Dying Doctor Cyanide - A neurologist from Pittsburg, Dr. Autumn Klein, collapsed in her kitchen on April 17, 2013. There were no previous indicators to suggest a fatal illness of any sort and a cyanide test was performed. It resulted positive.
The test was asked by Dr. Jon Rittenberger, Klein's physician, and he worked in the same hospital as she did, the UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. This last Friday, the doctor testified on the trial that began on Thursday about the alleged homicide of Dr. Robert Ferrante on his wife.
Apparently, the cyanide was not a possibility in the beginning and it wasn't suspected at all even. But after ruling out most of the other possibilities that would create a sudden collapsing on a person, the test was asked by Rittenberger.
Also, cyanide tends to be related to people who were inhaled smoke in house fires or fall victims of accidents in chemical plants, ABC noted. As Klein, the doctor who died, was not connected in any way to these sorts of situations, it wasn't thought of.
Still, there were high levels of acid in the doctor's blood and when the test was performed on April 18, 2013, it gave a possible result and this stunned Rittenberger.
The Pittsburg police ended up charging Dr. Ferrante, as they learned that coincidentally, he had bought cyanide two days previous to the collapse of his wife. The also doctor worked as a researcher in the University of Pittsburg.
According to WTAE, the prosecutors have stated that Ferrante had spiked an energy drink with cyanide and gave it to his wife, telling her that drinking it would help them conceive another child. They already had a 6 year-old daughter.
The doctor did so and ended up dying of the cyanide consume soon after that.
An email from Ferrante discussing his doctor wife's possible outcome is also being taken into consideration in the trial.
"Discussion with all the principals suggests that autopsy, limited or full, will not resolve this issue. I am unclear whether we will resolve this issue," CBS posted the email and this was part of it.
The prosecutors are arguing that this meant that Ferrante didn't want an autopsy on his wife in order to protect himself of what could be found in the body, involving cyanide.
The trial of the dead doctor over cyanide consumption will continue on Monday and it's stipulated to last for three weeks.
