Paul Marshal Curry sentenced to life for fatal nicotine poisoning

September 2024 ยท 3 minute read

A husband has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Friday for poisoning his wife to death with nicotine two decades ago and then collecting on her life insurance policy.

Paul Marshal Curry, 58, of Salina, Kansas, showed no emotion as he was sentenced by Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue for the 1994 death of his wife, Linda Curry.

Curry called 911 on June 9, 1994, and told authorities he had found his wife of two years in bed and not breathing.

Sentenced: Paul Marshal Curry, 58, of Salina, Kansas, showed no emotion as he was given life in prison by Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue for the 1994 death of his wife, Linda Curry

Curry killed his wife (pictured) and began collecting $547,000 of her life insurance the day after her funeral. Police say they believe Curry murdered her at the time, but they didn't have enough evidence to press charges

Curry killed his wife (pictured) and began collecting $547,000 of her life insurance the day after her funeral. Police say they believe Curry murdered her at the time, but they didn't have enough evidence to press charges

The day after her funeral, he began trying to collect her life insurance benefits and ultimately received $547,000, according to prosecutors.

During trial, prosecutor Ebrahim Baytieh told jurors that the former nuclear power plant engineer slowly poisoned his 50-year-old wife over the course of a year before he slipped her a powerful sedative and injected her with a fatal dose of nicotine.

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At the time, police believed he had murdered Linda Curry but didn't have enough evidence to press charges.

Curry moved to Kansas and the case went cold until 2007, when investigators discovered new evidence that shortened the window of time that Curry had to give the fatal nicotine injection.

He was arrested in 2010 in Kansas.

In 1993, a year before Linda Curry's death, the couple were questioned when hospital staff discovered a dose of lidocaine in Linda Curry's IV bag while she was being hospitalized for unexplained vomiting, headaches and bloody diarrhea.

To the cells: During the trial the court heard that Curry (pictured being led out of court) slowly poisoned his wife over a year before giving her a fatal nicotine dose 

To the cells: During the trial the court heard that Curry (pictured being led out of court) slowly poisoned his wife over a year before giving her a fatal nicotine dose 

Curry, who had a new wife and a new job when he was arrested in 2010, was found guilty of the killings in September. At the time of his wife's death he said he would have had nothing to gain from it 

Curry, who had a new wife and a new job when he was arrested in 2010, was found guilty of the killings in September. At the time of his wife's death he said he would have had nothing to gain from it 

At the time, Paul Curry said he had nothing to gain from his wife's death.

During the trial, Curry's former wife testified that in the last year of their marriage she was constantly ill and Curry suggested she apply for life insurance.

When her application was rejected, he divorced her and she instantly began to feel better, according to testimony.

Curry's attorney, Lisa Kopelman, argued that Linda Curry was a sickly person with digestive ailments and that she could have been taking nicotine as a treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.

During testimony his second wife (not pictured) said she was constantly ill during the marriage and Curry had asked her to apply for life insurance 

During testimony his second wife (not pictured) said she was constantly ill during the marriage and Curry had asked her to apply for life insurance 

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