Nobody was ever convicted in the1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders . But in 1986 , when two Seattle - area people die after ingesting Excedrin laced with cyanide , Stella Nickell was nail for the aper criminal offence ; one of the victim was her hubby . Nearly 30 class subsequently , the case has n’t get any less bizarre .
The Horrifying True Story of the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murder
The story , chronicled in Gregg Olsen ’s pulpy truthful - crime classicBitter Almonds : The True Story of Mothers , Daughters , and the Seattle Cyanide Murders , was tabloid - ready from the start . Nickell was “ not a madwoman , but a coldly calculating killer , ” according toa 1988 People articlethat also noted her tenderness for “ legal profession - hopping and skintight wearing apparel . ” She ’d lived a unvoiced life , render parturition at 16 to her first child , Cynthia — who she was convicted of abusing in 1969 , and who would later become the prosecution ’s star witness in her poisoning case .
Bruce Nickell was the 44 - year - honest-to-goodness ’s second husband , and their sprightliness together in a Washington State trailer green was “ downhearted , ” multitude spell .
Her elderly female parent was living next door . Cynthia , who ’d develop up to be a beautiful redheader , was divorced and temporarily evoke her tike in Stella ’s trailer . Money was always a problem . Bruce , 52 , was out of employment more often than not and , Cynthia reported , had been take on Stella ’s nerves . For five years , Cynthia say , her female parent had been talking about solving her problems by kill her husband .
With Bruce ’s $ 176,000 life insurance benefits in her mass , Stella congeal her architectural plan — detail in Cynthia ’s testimony , as reported by theNew York Times — in motion :
Mrs. Nickell ’s daughter , Cindy Hamilton , 28 years previous , show that her female parent plot for several years to drink down Mr. Nickell , who was Ms. Hamilton ’s stepfather . She said her mother sing about hiring a ‘ ’ collide with man , ’’ researched subroutine library Word of God on poison and inquired about using a lethal dose of cocain on her husband .
Ms. Hamilton enjoin Mrs. Nickell was bored with her hubby and was in severe financial hassle . She told the jury , ‘ ’ base on what my mother had told me prior to my dad ’s death , I think that she did it . ’’
Mrs. Nickell , in two days of testimony on her own behalf , denied bolt down her married man and aver her fingerprints were on Holy Scripture about toxicant because she wanted to know more about toxic marrow after the last of Mr. Nickell .
Though her girl — with whom she distinctly had a disputatious kinship ( further detailed in the consultation clip with Bitter Almonds author Olsen , below ) — seal off Stella ’s fate in motor inn , her factual capture was due more to her own legal action . Bruce did indeed drop beat one 1986 evening , but the lawsuit was initially , incorrectly , chalked up to emphysema .
The payout on his insurance was greatly come down if he pop off of natural causes , and Stella was greedy enough to risk take out the spot of suspicion in her direction . First , taking a Sir Frederick Handley Page from the 1982 Chicago crimes , she tampered with more bottles of Excedrin . This metre , however , she returned them to store shelves . unavoidably , there was another last : 40 - year - old Susan Snow , a complete alien .
A 48 Hours sequence and concern articlechronicledwhat happened next :
Investigators say she was desperate to shew an accidental movement of end . So she put poisoned analgesic in stores , they say , hoping someone else would die and the tainted capsules would be discovered . With Snow dead , Stella could maltreat forward and give notice police .
As the investigation continue , the FBI lab found an important clue : green crystals commix in with the cyanide . They turned out to be algae undoer , a intersection used to kill alga in fish tanks . Stella had an aquarium , but says she never bought alga undoer . But Tom Noonan , who managed the local Pisces the Fishes storage at the time , enunciate she did buy algae undoer . consort to Olsen , the constabulary theory is that Stella Nickell oppress the algae tablet in a bowl , and then later , when she commix the nitril , used that same bowlful without cleaning it . Noonan take she buy so much algae undoer , he had to exceptional decree it just for her
… Although research worker were indisputable they had the right person , they had very trivial to take to a jury : No fingerprints , nor any way to prove that Stella Nickell ever corrupt or possessed cyanide .
When Stella suggested soon after Snow ’s go across that her own married man ’s recent death could have been another ( accidental ! ) Excedrin - related death , trial demonstrate she was veracious . The FBI find it rather remarkable that she fall out to have two nursing bottle of tainted medicinal drug — buy , she claim , at different stores on different years — in her monomania . ( A countrywide recallof Extra - Strength Excedrin soon come after ; no other cyanide - infused bottles were found . ) Once Cynthia came forward , Stella ’s not - so - cagy plan collapsed .
While Stella serves her two 90 - year - judgment of conviction for causing the demise of Bruce Nickell and Susan Snow ( she ’ll be eligible for parole in three eld ) , there have been rumblings froma pair of private tec who think she ’s innocent . But there ’s no disputing these facts of the case : two people die , and Stella will always bethe first personchargedunder theFederal Anti - Tampering Act — make pass asa lineal resultof the 1982 Chicago poisoning that inspired her system .
Top simulacrum : Stella Nickell is taken from the Union courthouse in Seattle May 9 , 1988 following her sentence for causing the Excedrin Death . AP Photo by Gary Stewart .
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