All articles tagged with #poisoning
Police say Amy Steadman, 64, poisoned her daughter and four grandchildren in Mechanicville, New York, before killing herself; a handwritten note and multiple prescriptions were found linking her to the deaths, and autopsy notes suggest a child may have died from fatal sharp-force injuries. The children's father, Brady Harmon, says the custody fight and a failing system left him unable to protect his family.
Xu Yao, a Chinese lawyer, was executed in Shanghai for poisoning Lin Qi, the billionaire who helped bring Liu Cixin’s The Three-Body Problem to Netflix. Xu poisoned Lin in 2020 with toxins bought on the dark web, after a dispute over company matters, testing poisons in a Shanghai lab and replacing drinks and pills with deadly substances; Lin died 10 days later at age 39. The execution was reported by state media two years after the murder and follows Lin’s role as executive producer on Netflix’s adaptation.
A Chinese court has executed a former Yoozoo Games executive for poisoning Lin Qi, the company’s founder, in a high-profile case connected to Lin’s death in 2019.
Utah mother Kouri Richins was given life in prison without parole for fatally poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in 2022 by lacing his drink with fentanyl after an earlier failed attempt; prosecutors say she planned to inherit his estate and flee with a handyman, while her three sons urged the court to keep her jailed for their safety. Richins also wrote a children’s grief book following her arrest, and prosecutors are pursuing a separate case over alleged financial crimes tied to the murder.
A Utah mother, Kouri Richins, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of murdering her husband in 2022 by poisoning his drink with fentanyl; prosecutors said she was in debt, had taken out life insurance on her husband, and was having an extramarital affair, and she was also found guilty of insurance fraud and attempted murder for poisoning a sandwich. She published a children’s book about grief before her arrest and addressed her children in court, with the judge calling her too dangerous to ever be free.
A 41-year-old UW-Madison Influenza Research Institute employee, Makoto Kuroda, is charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety and tampering with household products after allegedly poisoning a coworker with paraformaldehyde and Trizol taken from his lab fridge; he reportedly texted he had done it, cited a promotion dispute as motive, is in custody on a $5,000 bond, banned from campus labs, and his court appearance is upcoming.
Jurors are deliberating the murder trial of a Kamas woman accused of fatally poisoning her husband.
A Washington Post veterinary column warns that common household items—especially during Easter—can poison pets, including cut flowers, chocolates, and sago palms, with other hazards like raisins, ibuprofen, and pennies. It emphasizes that delays in treatment can be fatal and outlines the importance of recognizing indoor toxins and seeking prompt veterinary care when exposure occurs.
Prosecutors in Park City, Utah, say Kouri Richins, a Utah author, killed her husband to obtain his money; opening statements in the murder trial outlined the motive and introduced evidence such as a pill bottle image and her husband’s internet searches, as the defense contends with the case ongoing.
Britain and four European partners concluded Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin—most likely epibatidine—after analyses of his body, contradicting Russia’s denial of natural death. Epibatidine is extraordinarily potent and hard to detect, prompting speculation about why such an exotic toxin would be used in a high-profile case and whether it could have been a testing signal or a warning. The report adds to a pattern of poisoning allegations against opponents of the Kremlin, though experts note practical reasons for using such a rare toxin would be unusual in custody.
Experts debate whether the exotic frog toxin epibatidine used in Navalny's poisoning was a deliberate political signal from Russia or a deniable murder, noting its extreme potency, no known antidote, and the possibility of testing capabilities rather than sending an overt message.
European partners say Alexei Navalny died in a Siberian prison from epibatidine, a highly toxic compound found in the skin of Ecuadorian poison-dart frogs; labs reportedly detected the toxin and a joint statement said poisoning was highly likely, though Russia calls the findings Western propaganda. If confirmed, the use would violate the BTWC and CWC and imply deliberate administration by Russia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called a joint assessment by France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom that Navalny was poisoned by a toxin from a poison-dart frog 'troubling,' even as Moscow denies the charges. The U.S. did not join the statement, though Rubio said he does not dispute the outcome. Rubio is on a Slovakia–Hungary trip, meeting with leaders including Viktor Orbán to bolster ties ahead of Hungary’s April election.
Five European countries said Navalny was poisoned with epibatidine, a toxin from poison-dart frogs, indicating Kremlin involvement; they reported the case to the OPCW. Navalny died in 2024 in a Russian penal colony, while Russia denies the accusation and his widow says Putin is responsible.
Five European foreign ministries said European labs conclusively detected epibatidine, a rare toxin from poison‑dart frogs, in Navalny’s body and asserted Russia had the means, motive and opportunity to poison him; they plan to report the case to the OPCW for a breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Navalny died in 2024 in a Russian Arctic penal colony, and his widow has urged accountability while Russia denies involvement. Epibatidine can be lab‑made and acts like a nerve agent, though investigations into the poisoning remain politically charged and ongoing.