The American Mother - A True Story of Maternal Betrayal and the Cyanide Tragedy That Shook a Nation

Miguel A. Baughman

Summary

The chilling true story of America's first federal product tampering conviction—a case that forever changed how we view the medicines in our cabinets.

When Sue Snow collapsed in her Auburn, Washington bathroom after taking what she believed was a routine headache remedy, investigators uncovered a web of deception that would shock the nation. The bitter almond scent of cyanide hung in the air, marking the beginning of America's most significant product tampering case since the Chicago Tylenol murders.

But this wasn't random terrorism—it was calculated murder.

Stella Nickell had already killed once. Her husband Bruce died days earlier from the same contaminated Excedrin capsules, his death initially attributed to natural causes. What investigators discovered next would rewrite federal law enforcement protocols forever: a methodical scheme involving library research on poisons, insurance fraud, and a shocking betrayal that reached into the heart of the American family.

From the sterile corridors of the FBI crime lab to the tense courtroom proceedings that established legal precedent, this meticulously researched account reveals how federal investigators cracked the case through groundbreaking forensic science. The discovery of microscopic algae particles in the cyanide mixture provided the crucial evidence that led directly to Stella's door—and into the darkest corners of family dysfunction.

Drawing from thousands of pages of court records, FBI files, and exclusive interviews with investigators, this gripping narrative exposes how one woman's greed transformed everyday consumer products into weapons of mass terror. Her conviction under the Federal Anti-Tampering Act sent shockwaves through the pharmaceutical industry and forever changed how Americans view product safety.

A landmark case. A precedent-setting prosecution. A family's ultimate betrayal.

Some crimes don't just destroy lives—they transform entire industries and reshape federal law. This is the definitive account of the case that proved even the most intimate relationships can harbor deadly secrets.

Available since: 08/31/2025.

Print length: 186 pages.

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