The FBI found Stella's fingerprints on several books. She told them that she thought that he'd been poisoned, too. Now 27, Hamilton had been in and out of Stella's life for years. Olsen said that Nickell laced Bruce's Excedrin with cyanide so that the authorities would think his death was accidental, which would allow her to claim his $100,000 life-insurance policy. She failed and investigators narrowed their focus to her even further. [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. 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. 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. The judge sentenced her to two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles that caused the deaths of Bruce and Sue Snow. During the trial, the reward was never brought into evidence. The crime was chillingly similar to the Chicago Tylenol murders four years earlier. 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. [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. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. 00:19:08 - Mrs. Stella Nickell might have actually gotten away with it too, if it weren't for her greed and a touch of karma. They had thought it was drug overdose, but she was not a known user, and had taken only a couple of Extra - Strength Excedrin. } Bruce Nickell was rushed by helicopter to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where he soon died. All Rights Reserved. A more recent but undated photo of Stella Nickell. 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. As the investigation continued, the FBI lab found an important clue: green crystals mixed in with the cyanide. She continues to maintain her innocence, saying that Cindy lied to get the $300,000 reward money (she received $250,000). Investigators concluded they were dealing with product tampering. Gradually suspicion hardened on Stella Nickell. She had a history of abusing drugs. He died in the hospital, but doctors did not detect the cyanide and ascribed the death to emphysema. "She didn't want notoriety," Olsen said. But Tom Noonan, who managed the local fish store at the time, says she did buy algae destroyer. [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. The bottle had the same lot number as the bottle in Sue Snows home. [5] On June 27, Washington State put into effect a 90-day ban on the sale of non-prescription medication in capsules. Cindy told the FBI that her mother had wanted to kill recovering alcoholic Bruce because after he had gone through rehab and sobered up, he had become a bore. For 19 months, Farr and Ciolino have been traveling the country without pay, interviewing witnesses and friends, talking to anyone who may help them re-open this case. They turned out to be algae destroyer, a product used to kill algae in fish tanks. She also planted other bottles of cyanide-tainted Excedrin in local stores to. Stella's neighbor, Sandy Scott, became a spy for the FBI. Make her serve the whole sentence or until she dies. Check Writing Quality. In the next 12 years, there would be a failed marriage and a second daughter. (Note: Polygraph tests are not evidence and failing or refusing to take one is not evidence of guilt). She is portrayed by Zoe Colletti . Then there was the insurance. Read. "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. Cynthia Hamilton, 30, the Nickells daughter who now lives in Garden Grove, testified that her mother repeatedly talked about ways to kill her husband, Bruce Nickell, who was 52 when he died. Olsen said that Nickell's crimes have been the focus of a number of TV documentaries and books, including his own. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. A lawyer representing Stella told reporters that she was too "shaken up" to be subjected to the examination. [15][16], Stella's legal team sought a mistrial on grounds of jury tampering and judicial misconduct. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! She told police, and doctors realized that Bruce Nickell had also been poisoned. Although the defense challenged her credibility, the jury believed her and convicted Stella of fatally poisoning her husband and Sue Snow. The police searched the family home and found an open bottle of Excedrin, a brand that Snow often used, in the kitchen cabinet. Reports said Snow died after swallowing cyanide-laced Excedrin. Background Report for Stella Chen. Her fingerprints were also found all over other books on cyanide. She grew up in a poor family. In return, the prosecution agreed not to reveal that Cindy said she came forward when she heard her mother failed a polygraph. Ramn Morales : If you're serious about being a writer, it's not going to happen here. She even searched Stella's home for algae destroyer. Local and state authorities are not, however, prevented from also filing charges in such cases. [7], Both Stella and Webking were asked to take polygraph examinations. She added that "as negative as it is, I have chosen to learn from it and not become bitter. In these documents, there are reports about other possible suspects and mysterious fingerprints on Sue Snows bottle. Stella Nickell, then 75, had been sentenced to 90 years in prison in 1988, after she was found guilty of product tampering. Other evidence pointed to Stella. And she is completely capable of murdering again at 78 yrs old. [1], A second death, less than a week later, forced authorities to reconsider the cause of Bruce's death. 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 . Nickell was given two 90-year sentences for the murders of her husband and Susan Snow. Detectives later found traces of algaecide a chemical used to clean fish tanks in the Excedrin pills. They exhumed her husband's body and determined that he too, had been poisoned. Sign Up. The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History. [18] She was denied parole in 2017.[19]. [23], After the 1982 Chicago Tylenol murders, new FDA regulations went into effect which made it a federal crimerather than just a state or local crimeto tamper with consumer products. In early 1974,. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Nickell never admitted to the crimes, but during her first appeal for early release, she finally took responsibility for murdering Bruce. See Photos. "American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World.". The government says all required documents were handed over. A few years later, though, she had a change of heart. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Donald Harvey (April 15, 1952 - March 30, 2017) was an American serial killer who claimed to have murdered 87 people, though official estimates are between 37 and 57 victims. In 1985, Stella took out a life insurance policy on Bruce that included a substantial indemnity payment for accidental death. 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. "All she wanted was a tropical-fish store.". Stella also had more than her share of legal troubles. They were married two years later. Stella had an aquarium, but says she never bought algae destroyer. Several "C" volumes from encyclopedias at the library were sent to the FBI lab, where technicians determined that Stella had left finger and palm prints on entries about cyanide in three encyclopedias. It was found among a thousand pages never turned over to the defense. At 16, she gave birth to a daughter, Cynthia. 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. President Nixon, at a news conference, defends the U.S. troop movement into Cambodia, saying the operation would provide six to eight months of time for training South Vietnamese forces and thus would shorten the war for Americans. How Americans Became Convinced Their Halloween Candy was Poisoned. 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. She discovers that the stories are coming back to life. Given credit for good behavior, Nickell will be eligible for release in 2040, when shes 96 years old, according to court documents. The FDA quickly ruled out Bristol-Myers, as the source of the cyanide. 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. She'd told the staff that she needed it to kill ants. Investigators in Seattle say her plan was foiled when Bruce's death was attributed to emphysema - a natural cause. But the policy would pay an additional $100,000 if he died from accidental causes. } Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Additionally, network executives feared the film would inspire copycat crimes. She asked for compassionate release due to bad health, but where was her compassion when she murdered her own husband and another women? 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. The clincher came when Stellas oldest daughter, Cindy Hamilton, contacted police. So she put poisoned painkillers in stores, they say, hoping someone else would die and the tainted capsules would be discovered. 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. 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. Estella May McILMOYLE (born NICHOLLS) was born on month day 1898, to Joseph NICHOLLS and Elizabeth Ann NICHOLLS (born McILMOYL). Stella Nickell grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest. DARLING (born NICHOLLS) and 3 other siblings. View this record View. "I think that she probably killed Bruce and expected them to find out that he died from cyanide poisoning," he says. One June evening in 1986, he came home with a headache and four Excedrins. Her husband, heavy-equipment operator Bruce Nickell, 52, was in distress in their single-wide trailer home just off Lake Moneysmith Road in the town of Auburn. She was paid $7,500. [5] Investigators were also able to verify that Stella had purchased Algae Destroyer from a local fish store; it was speculated that the algaecide had become mixed with the cyanide when Stella used the same container to crush both substances without washing it in between uses. In return, the prosecution agreed not to reveal that Cindy lied to get the $ 300,000 money... She added that `` as negative as it is, I have chosen learn! Doctors realized that Bruce Nickell was given two 90-year terms for tampering with the bottles that the... 16 ], a product used to clean fish tanks later, though, she gave birth a... 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