GUILTY PA - Husband charged in cyanide poisoning death of Dr. Autumn Klein

[AlwaysShocked]

"Pellegrini detailed the half-dozen searches typed into Ferrante's computer in the months leading up to his wife's death and in the days after.

Pellegrini said Ferrante Googled “cyanide poisoning” in January 2013, about the same time he suspected she was having an affair with a colleague.

A month later, while she was in San Francisco, he Googled “suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge.” Later he Googled how to know if a spouse is having an affair.

On April 22 — three days before detectives told Ferrante how they believed Klein died — he visited a Yahoo! website that answers the question: “How would a coroner detect when someone is killed by cyanide?”

“The evidence will show you, this defendant thinks he's smarter than everyone else,” Pellegrini told the jury.

But Ferrante's final search, said Pellegrini, was: “How do you get rid of your web history?”


Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6956688-74/ferrante-afternoon-thursday#ixzz3H58JusDH
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook"


I seems Dr. Cyanide didn't properly follow whatever answer was provided to his last search question! I continue to be amazed that these murderers who think they are so, so smart STILL don't understand computers well enough to know that deleting a file doesn't remove it from the hard disk.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

"Additionally, the warrant outlines related Google searches performed on Ferrante's laptop. On Jan. 8, 2013, he searched “cyanide poisoning.” A few weeks later he searched “toxic dose human 3 nitropropionic acid cardiomyopathy.” On April 15, Ferrante searched twice for “potassium cyanide.” Two days after his wife's death, he searched “detecting cyanide poisoning” — before prosecutors said Ferrante knew cyanide was found in her system"

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6956710-74/ferrante-cyanide-difenderfer#ixzz3H5RWwHeR
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-----------------------------

The defense has hired 83 year old Dr. Cyril Wecht - probably just to shut him up! Cyril loves the spotlight and had he not been hired by the defense team he would likely be giving interviews on every street corner in town. There is a gag order on everyone involved in the case, so it was smart of the defense to hire him. IMO Wecht has little of value to add to the case.

This is from an interview Wecht gave shortly after Autumn Klein's death:

"Wecht has not looked at the case yet, can not talk specifics, but he can talk about cyanide. If someone ingests a small amount — about the size an aspirin, maybe two — death comes quickly.

“If you take, let’s say enough, three, four hundred milligrams,” he said, “you probably will die quickly.”

He said it would only take a minute or two.

Regarding this case, there has been talk that Klein was taking the supplement creatine, that it produces an amount of cyanide in the body.

Dr. Wecht addressed the creatine issue.

“There might be a small amount of cyanide formed from keratin, but not a large amount,” Wecht said. “You’d have to be taking huge, huge quantities of creatine.”

 

[fasteddy8170]

I'm originally from the Pittsburgh area so this story caught my eye when it happened. It reminded me of the stories they do on shows like 48 Hrs. Mystery.

After reading what happened in the first two days of the trial, I think it's possible the defense may just be raising enough reasonable doubt. Yes, there's a long way to go. But Autumn Klein seemed to be a very troubled woman, despite the success she had in her career and the respect she received from her peers. I think that's going to stick in jurors' minds as the case continues.

She married a man 25 years older than herself. She was 5'7", 106lbs--that's a BMI of 16.6, completely unhealthy--but she was looking to have another child. Her colleagues and friends claim she was stressed out.

For the record, I think the husband did it. It sounds to me like he was a control freak--it could be the very reason he married a woman 25 years his junior. And it could be the reason Dr. Klein was the bundle nerves that she sounds like she was. But I can see where the defense is going and I could see some jurors buying into the idea she committed suicide by getting her hands on the cyanide her husband ordered.

 

[passionflower]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/prosecutors-present-leaking-bottle-cyanide-evidenc/nhsTt/
today's news and photos on WPXI.com of evidence

 

[fasteddy8170]

After today's news about the trial, I'm starting to wonder what Dr. Ferrante's strange fascination with creatine was all about. I'm familiar with creatine. I used to hit the weights hard not so long ago and creatine promotes muscle development. Now, if it actually helps women get pregnant, that is COMPLETE news to me. In the weightlifting world I used to be in, if a guy was talking that much about creatine, I'd think he was some kind of gym rat. But in this case, it's a 66 year old, experienced doctor. Kinda strange.

Furthermore, at least the way the discussions are represented in court, Dr. Klein seemed totally surprised that creatine helps with pregnancy. As a doctor, wouldn't she know? As a female doctor who's trying to get pregnant, wouldn't she know? But she sounds completely in the dark regarding creatine. (Keep in mind, I don't know if creatine helps promote pregnancy or not. I'd be surprised if it did--that's all I can say.) If Dr. Klein were an accountant or an engineer or a teacher, I could understand her lack of knowledge regarding creatine. But as a doctor, I'd think she'd at least know the basics. Or, at least she would have the ability to easily look it up and see the effects it has on the human body. But it doesn't sound like she ever did that. Kinda strange.

As for the cyanide, I'm finding it a bit hard to believe Dr. Ferrante got somebody else to help him order it. So, he orders the poison, somebody else knows he ordered the poison, and then he uses it to kill his wife? Yes, yes, I know it sounds like he tried to divert the ambulance to another hospital or whatever. But was that really his plan?

Think about it: Dr. Ferrante poisons his wife with something that other doctors know he ordered, in the hopes that while she is dying, he can divert the ambulance to another hospital where her survival isn't as assured? And then arrange it so there's no autopsy done? Wow, that seems like taking A LOT of chances to me, if he wanted to avoid getting caught--which most murderers desire. I mean, why did he call 911 at all when his wife started to show problems? Couldn't he have waited and then come up with an excuse? He was in shower? He was taking a nap? I guess their daughter was there but still . . . calling 911 only makes his chances of getting caught more likely.

I know: It's probably a little too much logic on my part--people do all sorts of stupid and illogical things when they're obsessed and scheming. But if I were the defense, I'd know which direction I would be going.

 

[colette]

Senior tv news correspondent @ wpxi, Alan Jennings tweets about trial, photos included.

https://twitter.com/newsdog11?origi...hsTt/&tw_i=526746460046786561&tw_p=tweetembed

 

[passionflower]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/mom-takes-stand-cyanide-trial-ferrante-didnt-want-/nhs8z/

Ms. Klein's mother testifies that she fought Ferrante for an autopsy
video at site

 

[OkieGranny]

http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7028633-74/ferrante-thursday-cyanide#axzz3HY1xwon1

Toxicologists from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office are expected to continue testifying Thursday about cyanide found in Dr. Autumn Klein's blood — evidence that could undercut defense arguments that the UPMC neurologist didn't die from the poison...

Prosecutors also are expected to call a representative from Google on Thursday, who will likely discuss the more than three dozen Google searches prosecutors say Ferrante conducted related to cyanide poisoning in the months leading up to, and in the days after, his wife's death.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014...take-center-stage-in-cyanide-poisoning-trial/

The jury also heard explosive emails from Klein to her husband, apparently angry about his attitude toward her attempts to get pregnant. The emails were sent about two months before she died...

Also the victim’s cousin, Sharon King, tearfully testified that Ferrante told her Klein likely died from a chemical surge in her brain that caused her heart to fail. She testified Ferrante told her an autopsy was not necessary.

 

[passionflower]

I realize time was running out for 41 year old Autumn to get pregnant.
A very rocky marriage, a man 25 years older hat didn't want another baby...............why?
Look what happened, this is so sad.
Now a little girl with no parents at all............................

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/c...oning-trial-Autumn-Klein/stories/201410310204

Prosecutors have only one witness left to call in the criminal homicide trial of Robert Ferrante, accused of killing his wife, Dr. Autumn Klein, with cyanide in April 2013...

Testimony today concluded with Marla Priestley, a latent-fingerprint examiner for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office, on the stand. She testified that she found a fingerprint on a bottle of cyanide ordered April 15, 2013, by Mr. Ferrante, to be delivered overnight to his University of Pittsburgh lab. That print, Ms. Priestley said, matched the left thumb of the defendant.

 

[passionflower]

http://www.wpxi.com/videos/news/video-alan-jennings-with-the-latest-on-day-7-of/vCzQwS/

Ferrane's thumbprint on cyanide bottle

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20141031/NEWS04/141039905#.VFRSdSgqWAA

Prosecutors plan to call one more witness Monday: a medical expert who will present an animation that demonstrates the poison’s effects on Ferrante’s wife, 41-year-old Dr. Autumn Klein. Earlier in the trial, jurors heard Klein on tape groaning and gasping for air as Ferrante called 911 on April 17, 2013.

 

[jjenny]

I realize time was running out for 41 year old Autumn to get pregnant.
A very rocky marriage, a man 25 years older hat didn't want another baby...............why?
Look what happened, this is so sad.
Now a little girl with no parents at all............................

She wanted her daughter to have a sibling. She was an only child herself so she wanted her daughter to not be an only child.

 

[colette]

The trial has now shows the conflict over Autumn's soon trip to Boston and jealousy of the colleague, Boston fetal medical specialist Thomas McElrath. He wanted to join his wife on the trip.

“It seems obvious to me now that you want to go to Boston alone. I won't go if that will make you less stressed, and I will make sure all is okay with your parents,” Ferrante wrote in the email.

Prosecutors have said Ferrante performed Internet searches about Dr. McElrath and searches about cheating spouses. They said Klein and McElrath were friends, but she and Ferrante were unhappy in their marriage.

Also more problems with the cyanide tests were discussed, but in the end : “A positive cyanide finding is an abnormality, period,” he said.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7028644-74/ferrante-klein-case#ixzz3Hz746O60
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/defense-expected-begin-case-trial-against-doc-accu/nhyNN/

The trial against Dr. Robert Ferrante, the University of Pittsburgh researcher accused of spiking his wife’s drink with cyanide, continues Monday.

The prosecution is expected to wrap up its case and by afternoon the defense could begin. Legal experts said there is a chance that Ferrante himself will take the stand.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.indianagazette.com/news/reg-national-world/defense-cyanide-testing-equivocal,20895796/

The first two defense witnesses in a University of Pittsburgh medical researcher’s homicide trial on Monday targeted the prosecution’s central claim that the researcher purposely poisoned his neurologist wife with cyanide last year.

The director of a lab that tested the blood of 41-year-old Dr. Autumn Klein and a California expert on the care of poison victims both testified that they can’t say with certainty that Klein was poisoned.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

After today's news about the trial, I'm starting to wonder what Dr. Ferrante's strange fascination with creatine was all about. I'm familiar with creatine. I used to hit the weights hard not so long ago and creatine promotes muscle development. Now, if it actually helps women get pregnant, that is COMPLETE news to me. In the weightlifting world I used to be in, if a guy was talking that much about creatine, I'd think he was some kind of gym rat. But in this case, it's a 66 year old, experienced doctor. Kinda strange.

Furthermore, at least the way the discussions are represented in court, Dr. Klein seemed totally surprised that creatine helps with pregnancy. As a doctor, wouldn't she know? As a female doctor who's trying to get pregnant, wouldn't she know? But she sounds completely in the dark regarding creatine. (Keep in mind, I don't know if creatine helps promote pregnancy or not. I'd be surprised if it did--that's all I can say.) If Dr. Klein were an accountant or an engineer or a teacher, I could understand her lack of knowledge regarding creatine. But as a doctor, I'd think she'd at least know the basics. Or, at least she would have the ability to easily look it up and see the effects it has on the human body. But it doesn't sound like she ever did that. Kinda strange.

As for the cyanide, I'm finding it a bit hard to believe Dr. Ferrante got somebody else to help him order it. So, he orders the poison, somebody else knows he ordered the poison, and then he uses it to kill his wife? Yes, yes, I know it sounds like he tried to divert the ambulance to another hospital or whatever. But was that really his plan?

Think about it: Dr. Ferrante poisons his wife with something that other doctors know he ordered, in the hopes that while she is dying, he can divert the ambulance to another hospital where her survival isn't as assured? And then arrange it so there's no autopsy done? Wow, that seems like taking A LOT of chances to me, if he wanted to avoid getting caught--which most murderers desire. I mean, why did he call 911 at all when his wife started to show problems? Couldn't he have waited and then come up with an excuse? He was in shower? He was taking a nap? I guess their daughter was there but still . . . calling 911 only makes his chances of getting caught more likely.

I know: It's probably a little too much logic on my part--people do all sorts of stupid and illogical things when they're obsessed and scheming. But if I were the defense, I'd know which direction I would be going.

So what should the defense be? "My client is so smart that he'd have never made all these dumb mistakes"?

I think he never thought there would even be any questions about her death. He went to 20 or was it 30 cyanide related sites online PRIOR to her death and BEFORE the police told him the cause of death. Everything he read probably emphasized how quickly cyanide kills the victim. But this woman did not die quickly.

Why did he call 911? I think the daughter may have been awake and come downstairs when she heard the commotion of her mother gasping and groaning. (The poor dear child!) One of the early articles from right after he was arrested said that he had told a paramedic that he was "upstairs putting his daughter to bed and came back down and found his wife on the floor". I remember at the time thinking that it was pretty late for a 6 year old to be up, after 11:00PM. Then when the grandparents applied for custody they listed that they wanted to keep the daughter away from the influence of Ferrante and his family members. And at that time the Prosecutor said the child was a "material witness".

Oh, and he took the time to call a friend. I cannot remember if it was before or after he dialed 911. Must have been before, because wasn't he on the phone with the 911 person up until the arrival of the paramedics?

He DID try to divert the ambulance. He DID try to get away with no autopsy. It was only because Dr. Klein's mother insisted that one was performed.

So here's how stupid this smart man was:

1.) He didn't know that erasing internet history files doesn't really make them go away.

2.) Not being a medical doctor, he got his medical advice (about the effects of cyanide on the body) from articles posted on the internet.

3.) He decided to murder his wife instead of divorcing her.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

Today Ferrante took the stand. Says he did not kill his wife. That cyanide he ordered was for a lab experiment he was going to do in order to obtain a grant. He was working against a deadline for the grant, that's why he had to have it overnighted.

Yeah. Yeah. That's the ticket! A lab experiment I was planning.

The Judge denied the Prosecution's request to present a rebuttal witness to rebut testimony of Cyril Wecht from this morning. WTF is wrong with the judge to deny a rebuttal witness?

 

[fasteddy8170]

AlwaysShocked, "he never thought there would even be any questions about her death"? Husbands are always questioned when their wives die mysteriously. Likewise, being a doctor, he had to know there was no way he could control where the ambulance would take her. Sure, he could make a suggestion--innocent or not--but EMT's are the bosses under such circumstances, not doctors.

As for trying to get away with having no autopsy, once again: Not totally under his control. Furthermore, it's not like she was 80. She was 41--somebody is gonna want to know what killed her, even if the husband doesn't care for either good or bad reasons.

Maybe he didn't care about the search history because he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. As for him murdering her instead of divorcing her--he'd been divorced before. He knew the terrain. And his first wife is still alive, I think. In addition, being that Dr. Klein was a doctor also, and making good money, how much could the alimony and/or child support be? Or, was possibly killing her an ego thing for Dr. Ferrante?

We all on here follow cases like this. We all know how husbands successfully get away with murdering their wives: They make their wives disappear. It's an ugly truth but it's the truth. Of course the first person who comes to mind is Josh Powell.

So coming up with some scheme of cyanide, then trying to direct the ambulance to a different hospital, then trying to argue for no autopsy, seems overtly laborious with all sorts of predictable pitfalls for a person looking to get away with murder. If any one thing goes wrong, the plan falls apart. It's the exact reason husbands/boyfriends/ex-lovers usually pick much easier plans.

What I'm saying is this: I'm not the courtroom--I can't judge body language, voice tone, emotional reactions, etc. I'm following the case on the Post Gazette and Trib Review sites like everybody else. But it seems to me the prosecution has some reasonable doubt in its arguments. They aren't gaping holes. But they are noticeable holes. And they really didn't damage Dr. Ferrante's credibility when he took the stand. The stories say he was calm, polite, and didn't seem to withhold anything.

And I believe the jury noticed. Granted, it could be he is convicted in 2 hours but it feels like a hung jury to me.