Murder Victim. She was the innocent pawn in Stella Nickell's plot to kill her husband, Bruce, by lacing his Excedrin headache capsules with cyanide. After Bruce Nickell was dead and buried from what the doctors thought was natural causes, Stella bought more bottles of Excedrin, and put cyanide-laced capsules in them, also. Afterwards, she placed the bottles back on the shelves of local grocery and drug stores. Sue Snow was unlucky enough to buy one of the tainted bottles and died from the effects of the poison. Stella's scheme was to wait for the media attention surrounding Sue's death from the poisoned capsules, and then claim that her husband was also the victim of product tampering. She would then receive a substantial amount from Bruce's life insurance, due to accidental death, and any amount the drug manufacturer might pay in a lawsuit. Stella's plan was foiled by good forensic science, and she was sentenced to ninety years in prison. The case was the subject of the book "Bitter Almonds" by Gregg Olsen and was also featured on the TV program "Medical Detectives" on The Learning Channel.
Murder Victim. She was the innocent pawn in Stella Nickell's plot to kill her husband, Bruce, by lacing his Excedrin headache capsules with cyanide. After Bruce Nickell was dead and buried from what the doctors thought was natural causes, Stella bought more bottles of Excedrin, and put cyanide-laced capsules in them, also. Afterwards, she placed the bottles back on the shelves of local grocery and drug stores. Sue Snow was unlucky enough to buy one of the tainted bottles and died from the effects of the poison. Stella's scheme was to wait for the media attention surrounding Sue's death from the poisoned capsules, and then claim that her husband was also the victim of product tampering. She would then receive a substantial amount from Bruce's life insurance, due to accidental death, and any amount the drug manufacturer might pay in a lawsuit. Stella's plan was foiled by good forensic science, and she was sentenced to ninety years in prison. The case was the subject of the book "Bitter Almonds" by Gregg Olsen and was also featured on the TV program "Medical Detectives" on The Learning Channel.
Bio by: Karen Valentine
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Here lies a most beautiful lady, Light of Step and heart was she: I think she was the most beautiful lady That ever was in the West Country - Walter de la Mare / Our Precious Person
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