets not wanting to lose a loyal customer Tom put aside his dislike of the product and
ordered it in when Stella bought the RG destroyer Tom warned her of the products
tendency to harden and become insoluble to ensure the artists are dissolved in her tank Tom advised Stella to crush the
tablets first evidence pointed towards Stella Nickell she purchased the algae destroyer the
product whose traces were found in the cyanide that killed both her husband and Susan Snow it appeared the cyanide salt
was ground up in the same container that was previously used to crush the Archy destroyer tablets yet Stella Nickell as
the killer didn't make any sense if she did murder Bruce she got away with it at
the completion of his initial autopsy when his cause of death was ruled as natural causes the case was closed all
she had to do from that day onwards was to play the part of a grieving widow and
stay quiet why would she instead call authorities a week later bring attention to herself
and to let investigators determine Bruce was murdered and where did Susan Snow fit into the plot a thorough
investigation into Stella Nickell began it immediately led to some intriguing discoveries
the nickels were in deep financial debt days before Bruce's death North Pacific banks sent the couple of final
delinquency notice on their mortgage Stella Nickell responded in a letter to her creditors quote dear Sirs I know
that I am tremendously over do with my payments there is good reason for it I am having marital problems they are
about solved and I'd like to ask if you will have faith in me personally Bruce is no longer involved and I would
like a chance to prove my worth to you Stella took may 27 off from work and went shopping with a friend the pair
visited Johnny's market and app is a pharmacy where her friend recalled Stella purchased more than one bottle of
excedrin between June 3 and 5 Stella didn't go into work on the evening of June 5 Bruce Nicol died Stella was the
sole beneficiary of about 76,000 dollars in insurance on her husband's life with
an additional payout of $100,000 if his death was ruled accidental Bruce Nicholls original autopsy report
concluded he died as a consequence of emphysema therefore his death was not considered an accident but as a result
of a pre-existing condition caused by his smoking habit Stella disputed the report from the
moment I was handed down when the news of Susan snows murder by cyanide was publicized the week later Stella was
quick to profess her husband died under similar circumstances her claims were soon confirmed afterwards she was handed
her husband's new death certificate this once dated Bruce died of acute cyanide poisoning
as it was being investigated as a homicide insurance-wise that was considered an accidental death
stella was set to collect the $100,000 accident payor Bruce Nichol signed off on his
accidental death policy just six months before his death however an FBI handwriting expert concluded Bruce's
name was signed by someone else there were noticeable differences between the application signature and these other
known samples the N and K specifically they were not consistent with the way Bruce usually signed his name but they
were consistent with the way Stella signed hers Stella had a history of falsifying documents in 1971 she was
convicted of a single count of forgery spending six months in prison before being released for good behavior a life
insurance payout was a well established two motive for murder but it didn't prove Stella killed Bruce
a search of her home and workplace founded no traces of cyanide she didn't even have our G destroyer amongst her
aquarium supplies yet investigators were aware that right after Bruce's death Stella took a near three-hour drive east
from Auburn to Wenatchee she claimed to have made the trip to visit Bruce's parents and personally inform them of
their son's death but she never met with them it was possible Stella used this trip as an opportunity to discard
evidence what investigators did find in the Nicol home was yet another bottle of
excedrin this one was located in a cupboard underneath the bathroom sink curiously the bottle came from batch
number five h10 to the same light Susan snows tampered bottle came from tests concluded the bottle found in the
Nichols bathroom did not contain cyanide laced capsules Stiller insisted she had
no idea how the bottle got there but there was also the matter of the two bottles of excedrin Stella did know
about and had given investigators previously out of the fifteen thousand bottles of excedrin examined since the
death of Susan Snowe only four were found to contain cyanide Stella Nickell had two out of the four she claimed she
purchased her two bottles at different stores two weeks apart mathematically the chance of this happening was beyond
rare investigators considered if anyone could be so unlucky polygraph testing had done a huge favor for Paul Webb King
in eliminating him as a suspect yet still a nickel was less inclined to participate in her own her lawyer for
her wrongful death suit against Bristol Myers advised her not to the same lawyer
told reporters Stella was too shaken up to be subjected to the intrusive examination and the accuracy of the
tests could be influenced by the prescription tranquilizers Stella was taking at the time yet still it did
agree to be formally interviewed just not while strapped to a lie-detector her answers were direct and responsive she
stuck to her seemingly unbelievable story of having purchased two of the poisoned excedrin bottles regarding her
husband's life insurance Stella claimed Bruce had one policy valued between twenty-five and
thirty-five thousand dollars she didn't mention the extra 100 thousand dollars she was set to receive over the
accidental death cause she didn't deny forging Bruce's signature on the documents either
according to Stella Bruce was fully aware and consenting of it as she took responsibility of the paperwork in the
relationship he gave her permission to sign off on things on his behalf investigators then asked Stella if her
fish tanks had algae problems the question elicited a bizarre reaction Stella blurted out that she didn't use
that product confused investigators asked what product rattled still a skirted around
the question and wouldn't say anything more about it Stiller insisted she was willing to help
with further investigations but when asked again to participate in a polygraph test she started to cry and
questioned why they were doing this to her adding she loved her husband and didn't want to go through such an ordeal
upon realizing she was the prime suspect in her husband's murder Stella relented and finally agreed to
the polygraph test things had dragged on far too long Stella said and she had nothing to heart
throughout the examination Stella denied any involvement in her husband's death the lie detector results
determined she was being deceptive motive and opportunity were abundant but evidence was still very much
circumstantial the lie detector results were not indisputable as the machines accuracy had always been debatable
investigators knew the test results wouldn't hold up in court they needed something more conclusive and there was
still the matter of Susan snows murder a woman Stella Nickell had never met and didn't know with no evidence to arrest
her Stella Nickell was free to go but as word spread of Stella Nichols failed polygraph test
the FBI received a phone call 26 year-old Cynthia had a strained love-hate relationship with her mother
Stella Nickell in many ways the pair were very alike in appearance and personality both were
wild in spirit and fiercely independent Cynthia inherited her mother's love for nightlife and rebellious streak however
from the moment Cynthia was conceived their relationship was destined to be rocky during her childhood
Cynthia found out she was a child of rape as a mother Stella was a tough disciplinarian there were talks of abuse
including an incident in 1969 resulting in Stella's arrest for beating Cynthia who would have been around 10 years old
at the time after a night spent in jail Stella was released as Cynthia grew older the tumultuous relationship
amplified and the two lived very separate lives occasionally they'd wave back together
but very quickly snap apart in 1978 19 year-old Cynthia felt pregnant hope her baby would bring the pair closer
together faded when Stella responded to the announcement I'm not ready to be a grandmother
Cynthia did value her mother in some ways whenever she needed work Stella would help her find it like in 1986
Stella got her a job at her own workplace the Seattle Tacoma International Airport during this period
Stella confided in her daughter about her crippling financial death when Stella enquired about drugs
Cynthia thought her mother was so desperate for cash she was considering becoming a dealer Stella was most
curious about cocaine specifically how much was needed to cause an overdose she raised the query without further
explanation Cynthia felt probing for information would be pointless having learnt long
ago not to question her mother in another conversation still amused about hiring a hitman she pondered optimal
assassination techniques from hidden runs to cutting car breaks remaining elusive about who the target
of her fantasy murder-for-hire plot was eventually she let it slip it was her husband Bruce Cynthia was aware the
relationship between her mother and stepfather was rocky still a regret at Bruce's sobriety as abroad an abrupt end
to the couple's fun social nights of drunken bar hopping nowadays Bruce was a homebody who preferred spending nights
settled in front of the TV to Stella their new lifestyle was stale and boring no matter her efforts bruce was
strong-willed he refused to give in to temptation and fall back into unhealthy drinking habits seeking fun Stella would
disappear for days at a time pursuing fleeting hookups until Bruce tracked her down ending their relationship wasn't an
option for Bruce he loved Stella and couldn't bring himself to leave her hoping in time
she'd readjust to the new him but she didn't Stella aired frustrations about her
marriage at work telling co-workers she loved being on late shift because she didn't have to see much of Bruce
colleagues listened but offered little advice they found Estella intimidating she had a menacing glare that ensured
things were always done her way had told others never to challenge or question her to Stella
divorcing Bruce wasn't an option she'd lose half of everything and she didn't have much to begin with
she often fantasized a lay out what she would do with a life insurance payout if
and when Bruce died opening her own tropical fish store was at the forefront of these fantasies
Cynthia refused to believe her mother was seriously contemplating murder convincing herself it was all in her
head her mum was just joking and venting she agonized over telling Bruce but her
mother's heavy intimidation compelled her to stay quiet Cynthia hoped if it really came down to
ending the relationship Stella would just initiate a divorce when Bruce died Stella sensed her
daughter's suspicion Stella told Cynthia I know what you're thinking and it's no
trusting her mother Cynthia watched on to the autopsy ruling of emphysema had silenced her nagging concerns a medical
professional reached their conclusion therefore and must be correct when she later found out Bruce was poisoned she
again sensed her mother's involvement but Cynthia couldn't be sure of it when questioned by authorities she defended
Stella and said nothing negative about her mother and stepfathers relationship it wasn't until Cynthia found out Stella
failed her polygraph test when her perception changed it confirmed her suspicions and erased a lingering doubt
that's when she decided to contact the FBI and tell them the truth about her mother agents were wary to act suddenly
on Cynthia statements questions were raised regarding Cynthia's credibility given her tumultuous relationship with
Stella and the fact she hadn't come forward sooner her statements boiled down to he say and only added to the
pall of circumstantial evidence they had already amassed Cynthia stories were compelling but investigators needed
evidence nevertheless the FBI are maintained communications with Cynthia over time her stories became more
damning she spoke of her mother's study at poison during visits to the library Stella researched poisonous plants and
to learned about foxglove a tubular flower that blooms on a tall spike the entire plant is toxic including its
roots and seeds foxglove girl Bund enly in the wooded area adjacent to the Nichols rural
property approximately six months before Bruce died Stella told Cynthia she harvested foxglove seeds and put them
into a capsule casing two weeks later she to her unsuspecting husband her plan was
clever still a new Bruce chewed on wild grass he picked outside if he died from her foxglove seed pill authorities would
be easily fooled into thinking Bruce accidentally poisoned himself by munching on the toxic plant
Bruce was sluggish for a couple of days and reports from his workplace they told
he complained of stomach pains but he survived Cynthia recalled her mother was visibly
disappointed this plan didn't work through her mention of poisoned plants Cynthia had given investigators a lead
the FBI subpoenaed Stella Nichols library card records showed Stella checked out numerous books from the
Auburn Public Library prior to her husband's death one book she borrowed was titled deadly harvest a guide to
common poisonous plants the book was sent for testing more than 80 finger and palm prints matching stoas were
discovered throughout pages 66 and 67 detail toxic seeds seven of Stella's prints were found on these two pages
pages 88 and 89 featuring passages on cyanide contained eight prints in another book McGraw Hill's encyclopedia
of Science and Technology nine of Stella's fingerprints and a palm print were found on pages detailing cyanide
five more of Stella's fingerprints and a palm print were found in the cyanide section of the marriage students
encyclopedia according to Stella's library records a book titled human poisonings from native and cultivated
plants was marked as overdue indicating Stella borrowed but never returned it Cynthia had one last piece of
information to provide authorities as the mother and daughter car pulled into work one day stella brought up the
chicago tylenol murders remarking how easier would be to reenact the poisonings at work the pair shared a
locker for their belongings in the days before Bruce's death Cynthia saw capsules and the Tupperware container
stored in the locker the container held white powder which Cynthia assumed was sugar or salt but founded on her mother
never used it on meals upon reflection she now believed it was cyanide after Bruce's death the container and capsules
vanished from the locker as investigators pieced together evidence implicating Stella Nickell for the
murder of her husband discussions commenced about where exactly Susan Snowe fit into the plot at a cursory
glance she didn't fit anywhere yet on deeper inspection Susan's role was pivotal after Stella poisoned her
husband his death was incorrectly labeled natural causes this was not the result Stella anticipated the cyanide
needed to be discovered so his death would be ruled an accident allowing Stella to obtain Bruce's
$100,000 accidental death life-insurance payout demanding his death be ray examined was risky questions would be
raised suspicions would be felt mimicking the Chicago tylenol murders Stella tampered with additional etc
bottles and a single bottle of Anacin 3 inserting several cyanide laced capsules
in each wanting to create the illusion er was the work of a pharmaceutical terrorist
Stella planted these bottles on local store shelves then waited sometime between June 8 and 10 1986
Susan Snow entered her local general store Albertsons North to collect items on her
shopping list from a shelf in the medicine oil she grabbed a 60 pill bottle of extra-strength excedrin On
June 11 susan woke with one of her usual headaches and took the excedrin to relieve it
minutes later Susan collapsed suffocated and died upon Susan's death Stella Nickell had the reason she needed to ask
for her husband's death to be reexamined without drawing attention to herself as
a suspect creating the illusion there was an unknown mass murderer in town poisoning locals indiscriminately Stella
stood amongst the ensuing chaos acting the grieving widow all the while aware the remaining
tampered boxes were still sitting on store shelves waiting to kill another innocent victim
investigators understood how fortunate they were when the cyanide was picked up during Susan snows autopsy leading to
the product recalls who knows how many other people would have died if that had not been the case Stella's confidence in
her plan was not misplaced there was another wise flawless scheme because of its simplicity and anonymity
if Stella's motivation was simply to kill her husband she had committed the perfect murder but she was motivated by
greed and a broad attention to herself over time her plan came unstuck by the small mistakes she carelessly made along
the way she spoke of killing Bruce to her daughter she signed his life away on insurance documents she researched
poisoning library books planting her prints across relevant pages and she crushed the cyanide salt in the same
Bowl she used to crush her algae destroy her tablets on December 9 1987 Stella Nickell was indicted by a federal grand
jury on five counts of product tampering including two which resulted in the deaths of Susan Snow and Bruce Nicol
product tampering was a recently enacted federal charge introduced in the wake of
the Chicago tylenol murders Stella Nichols trial began in April 1988 her daughter Cynthia appeared as the
prosecution's star witness in response to her daughter's testimony Stella Nickell took the stand and rebutted
every claim she was quick to establish her love for Bruce and how she helped him stop drinking boredom wasn't an
issue in their relationship Stella maintained she was happy her husband was home more often she denied
discussions of hitmen overdoses and poisoned according to Stella the thought of getting rid of Bruce never crossed
her mind speaking of her aquariums stellar admitted to shopping at fish gallery in
pets and to knowing the stores manager Tom Noonan she considered algae destroyer might have been a topic of
conversations they heard but denied ever purchasing it when confronted with the evidence of her finger and palm prints
scattered throughout library books on poison Stella didn't deny reading them it was for research purposes she
insisted as she did a lot of babysitting she wanted to identify the types of plants around her property and determine
which ones were poisonous prosecutors put forth Stella did more than simply read up on plant types her palm prints
were pressed on pages relating to cyanide suggesting she didn't just thumb through out of interest that held the
pages open likely as she was taking notes having since come to realize how unbelievable her story was of having
purchased two of the four tainted excedrin bottles at different stores and times
Stella now claimed she didn't remember where or when she purchased them she denied shopping at the pay and safe
pharmacy where one of the tampered bottles was found however seven checks signed by Stella
were recovered all made out to that specific store in closing arguments Assistant United
States Attorney Joanne made our stated quote two people died because Stella Nickell with cool chilling deliberation
set out to eliminate them because it proved her interests to do so her acts reflect a human being with our social or
moral conscience a hard icy human being who is willing to adopt a horrendous course of action as it was convenient to
accomplishing her purposes she had attempted to explain away all of her words and conduct just as she has
attempted to explain away every shred of physical evidence in this case presented
against her but she attempts to deny and she attempts to explain away too much Stella Nickell
attempts to escape accountability for decisions which she made which had a revocable consequences to sue snow and
to Bruce nickel after five days deliberation on may 9 the jury returned to court with a
verdict Stella Nickell was found guilty of all charges during sentencing Stella's defense team asked for mercy
they argued for a sentence that would allow some hope the judge citing Stella's crimes as being of exceptional
callousness and cruelty sentenced her to 290 year terms for the two product tampering charges relating to the deaths
of Susan Snow and Bruce Nicol 3 10-year terms for the remaining product tampering charges were also handed down
Stella Nickell was also ordered to pay a fine and forfeit her remaining assets to
the families of the victims Stella Nickell was convicted of the federal crime of product tampering causing death
no one has ever been convicted for the actual murders of Bruce nickel or Susan snow still a maintained her innocence
after her trial she attempted to appeal her conviction bias but was rejected both times by the court of appeal Stella
Nickell claimed her daughter Cynthia lied about the case in order to reap the $300,000 reward offered by
pharmaceutical companies for the capture of the person responsible others who knew Cynthia noted she was no
fool adding she had no interest in giving up her mother until she heard of the reward money it's a claim Cynthia
has since denied she maintains she didn't know about the reward until after she was working with the FBI
after Stella's conviction Cynthia collected two hundred and fifty thousand dollars of the offered reward money
the remainder went to various other witnesses whose information helped obtain a conviction including Tom Noonan
the fish store manager the FBI maintained Cynthia's motivation was irrelevant all
that mattered was her information led to the discovery of evidence that proved Stella Nickell was responsible for the
deaths of Bruce Nicol and Susan snow [Music] you [Music]

Case 93: Susan Snow and Bruce Nickell

At 6:43 am, an emergency call came through to 9-1-1. Hayley Snow struggled to get the words out: “I think my mother fell while I was in the shower...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

Website https://www.casefilepodcast.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casefile Twitter https://twitter.com/case_file Instagram https://www.instagram.com/casefilepodcast Patreon https://www.patreon.com/casefile

RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-93-susan-snow-and-bruce-nickell

Brief Summary

Susan Snow and Bruce Nickel died from cyanide poisoning in tampered pain relief capsules, leading to Stella Nickell's conviction for product tampering.

Key points

Susan's Sudden Collapse. On June 11, 1986, Susan Snow collapsed in her home, leading to a frantic 911 call.
The Mystery of Susan's Death. An autopsy reveals Susan died from acute cyanide poisoning, raising questions about her death.
The Mistrust of Capsules. Sarah knew Susan preferred tablets over capsules, raising suspicion about the painkillers.
Paul's Alibi. Paul maintained he and Susan were getting along well, despite past infidelity.
The Life Insurance Policy. Susan had a $20,000 life insurance policy, raising motives for her murder.
Audible's Summer Sidekick. Audible offers the largest selection of audiobooks, perfect for summer activities.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I think my mother fell while I was in the shower.

Hayley Snow's frantic call to 911 after finding her mother unresponsive.

6:14WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

More from Casefile

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.