In 1994, 50-year-old Linda Curry died from nicotine poisoning although she never smoked. Her husband Paul Curry, a MENSA member and former Jeopardy! champion, was considered a suspect but there was no direct evidence linking him–so the case went cold. Thirteen years later, the case was reopened and new evidence led to the arrest of Paul Curry. He was found guilty of one felony count of special circumstances murder for financial gain. He poisoned Linda slowly over a year. When she died, just nine months into their marriage, he cashed in on the $500,000 from his wife’s life insurance. In 2014, he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
During his trial, one of Curry’s ex-wives testified that she had frequently felt ill during the last year of their marriage. When her life insurance policy was denied, the couple separated. Her reoccurring health problems also stopped. The Linda Curry murder case will be featured on 48 Hours on April 18, 10pm on CBS.
