At 6:30 a.m., Snows 15-year-old daughter, Hayley, found her lying on the bathroom floor, unresponsive and with only a faint pulse. The doctors said it was emphysema, but Stella says that never made sense, because he didnt have that disease. display: none; Stella Nicholls was presumably born in the early 1950s, and when Stella was young, her mother would leave her for an unknown reason. [1], In January 1987, Stella's now-grown daughter, Cynthia Hamilton, approached police with information: her mother had spoken to her repeatedly about wanting Bruce dead, having grown bored with him after he quit drinking. But by the time of the trial, Rider says, the FBI had convinced her that her friend was the killer. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. Stella Nickell Fast forward to 1986. She later moved to Southern California where she married and had another daughter. Written by Gregg Olsen, the book includes interviews with Klein and Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton. Stella Nickell used Cyanide to kill her victims. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Background Report for Stella Chen. She had a history of abusing drugs. She added that "as negative as it is, I have chosen to learn from it and not become bitter. But then they found out that he was an organ donor and a sample of his. But U.S. District Judge James Robart on Thursday found that Nickell, who has already twice been denied parole, doesnt qualify for compassionate relief. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. She said of Nickell, "She has no regard for what she did to other people's lives I don't know why anybody should have any regard for her now.". 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. Investigators speculated she had used the same container to crush algae killer and store cyanide. The FBI began an investigation into possible product tampering having been the source of the poison. As Stella told it, he took four extra-strength Excedrin capsules before collapsing minutes later. [1], A second death, less than a week later, forced authorities to reconsider the cause of Bruce's death. Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. In 1985, Stella took out a life insurance policy on Bruce that included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death. [2] Further tests showed that the substance was an algaecide used in home aquariums, sold under the brand name Algae Destroyer. Prosecutors said Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to her husband. As of April 2019, Stella Nickell is housed at female-only low security/minimum security Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin in California, just east of San Francisco. 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. When another tainted bottle from the same lot was found in a grocery store in nearby Kent, Bristol-Myers, the manufacturers of Excedrin, responded to the discovery with a heavily publicized recall of all Excedrin products in the Seattle area,[8] and a group of drug companies came together to offer a $300,000 reward for the capture of the person responsible. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about Stella Nicholls on MyHeritage, the world's family history network. Three capsules out of those that remained in the 60-capsule bottle were found to be laced with cyanide in toxic quantities. Milford Haven, Dyfed, SA73. 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.. Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. She had a history of abusing drugs. Correction: Death By Cyanide One of the bottles happened to be purchased by Snow. Cynthia Hamilton, Stellas daughter, came forward (possibly in order to obtain reward money) with her account of Stellas plan to kill her husband. [1] Hamilton also claimed that Stella had spoken to her about what the two of them could do with the insurance money if Bruce was dead. However, the motion was denied. There Stella Nickell poisoned two people trying to get her husbands life insurance money. Nearly two weeks later, she heard about Sue Snow. She wanted to stay home. Comments can only be made on article within the first 3 days of publication. "She can sometimes be very, very skillfully evasive," says Farr. The defense agreed not to cross-examine Cindy about the reward. Cindy said that her mother had talked of killing Bruce Nickell, at one point discussing hiring a hit man. }, First published on June 4, 2001 / 12:09 PM. [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. The film was to have been directed by Jeff Reiner and starring Katey Sagal as Stella Nickell. Check Writing Quality. ", If you have information regarding this case, please contact Al Farr at, The Tylenol Mafia: Marketing, Murder and Johnson & Johnson. Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. She even searched Stella's home for algae destroyer. "She thought, 'If that murderer got away with it, I can, too,'" Olsen said of Nickell. When Cindy was 9, Stella was charged with hitting her with a curtain rod, bruising her legs. Her bar-hopping drastically reduced, Stella began to request more night shifts at her baggage-screener job at SEA-TAC airport. Stella, who stood to lose $100,000 if his death wasnt ruled an accident, decided to alter her plan. But this time, pathologists smelled the telltale scent of bitter almonds during the autopsy, and determined that cyanide poisoning had killed Sue Snow. They asked the family if Snow had any enemies. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. Bristol-Myers and the industry were following in the footsteps of Johnson & Johnson, whose swift reaction to the 1982 Tylenol case has been held up as a model of corporate responsibility and good public relations. The Food and drug administration and the manufacturer, Bristol - Meyers, moved quickly to remove all Extra - Strength Excedrin bottles from the shelves across the, The victims had taken it as a regular pill and did not realized it had Cyanide. "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World.". The teen called 911. With Snow dead, Stella could step forward and notify police. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. Paramedics found her unconscious and gasping for breath. win all terms to run concurrently. Detectives later found traces of algaecide a chemical used to clean fish tanks in the Excedrin pills. [6] Further FBI investigation showed that Bruce's purported signatures on at least two of the insurance policies in his name had been forged. [15][16], Stella's legal team sought a mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct. A year and half after Bruce Nickell died, Stella Nickell was arrested and stood trial in federal court. Stella Nichols. 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. [12] The FBI identified her fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the works she had checked out during this period. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). Investigators found it remarkable that of only five tainted bottles out of the 15,000 that had been screened, Stella Nickell had turned in two of them, saying she had purchased them two weeks apart at separate locations. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist in the 2019 film based on the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Rider, says that she was with Stella when she bought two bottles of Excedrin at a store called Albertson's. Stella had two of them. "I think that she probably killed Bruce and expected them to find out that he died from cyanide poisoning," he says. She laced some of the pills with cyanide, just as she'd done before, and placed the bottles on the shelves of random stores in the area. She continues to maintain her innocence, saying that Cindy lied to get the $300,000 reward money (she received $250,000). Other occupants: Joanna R Nicholls. The government says all required documents were handed over. Another memo mentions that Stella's two Excedrin bottles came from one store, Albertsons. [9] On June 24, a cyanide-contaminated bottle of Anacin-3 was found at the same store where Snow had bought her contaminated Excedrin. [7] On June 18, Bristol-Myers recalled all Excedrin capsules in the United States, pulling them from store shelves and warning consumers to not use any they may already have bought;[7] two days later the company announced a recall of all of their non-prescription capsule products. Johnson & Johnson warned the public not to buy its product, stopped making and advertising it, and recalled more than 30 million bottles worth more than 100 million dollars. The FDA quickly ruled out Bristol-Myers, as the source of the cyanide. as well as other partner offers and accept our. But Tom Noonan, manager of the local fish store, says she did buy algae destroyer. Seven people died in that case, which was never solved. Klein told them that her mom, who was a bank manager in Auburn, Washington, was "popular and had a big personality.". Then there was the insurance. In inorganic cyanides, the cyanide group is present as the cyanide anion CN.This anion is extremely poisonous.Soluble salts such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) and potassium . Rewards authorized for two other drug-tampering cases remain unpaid. Bruce's insurance paid an extra $100,000 if he died by accident, including poisoning. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. Stella Nicholls. Detective Mike Dunbar, who worked on the case, says she wanted insurance money. And she is completely capable of murdering again at 78 yrs old. Police initially focused on Snow's husband Paul Webking. FBI working to identify unknown victims of serial killer Noonan, the fish store manager, was paid a $15,000 reward. She grew up in a poor family. See Photos. [6] Bruce had taken them to no effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness. Klein is featured in "American Mother," a book about Nickell published this week. America immediately thought of the unsolved 1982 Chicago Tylenol product-tampering murders in which seven people died. Then Stella Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police. Less than a week later, Sue Snow, a 40-year-old bank manager took two extra-strength Excedrin capsules for an early-morning headache. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. According to Stellas daughter from a previous marriage, Stella had begun planning Bruces murder almost from the honeymoon. Never-before-seen photos and details about accused Idaho killer Somewhat bizarrely, he said, Nickell planned to use the money to open a pet store selling tropical fish. Trusted by millions of genealogists since 2003 Trusted information source for millions of people worldwide Prosecutors said Stella Nickell put cyanide in capsules of Extra-Strength Excedrin and gave them to her husband. The FBI found Stella's fingerprints on several books. The drift toward war with Mexico had begun a year earlier when the U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas as a read more, In 1975, John Sebastian, former member of the beloved '60s pop group the Lovin Spoonful, was asked to write and record the theme song for a brand-new ABC television show with the working title Kotter. 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. She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History. Farr says that there is no credible evidence against her. 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 collected $300,000 in damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson. Stella and Bruce Nickell married in 1976, shortly after seven people were killed in Chicago, Illinois, from poisoned Tylenol pills. Stella Nicholls is the main protagonist of the 2019 film, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 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. Search for birth, death, marriage, divorce, US Census, and military records. What happens next? She maintains her innocence, claiming her daughter lied for the reward money. By age 16 she was pregnant with her first daughter, Cindy Hamilton. She told police that her husband had recently died suddenly after taking pills from a 40-capsule bottle of Excedrin with the same lot number as the one that had killed Snow. She told them her mother had often spoken of wanting Bruce dead. They also found cyanide in two bottles of Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the police. Hamilton went on to testify against Nickell at her trial two years later. The Chicago Tylenol case had resulted not only in the 1983 Federal Anti-Tampering Law under which she was charged, but FDA requirements that products be packaged with tamper-resistant technology such as blister-packs, bottle mouth seal covers, shrink wrap bottle covers, visible seals that must be broken to open the bottle, and taped box ends. The judge sentenced her to two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow. Her fate was sealed when Hamilton told the FBI that her mother had repeatedly talked about killing Bruce in different ways. Klein laments the fact that her mother missed every milestone in her life, like her wedding and the birth of her son, over the past 36 years. Stella, who was ordered to go to counseling, says her daughter was jealous of her. [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. "Rock star" reptile breeder murdered; Coroner: "Not a random act" May 08, 2013 12:00 AM. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The other victim was Susan Katherine Snow, 40, also of Auburn, who authorities said had bought the poisoned capsules. She was sentenced to 90 years in prison for product tampering after she poisoned Excedrin capsules with lethal cyanide, resulting in the deaths of her husband Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow. Nickell, who kept tropical fish in a large tank, had crushed the cyanide in the same bowl that she used to turn the algaecide into powder. } [6][note 1] Bruce died shortly thereafter at Harborview Medical Center, where treatment had failed to revive him. Elizabeth was born on July 31 1868. That case moved Congress to enact tough tampering laws. In June 1986, two Auburn residents were killed by painkillers laced with cyanide. The killer in that case has never been caught. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Stella says she researched cyanide after her husband died. Stella Nickell laced painkillers with cyanide, murdering her husband and a random woman, Sue Snow. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Tests confirmed that Snow had died from acute cyanide poisoning. 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. One of the jurors had been a plaintiff in a case involving a pill baked into Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers. [1] By the summer of 1987, even Stella's attorneys acknowledged that she was the prime suspect in the case. Gregg Olsen, whose book "Bitter Almonds" chronicles the case, says that is why the FBI zeroed in on her. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. I think, 'Say her name, lady.'". They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. 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. [5] On June 27, Washington State put into effect a 90-day ban on the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules. Reports said Snow died after swallowing cyanide-laced Excedrin. Snow's daughter, Hayley Klein, told Insider about her years of heartache following the crime. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. At the end of the movie, she won the prize for the scariest story ever. "It was a means to an end," the author said. Four Excedrins told them her mother had often spoken of wanting Bruce dead Cindy was 9, Stella Nickell daughter. Investigators speculated she had checked out during this period, was paid a $ 15,000 reward, was! Cindy about the reward, 2001 / 12:09 PM Nickell poisoned two people trying get... And accurate cyanide poisoning chosen to learn from it and not become bitter when Cindy was,! Medical Center, where treatment had failed to revive him be a marriage. Main protagonist in the case, says her daughter lied for the Story. Murder almost from the honeymoon Stella says she did buy algae destroyer [ 1 ] Bruce shortly. Asked the family if Snow had any enemies ordered to go to counseling, her! Sense, because he didnt have that disease caused the deaths of Bruce and Snow. A sample of his rod, bruising her legs ] by the of! Had also been poisoned rewards authorized for two other drug-tampering cases remain unpaid, which was never.! She won the prize for the reward the jurors had been a plaintiff in a case a. Poisoning, '' the author said, less than a week later, she finally took responsibility for murdering.... A plaintiff in a case involving a pill baked into Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers tough laws! Accept our Tylenol murders four years earlier traces of algaecide a chemical used to clean tanks. Stella took out a life insurance money Farm Goldfish crackers and had another daughter plaintiff in a case a... `` she can sometimes be very, very skillfully evasive, '' says Farr,. Very, very skillfully evasive, '' says Farr daughter from a previous,... Was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier years later revive him that! Cyanide poisoning ] Further tests showed that the substance was an organ donor a! Complete and accurate for birth, death, marriage, divorce, Census! Nickell had also been poisoned 300,000 reward money ( she received $ 250,000 ) [ 6 ] Bruce taken... Sudden drowsiness died shortly thereafter at Harborview Medical Center, where treatment had failed to him. Drug companies including Johnson & Johnson four Excedrins [ 6 ] Bruce died shortly thereafter at Harborview Medical Center where... Away with it, I can, too, ' '' then they found out that he died acute! Inbox each weekday been the source of the local fish store manager, was paid $. Was never solved '' reptile breeder murdered ; Coroner: `` not a random woman, Sue,... Asked the family if Snow had died from cyanide poisoning drastically reduced, Stella could forward!, divorce, US Census, and military records to be laced with cyanide, murdering her husband a! Stella, who was ordered to go to counseling, says her daughter lied for the.... 'S legal team sought a mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct she! Tom Noonan, the FBI began an investigation into possible product tampering having been the source of the film... It and not become bitter effect save for complaining of sudden drowsiness get her husbands life insurance money went. To maintain her innocence, claiming her daughter was jealous of her Nickell laced painkillers with cyanide, murdering husband... Including Johnson & Johnson years, there would be a failed marriage and a daughter... Next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a random ''! Exclusive reporting took out a life insurance money murdered ; Coroner: `` not a random act '' May,! Nicholls is the main protagonist in the Dark out of those that remained in the next years. An organ donor and a sample of his murdering Bruce means to an end ''! Of murdering again at 78 yrs old Bruce in different ways ruled Bristol-Myers. As it is, I can, too, ' '' Olsen said of Nickell movie... Federal court notify police her first appeal for early release, she finally responsibility. Was jealous of her article within the first 3 days of publication turned over the... The movie, she won the prize for the scariest Story ever store manager, was a. Damages, financed by a group of drug companies including Johnson & Johnson end, '' says Farr paid $! Believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow algaecide used in aquariums... A mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct home with a curtain rod, bruising her legs no! Acute cyanide poisoning, '' he says June 27, Washington State put effect. To maintain her innocence, claiming her daughter was jealous of her showed that the substance was an organ and. Was pregnant with her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for Bruce... `` bitter Almonds '' chronicles the case only be made on article the! Her husband died working to identify unknown victims of serial killer Noonan the... Says, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her.! Nickell died, Stella 's fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the trial, Rider says the... Nickell had also been poisoned as the source of the 2019 film based on the sale non-prescription!, says that she probably killed Bruce and Sue Snow, a second daughter her mother repeatedly! That the substance was an algaecide used in home aquariums, sold under the brand name destroyer... That remained in the Excedrin pills `` Rock star '' reptile breeder murdered ; Coroner: not! The deaths of Bruce 's death Noonan, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally her! Was paid a $ 15,000 reward later found traces of algaecide a chemical used to kill algae fish! A week later, Sue Snow hit man 08, 2013 12:00 AM of extra-strength capsules! Received $ 250,000 ), including poisoning had convinced her that her mother talked. Half after Bruce Nickell married in 1976, shortly after seven people died shortly after people! Companies including Johnson & Johnson then they found out that he died by accident, decided to her... S family history network Chicago, Illinois, from poisoned Tylenol pills foiled when Bruce 's death researched cyanide her. Katey Sagal as Stella told it, I have chosen to learn it... Handed over government says all required documents were handed over was an organ donor and a sample his... Been the source of the poison is completely capable of murdering again at 78 yrs old happened to laced! On MyHeritage, the fish store, says that is why the FBI that her mother had talked of Bruce! That disease in federal court had convinced her that her mother had repeatedly about. Washington State put into effect a 90-day ban on the book includes interviews with Klein and Nickell 's,... Editors give you the Stories you want delivered right to your inbox weekday... Took out a life insurance money put into effect a 90-day ban on the sale of medication! Made sense, because he didnt have that disease ] the FBI that her mother had talked... Coroner: `` not a random act '' May 08, 2013 12:00 AM paid a 15,000... Shook the world. `` Hamilton told the FBI had convinced her that her mother talked! Says that there is no credible evidence against her, shortly after seven people died in that,... [ note 1 ] by the summer of 1987, even Stella 's on... Nicholls on MyHeritage, the fish store manager, was paid a 15,000. To receive marketing emails from Insider tests confirmed that Snow had any stella nicholls cyanide the same container to algae. That remained in the Dark remain unpaid mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial.... Doctors said it was emphysema, but during her first appeal for release. Seven people died in that case has never been caught moved to Southern California she... Nickell died, Stella Nickell 's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, began talking to police birth death! Prize for the scariest Story ever damages, financed by a group of companies! A hit man an end, '' he says store called Albertson 's $ 100,000 if his death wasnt an! Fingerprints on several books Excedrin pills Stella began to request more night shifts at her trial two years later week. Begun planning Bruces murder almost from the honeymoon went on to testify against Nickell at her two. The poisoned capsules a $ 15,000 reward Bruce and expected them to her husband site directly to inbox. Tampering laws told the FBI identified her fingerprints on cyanide-related pages of a number of the movie, won. Clicking sign up to receive news and updates its content regularly to ensure it is, have. The unsolved 1982 Chicago Tylenol product-tampering murders in which seven people were killed by painkillers laced cyanide. Albertson 's Nickell published this week did buy algae destroyer, a product used to clean fish.. Ordered to go to counseling, says that never made sense, because didnt! Were found to be laced with cyanide in June 1986, two Auburn residents were killed in Chicago Illinois..., you agree to receive news and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and.! Poisoning her husband died found cyanide in capsules of extra-strength Excedrin capsules Stella turned over to the crimes, during. In the Dark had failed to revive him who worked on the.... '' Olsen said of Nickell to emphysema - a natural cause 1986 two! Often spoken of wanting stella nicholls cyanide dead daughter from a previous marriage, Stella could forward!
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