Posted on 09/15/2022 6:35:00 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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.
Stella Nickell was sentenced to federal prison for 90 years.
This week, the now-78-year-old woman filed a petition to be released from prison because of medical reasons.
At the time, the story sparked a nationwide recall of Excedrin pills and caused panic across the country. Then, investigators found out that Stella Nickell planted the deadly pills at multiple stores.
Now, decades later, in court documents filed this week, Nickell is admitting her guilt and asking to be released from federal prison.
“Such a tragedy. Just such an unreal thing to do,” said Debra Kolkow, a longtime Auburn resident.
People in South King County still clearly recall the troubling summer. In June 1986, two people in Auburn were killed by Excedrin painkillers dosed with cyanide. KIRO 7, reporting from the time, says the incident triggered a nationwide recall of the capsules, confiscation of all capsules in King County, and a 90-day ban of all non-prescription capsules across Washington.
FBI investigators eventually found out that Nickell poisoned the capsules to kill her husband, Bruce Nickell. They also learned she planted bottles with cyanide-tainted pills at multiple shops, including a Pay ‘N Save in Auburn and a Johnny’s grocery store in Kent.
A random victim, 40-year-old Sue Snow of Auburn, bought one of those bottles of headache medication. She ended up taking a lethal dose of poison. KIRO 7 reported at the time that Snow’s husband also took pills from that same bottle, but missed the laced capsules.
The poisoning was discovered after a medical examiner smelled “bitter almonds” during an autopsy of Snow, a telltale sign of cyanide.
Initially, people blamed the drug manufacturers; but eventually, investigators also found a home aquarium purifier product in the laced pills — something that was also discovered at Nickell’s home. Investigators also found circumstantial evidence of Nickell purchasing extra life insurance for her husband.
Nickell was convicted of tampering with consumer products in 1988 and sentenced to 90 years in federal prison. So far, she has served more than 30 years.
On May 7, 2022, Stella Nickell submitted a handwritten letter to the U.S. District Court in Seattle, petitioning for early release. She says because of health issues related to her age, “the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) cannot provide her with the medical care that she needs.” She wrote, “I believe I qualify for compassionate release.”
KIRO7′s Deedee Sun reached out to her public defender at the time, Thomas Hillier. Hillier says he understands both sides, but does see the argument for her release.
“She’s done a significant amount of time and so she has been significantly punished for a very severe crime. Now she’s no longer a threat to society and I think importantly, also, she has acknowledged her culpability,” Hillier said over the phone.
He said to his knowledge, the letter just filed in federal court is the first time Nickell is admitting to the crimes.
Nickell wrote in her petition, “I am now mentally and emotionally cognizant of the immoral heinous act I committed … I truly and sincerely regret being responsible for the loss of those two precious lives. I pray for forgiveness. There is nothing in this life that can or will cause me to commit another crime.”
Some Auburn residents also believe it’s time.
“I’m hoping she gets out,” Kolkow said. If Hiller is released, she said in court documents she has plans to stay with a friend in Las Vegas.
KIRO7 also reached out to author Gregg Olsen to get his thoughts. He wrote a book about the case titled “Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders.”
Olsen said in an email:
“A spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said murder cases have no statute of limitations. So if Nickell is released, they would just need the federal investigators to refer the murder case to them to proceed.”
As far as how likely it is for Nickell to be released, the U.S. Attorney’s office told KIRO 7 they believe there is a legal error with Nickell’s petition and that the compassionate release situation doesn’t apply to her case. That’s because crimes committed before 1987 fall under a previous law that would require the Bureau of Prisons to file the petition. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle says it’s received no such petition.
KIRO7 reached out to the family of victim Sue Snow, but did not immediately hear back.
She didn’t happen to live in the Chicago area in 1982, did she?
Let’s face it: prison is just mean and doesn’t conform to our evolving standards of decency.
Let’s just let everyone out. Haven’t all those poor murderers suffered enough?
Sure, dear - just take this pill first...
Was lifting safety seal off of margarine a couple days ago and this came to mind - - - the reason for it.
A lot of things changed that decade.
Less wholesome.
“So far, she has served more than 30 years.”
If you want to be released, come talk to us in 60 years.
“Sure, dear - just take this pill first...”
His last words were Stella! Stella!
Almost every time my beloved has to fight with opening new bottles he curses her and her ilk for the misery they individually caused the families of the dead and the way it affected society.
This crime caused a huge change in the packaging industry -almost everything has a seal now.
I seem to remember a lawyer who initiated a billion dollar lawsuit over the lack of safeguards at the time, that set him and his firm up very nicely.
I don’t remember her but I recall the coast to coast hysteria when someone tampered with Tylenol bottles. This also in the 1980s.
Ever since then, you have pill containers double wrapped and some so Child Proof not even an adult can open the jars without a struggle.
It was also around that time we lost our colored bathroom tissue and paper towels. Nothing but white now.
Texas executed him in ‘84.
He placed cyanide in Pixy Styx Halloween candy to kill his son for insurance money.
She has about 60 years to go then. F her! She earned 90 years.
I looked him up: Ronald Clark O’Bryan.
She’s got another 18 years to go; her release date is July 10, 2040.
They could offer her a deal: Stella takes cyanide-laced Excedrin tables, just like her victims did, and they’ll let her out of jail 7 days later.
Could be where Nickell got the idea for product tampering to kill her spouse.
Screw her. Let her rot in jail, or offer her the option of taking one of her special capsules.
What a psycho and an idiot. He killed his own son for insurance money. He was so inept, there was no chance he wouldn’t be caught.
Even up in Maryland at the time, we heard about that case.
Horrible.
Yeah, that’s why my beloved groups all of those vile folks together......
I refuse, as does my beloved of labeling them crazy: Folks like them are just plain EVIL.
HER actions caused a complete re-do of packaging in the USA.
LOL! Every time I get a prescription refill or bottle of aspirin, I have to ask my husband to ‘de-adult-proof’ it for me.
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