Stella Nickell Fast forward to 1986. [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, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Under her husband's insurance policy, which paid out more for accidental death, she stood to receive an extra $100,000. Her husband, Bruce, died after taking cyanide-laced Excedrin tablets in . May 9, 1988, U.S. Marshall Merry Moore leads Stella Nickell from the federal courthouse after a jury convicts her on five counts of product tampering. It was also featured in episode 93 of Casefile True Crime Podcast in August 2018. ER 2002-12, 2014-16 Milford Haven, Dyfed, SA73. Nearly two weeks later, she heard about Sue Snow. Noonan claimed she bought so much algae destroyer, he had to special order it just for her. Her May 1988 conviction and prison sentence were the first . Four years later, the scenario seemed to be playing itself out again in King County Washington. [3] The FDA inspected the Morrisville, North Carolina, plant where the tainted lot had been packaged, but found no traces of cyanide to explain its presence in the Washington bottles. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. Stella . You have permission to edit this article. [7], Both Stella and Webking were asked to take polygraph examinations. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. She added that "as negative as it is, I have chosen to learn from it and not become bitter. } They also posted a $100,000 reward. After her death was reported in the news, Stella called police to tell them that she thought her husband had also been poisoned. Stella refused, her lawyer saying she was too shaken up. The police searched the family home and found an open bottle of Excedrin, a brand that Snow often used, in the kitchen cabinet. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. had offered the rewards for information leading to an arrest in the June, 1986, killings, which led to the nations first trial in a product-tampering death. Prosecutors: Security video discredits cosplay model's story of self-defense Cynthia Hamilton, Stellas daughter, came forward (possibly in order to obtain reward money) with her account of Stellas plan to kill her husband. Three capsules out of those that remained in the 60-capsule bottle were found to be laced with cyanide in toxic quantities. Sign Up. [21] A second appeal, beginning in 2001, was filed by her new attorney, Carl Park Colbert, based on evidence obtained by private detectives Al Farr and Paul Ciolino, requesting a new trial on the basis of new evidence having been discovered that the FBI may have withheld documents from the defense. Stella Nickell was convicted after police and FBI agents, following months of investigation, concluded she had laced her husband's Excedrin painkillers with cyanide in order to collect on his. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. Find your friends on Facebook. They also recalled that Stella Nickell had several fish tanks in her trailer home. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist in the 2019 film based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Snow was airlifted to the hospital, but she was declared brain dead a few hours later. "I am not guilty," says Nickell. The media was riveted because of its similarity to the notorious Chicago "Tylenol murders," less than four years earlier, when seven people died in fall 1982 after taking cyanide-tainted Tylenol pills. Hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at her trial two years later. "48 Hours": Brooke Skylar Richardson case Sues husband also took two capsules from the bottle for his arthritis before leaving for work. Stella Nickell had three life insurance policies on her husband. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. When she saw a news report about a woman dying from Excedrin capsules filled with cyanide, she called the police. She later moved to Southern California where she married and had another daughter. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. On June 5, 1986 at 5:02 p.m., Stella Nickell called an emergency volunteer fire department on the Kent-Black Diamond Road. Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. Her release date is set for July 10, 2040, when she will be almost 97 years old. Somewhat bizarrely, he said, Nickell planned to use the money to open a pet store selling tropical fish. [5] On June 27, Washington State put into effect a 90-day ban on the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules. 2011 Update: New book presents compelling case that the murderous capsules were prepared within the manufacturer's facilities, not at the retail level. Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. Then there was the insurance. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. The deaths sparked a nationwide tampering scare and prompted Excedrin manufacturer Bristol-Myers Co. to recall its over-the-counter capsule medications. Ramn Morales : If you're serious about being a writer, it's not going to happen here. You have to go to the city. But this time, it happened on the West Coast of the United States in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. Rat poison found in Taco Bell takeout order, authorities say, Twitter auctioning its bird statue and other office trinkets, Need a new cookware set for the new year? Coryn I. Nicholls (Mayerson) is a Physician Assistant in Walnut Creek, CA. But the plot backfired. [7] His death initially was ruled to be by natural causes, with attending physicians citing emphysema. Around the time Stella failed a FBI polygraph, her daughter from a previous marriage, Cindy Hamilton, 27, came forward. Ramn Morales : Hospitals have records. 48 Hours reports on the search. Rider was never called to testify. 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. [3] She served six months in jail for the fraud charge, and was ordered into counseling after the abuse charge. Records show agents found five contaminated bottles of medicine during a search of Auburn-area grocery stores and pharmacies, prompting widespread recalls of over-the-counter analgesics in the Northwest and elsewhere as health officials and the FBI sought to uncover the source of the poison. Stella Maudine Stephenson was born in Colton, Oregon, to Alva Georgia "Jo" (ne Duncan; later changed her name to Cora Lee) and George Stephenson. Later, however, he entered rehab and gave up the bottle. The company was incorporated in California eighteen years ago and is no longer active. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. display: block; Social Profiles. as well as other partner offers and accept our. June Devaney: Unique Strategy Solves a Horrific Murder, Lipstick Killer: Murder Spree is a Challenge For Cops, Mollie Olgin: Strange Murder of Girl in Texas Park, Jason Owens: Secrets and Murder of a Media Star, Black Sox: Baseballs First Big Gambling Scandal, Mark Putnam: Love and Murder in Appalachia, Eric Witte: Mother Manipulates Boy to Commit Startling Murder. Nickell was given two 90-year sentences for the murders of her husband and Susan Snow. 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. She became eligible for parole in 2018 but remains in prison. But this time, there was a suspect and an arrest. They then looked toward Nickell. Stella says she researched cyanide after her husband died. Comments can only be made on article within the first 3 days of publication. She'd told the staff that she needed it to kill ants. She deserves no compassion. Klein, who lives with her family in New Mexico, said the loss had taught her "a lot about life." I think, 'Say her name, lady.'". or. Stella was dirt poor, she lived in a small trailer with her husband, grown daughter Cynthia, and grandchild; Stella's her mother lived next door. Hamilton testified. A sweep of grocery and pharmacy shelves in King County produced another tainted bottle from Johnny's Market in Kent, and the lot number of the bottle recovered from Sue Snow's home was publicized. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. 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. This has led some to speculate that she may have initially conspired with her mother against her stepfather, then testified against her mother for the reward after her mother failed an FBI polygraph. In 1986, her biggest one came true when her husband died during a seizure, making her the beneficiary of a $175,000-plus insurance payoff until authorities discovered Bruce Nickell's headache capsules had been laced with cyanide. Stella had taken out $76,000 of life insurance on Bruce. She lived with the Nickells months before Bruce died. Her lawyers have also petitioned, unsuccessfully, for a new trial. Now 27, Hamilton had been in and out of Stella's life for years. Death by cyanide poisoning was big news in Washington. Stella Nicholls : They locked her away because she was different. Stella Nicholls : No, Sarah, now it's your turn to hear a story. What happens next? After the war, he opened a haberdashery in Kansas City. Hamilton testified. She also planted other bottles of cyanide-tainted Excedrin in local stores to divert suspicion, authorities said. 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 asked for compassionate release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and another women? [6] Bruce had taken them to no effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness. Farr and Ciolino have been traveling the country without pay, interviewing witnesses and friends, talking to anyone who may help them. "And I won't quit fighting until I prove it.". The detectives discovered an FBI memo that seems to support Rider's account. They also found cyanide in two bottles of Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the police. This, in turn, brought in the FBI. "I couldn't take it in," she said. Required fields are marked *. Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. At the end of the movie, she won the prize for the scariest story ever. [5] Her husband, Paul Webking, took two capsules from the same bottle for his arthritis and left the house for work. "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. Instead of partying with Stella, long a regular fixture on the Auburn-Kent tavern circuit, he chose to stay home watching television or talking CB lingo on his citizen's band radio. 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. [9] On June 24, a cyanide-contaminated bottle of Anacin-3 was found at the same store where Snow had bought her contaminated Excedrin. was to be made about the Nickell case to air on USA Network, but it was cancelled shortly before production began. View this record View. 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. [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. 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. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. [9] Investigators' suspicions began to turn to Stella when they discovered that she claimed that the two contaminated Excedrin bottles that she had turned over to police had been purchased at different times and different locations. Your email address will not be published. [2] When her bar visits were curtailed by Bruce's sobriety,[3] she began requesting evening shifts at her security screener job at SeattleTacoma International Airport and cultivated a home aquarium as a new hobby. In 1988 in Washington state, Stella Nickell was convicted of killing her husband Bruce, and Sue Snow, a bank manager, by putting cyanide in Excedrin capsules. Log In. 48 Hours reports on the search. In these documents, there are reports about other possible suspects and mysterious fingerprints on Sue Snows bottle. Hamilton collected $300,000 in damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson. Paramedics rushed to the home at 1404 N Street NE in Auburn. Since her husband, Bruce Nickells was already dead and buried they could not do anything. During the trial, the reward was never brought into evidence. 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. She was the first person to be found guilty of violating the Federal Anti-Tampering Act after putting cyanide. This seemed unlikely, because out of thousands of bottles checked in the entire region, authorities found only five with tainted capsules, and Stella had two of them. Background Report for Stella Chen. Her May 1988 conviction and prison sentence were the first under federal product tampering laws instituted after the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders. Like cyanide poisoning. Stella Nickell was convicted two years later. Stella says she researched cyanide after her husband died. The FBI refused to comment. At age 16, following the birth of her first daughter, Cynthia Hamilton, Stella moved to Southern California, where she married and had another daughter. Hamilton eventually collected $250,000 of that money. One of the jurors had been a plaintiff in a case involving a pill baked into Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. She belongs in prison until she is dead. The Bureau of Prisons could ask for Nickells release, the judge said, but has not done so. A year and half after Bruce Nickell died, Stella Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court. Stella Chen has been associated with one company, according to public records. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { On December 9, 1987, a federal grand jury indicted Stella Nickell on five counts of product tampering. AIM was founded in 1968 by read more, On May 8, 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. [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. Nickell took a lie detector test and failed. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. A subsequent test of the deceased Bruce Nickell's blood sample showed that he, like Sue Snow, had died of cyanide poisoning. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Bruce worked as a heavy equipment operator and had a fondness for alcohol. She told them her mother had often spoken of wanting Bruce dead. The bottle had the same lot number as the bottle in Sue Snows home. But why would she bring the poisoning to police attention in the first place? 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. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. When both turned out to contain contaminated capsules, investigators grew suspicious. }, First published on June 4, 2001 / 12:09 PM. But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. 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. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didn't have that disease. [5], Records from the Auburn Public Library, when subpoenaed, showed that Stella had checked out numerous books about poisons, including Human Poisonings from Native and Cultivated Plants and Deadly Harvest. 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. The clincher came when Stellas oldest daughter, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police. Stella, who was ordered to go to counseling, says her daughter was jealous of her. Harvey claimed to have begun killing to "ease the pain" of patientsmostly cardiac patientsby smothering them . Stella Nickell told police that her husband had died suddenly just a few days earlier and that he had also taken Excedrin. 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The film was to have been directed by Jeff Reiner and starring Katey Sagal as Stella Nickell. A total of five bottles containing cyanide-laced capsules were recovered: the bottle Sue Snow had purchased, the two bottles Stella Nickell had turned in, the Excedrin found on the shelves at Johnny's Market in Kent, and the Anacin capsules discovered at Pay-n-Save in Auburn. [6] She went on trial in April 1988 and was found guilty of all charges on May 9, after five days of jury deliberation. Stella Nickell about the time of the poisonings. Stella Nicholas. The government says all required documents were handed over. A $250,000 reward will be paid to a Garden Grove woman whose testimony helped convict her mother in two killings with cyanide-laced Excedrin, a spokesman for a pharmaceutical group said Friday. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). In return, the prosecution agreed not to reveal that Cindy said she came forward when she heard her mother failed a polygraph. Nickell hatched another plot within a week. Stella appealed her conviction but none of her appeals succeeded. Joseph was born on July 27 1873. They arrested me and I was only in jail overnight.". Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Stella Nicholls on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. Over a few weeks, Farr met with her twice. Sue Snows husband, Paul Webking, agreed to undergo a polygraph examination and passed. They were married two years later. Webking did so, but Stella, who had started drinking heavily,[2] declined. "It was a means to an end," the author said. Because of product tampering legislation passed in response to the Chicago killings, these murders became a federal case. The other victim was Susan Katherine Snow, 40, also of Auburn, who authorities said had bought the poisoned capsules. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. FBI document examiners determined that Bruce's signature on the applications had been forged. [10], With investigatory focus turned to Stella, detectives uncovered more circumstantial evidence pointing to her as the culprit. Still, hard evidence against her was hard to come by until January 1988. Farr and Ciolino say that is not true. [31], The 2000 TV film Who Killed Sue Snow? They informed the FBI, who took jurisdiction of the case. Stella's neighbor, Sandy Scott, became a spy for the FBI. At the time, Excedrin was packaged in plastic bottles with the mouth of the bottle sealed with foil and the lid secured to the bottle with plastic wrap. To fill the now empty hours at home, she began keeping a home aquarium. Bruce was a heavy equipment operator with a drinking habit, which suited her lifestyle,[3] and the two were married in 1976. Sign up for the newsletter today. Another memo mentions that Stella's two Excedrin bottles came from one store, Albertsons. Stella also alleges that the evidence actually points to another person as the killer, and that the testimony about various smaller details in the case, such as the store owner who testified about her having purchased Algae Destroyer, was influenced by promises of payment. Officers broke open the capsules and found the powdered toxin inside. Stella Nickell is convicted on two counts of murder by a Seattle, Washington, jury. See Photos. Paramedics found her unconscious and gasping for breath. Klein told them that her mom, who was a bank manager in Auburn, Washington, was "popular and had a big personality.". Dont miss out! She originally called police and turned over two bottles of Excedrin. Noonan claimed she bought so much algae destroyer, he had to special order it just for her. However, the motion was denied. Stella Nicholls is the daughter of Roy . Bruce Nickell was rushed by helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he soon died. [15][16], Stella's legal team sought a mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct. When another bottle of contaminated Excedrin turned up at a grocery store in Kent, the manufacturer, Bristol-Myers launched an immediate recall of all Excedrin in the Seattle area. She maintains her innocence, claiming her daughter lied for the reward money. read more. He joined the army at the relatively advanced age of 33 in 1916 to fight in World War I. Check Writing Quality. Farr and Ciolino talked to other people who were also rewarded for their role in the case. Klein is featured in "American Mother," a book about Nickell published this week. She refused to help the defense team. But U.S.. 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. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. The Seattle cyanide poisonings are the subject of several true-crime television episodes and at least one book Gregg Olsens Bitter Almonds, published in 2013. She was paid $7,500. The killer in that case has never been caught. Never-before-seen photos and details about accused Idaho killer [2] A total of five bottles had been found to have been contaminated in the entire country, and it was regarded as suspicious that Stella would happen to have acquired two of them purely by chance. She said she had a bottle of Excedrin in her home with the same lot number as the bottle that had killed Sue Snow. [5] Stella, Hamilton claimed, had even told her that she had tried to poison Bruce previously with foxglove hidden in capsules. It's a notorious case out of Auburn a woman convicted of lacing Excedrin painkillers with cyanide that killed two people in 1986, including her husband. Includes Age, Location, Address History for Stella Chen; Arrest, Criminal, & Driving Records . The odds of her selecting two contaminated bottles by random chance were astronomical. Yakima police looking for suspects in Sunday shooting that left teen injured, Special education spending, oversight top priorities for WA lawmakers, Yakima County's mental health tax may help fund crisis responders, mental health court, Boys roundup: Rivera, Perez help Toppenish survive Wapato's upset bid, Deputies say intoxicants a factor in North Wenas road head-on crash, MultiCare completes acquisition of Memorial hospital in Yakima, Girls roundup: Milanez hits seven 3-pointers to spark Mustangs, Yakima medical student to appear on 'Good Morning America' on Jan. 20. A federal judge has denied a plea for compassionate release from prison by an Auburn woman whos serving 90 years for planting poisoned pills that killed two and prompted national recalls of over-the-counter painkillers. She is a citizen of Mill Valley and the daughter of Roy Nicholls. But police investigators and the federal government still firmly believe she is guilty. She showed them the bottle. The Food and Drug Administration soon announced that Extra Strength Excedrin capsules found at Snow's home contained cyanide. Paramedics found her unconscious and gasping for breath. She had a history of abusing drugs. #inline-recirc-item--id-a607eb04-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Sue Snow collapsed in her bathroom of her home in the Seattle, Washington, suburb of Auburn. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. By age 16 she was pregnant with her first daughter, Cindy Hamilton. An additional $50,000 will be shared by eight others who helped convict Stella Nickell of Auburn, Wash., in the deaths of her husband and another woman, the spokesman said. Although investigators were sure they had the right person, they had very little to take to a jury: No fingerprints, nor any way to prove that Stella Nickell ever bought or possessed cyanide. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. Your email address will not be published. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. Stella Nickell used Cyanide to kill her victims. [2] Further tests showed that the substance was an algaecide used in home aquariums, sold under the brand name Algae Destroyer. [2] She was also known to have, even before Snow's death, repeatedly disputed doctors' ruling that her husband had died of natural causes. 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Are reports about other possible suspects and mysterious fingerprints on Sue Snows.! Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court out more for accidental death, she keeping!