Woman convicted of poisoning Marine husband
December 1, 2007 by cao2
What the duce is wrong with this woman? I was referred to this sickening story by Hoosier Army Mom.
Judge Orders New Trial For Wife Convicted of Poisoning Marine Husband
SAN DIEGO — A judge ordered a new trial Friday for a woman who was convicted of poisoning her Marine husband with arsenic and then using his life insurance to pay for breast implants.
The judge found that Cynthia Sommer, 34, received ineffective representation from her former defense attorney. San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh said the lawyer’s errors allowed prosecutors to introduce evidence about Sommer’s wild partying immediately after the sudden death of her 23-year-old husband.
This girl has a baby with the Marine and three kids from…not-the-Marine. I can’t imagine anyone would THINK about doing something as horrible as this, let along following through and DOING it.
I also can’t imagine what’s wrong with the judge that he’d want to remove testimony about her behavior after she killed her husband. That should be admissable, I would think, as a demonstration of no remorse, similar to what Scott Peterson did after his wife ‘disappeared’.
If the Foxnews article is all you’ve read about this case, then you are both underinformed and misinformed. Todd was not in top shape when he collapsed. He was basically healthy, but he had been ill with gastroenteritis for 10 days, with some days better than others.
The arsenic in Todd’s tissues. Only the liver and kidney had high levels of arsenic. Urine and other samples contained only normal amounts. Arsenic ingestion just doesn’t go that way. The best explanation is that the samples got contaminated somewhere along the way. Mr Udell wasn’t up to the task of getting that point across to the jury.
Which brings us to this: Cynthia had nothing to be remorseful about. Because Todd died of natural causes, not her or anyone else’s actions.
No one should spend even a day in lockup because of the lawyer’s mistakes. But it happens.
Riight. And what about the boob job? And her objections to putting any of the money away for the future of her children? His parents found that VERY STRANGE.
Something stinks here.
MSNBC: Marine wife accused of poisoning husband
Sounds like poisoning to me, and apparently the Medical Examiner agrees:
Do you know more than the Medical Examiner about arsenic poisoning and causes of death? Do tell why you would say such an absurd thing.
Yeah, that’s the behavior of a woman who was planning to remain faithful to her husband, lol
How about another article, this one from CourtTv.com: Former lovers testify about sex life of widow accused of poisoning Marine husband
A remorseful faithful mother of four. Is that what you would have us believe?
Experts are concerned that the samples were contaminated. Okay, how do samples get contaminated with arsenic? “Contamination” is one thing. Contaminated with arsenic is another.
News8: Miramar Widow Revealed All In Web Site Postings
Doesn’t sound like a good role model for her children, either, in spite of the fact that she posted pornographic pictures of herself and Todd on the internet before he died.
CNN: California Woman Charged With Poisoning Marine Corps Husband
$250,000 lump sum payment from life insurance upon his death, and she wasted no time spending it.
The story is rather disgusting.
I didn’t post or talk about every single article-or everything I found on it….or all the links to everything…but I’ll be happy to go into more detail, if you like.
Please tell me what qualifies you as an expert on arsenic poisoning. Secondly, what makes you the expert over the Medical Examiner, who is an expert on cause of death and does autopsies regularly, when they have tissue samples that verify he was poisoned.
The medical examiner who ruled the death a poisoning said the first thing he did when he got the case was”google”. He’s not a toxicologist either. I googled also and studied some of the same cases that Laura Gunn presented in court. I just came to a different conclusion. No I’m not an expert in toxicology. Are you?
Did you watch the trial or read an article about Dr. Centeno’s statement that when he ran the tests, they were inconsistent and thought there must be contamination. But he never explained why he changed his mind. Or that it was the first time he ran tests on human tissues in his enviornmental, not forensic lab?
The testimony was that arsenic poisonoing affects the whole body. It makes no sense for it to show up in only two tissues. Or for it to be only DMA, rather than the series of metabolites.
Dr. Spitz said you can test any organ for a dignosis. What about the tissues and fluids that had NO arsenic?
I’m just asking what your credentials are because you’re questioning the findings of the Medical Examiner, which I think takes extraordinarily big balls.
Aside from that, I’ve never heard of ‘contaminated’ tissue samples having that much arsenic in them unless the arsenic actually was present.
How do you know it only appeared in two tissues? The body was cremated. How do you know how many samples the marines kept?
What fluids and tissues had no arsenic?
Cardiac arythmeia is very rare in a 23-year old man; particularly a marine who has been through rigorous physical training - more rigorous than most men of that age.
Are you KANZZ?
you have to have people using reason for their conclusions…not judgemental emotions based in a morality they believe they have the right to determine.
One expert did say it could have been 2 doses, but he didn’t believe so. Just that Todd was so healthy and young that his body metabolized it much better than others. (ie: the young, the infirm, the old and the 3 altogether)
Imo, she dosed him Friday nite—he was too sick to drive home on Sunday–Again–her OWN words now—Then, he died early Monday morning, when all the arsenic was out of his blood and urine–as it is the first to go–
An oversimplistic diagnosis of arsenic poisoning imagines that he still had a bellyfull…and it would be cursing through his veins and in his urine. Not so, according to some experts.
Todd got SICK on the 8th and SHE testified he went 2 times to the hospital, the 12th and the 14th—then got so sick he could not drive the day before he DIED on Sunday—and since there were high levels right where they would be found in cases of AAP, also according to the literature, what else do you think would have killed him???
All this sickness for a young healthy marine, who then shows up with arsenic in his organs AND home–YET, he died of “natural” causes”???
Dr. LaBay’s statement reported that the liver and kidney tests were run on the new machine in the AFIP lab, while the other samples were run with the old testing process. Possibly the samples were handled differently.
I would hate to see another murderess like Audrey Hilley get away with arsenic poisoning, but then again, women have been poisoning their husbands through the ages with arsenic. The story is not hard to believe, her behavior was reprehensible, and there is no excuse for her getting a breast augmentation just two months after his death.
All of the symptoms that he exhibited; from the night of the chinese food onward, including the cardiac arrhythmia are consistent with arsenic poisoning.
- Quote from Rob Terwillinger of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NICS), the NICS declaration.
So if you are KANZZ, keep your discussions on the Courttv threads and off my blog. I’m not interested in your defending a woman who has a) abused her children with ants crawling on the countertops and only beer in the refrigerator and b) is accused of murdering her husband d) took up with another man e) showed off her freshly taped up breasts with the boob job paid for by the insurance money after he died f) entered into wet t-shirt contests to show off the boob job g) objected to his parents’ suggestion that she should save the money for her kids, h) took a trip to Vegas with her pals and spent every dime.
From what I gather, there is no money left.
Getting her off on a technicality when the circumstantial evidence is enough to convict beyond a reasonable doubt is typical of people defending murderers.
The evidence -and her own incriminating words- are compelling enough to think she is guilty, just like Scott Peterson.
And as I recall, he was convicted.
Per testimony, the liver and kidney had high levels measured in parts per million. The blood, urine, brain and muscle had low, NORMAL, levels in the parts per billion.
It probably is rare for healthy young people to suddenly die of cardiac arrhythmia. But it does happen.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030801/483.html
It is common for arsenic poisoning victims to appear as though they died of cardiac arrhythmia.
And endure gastrointestinal symptoms like Todd did prior.
Being that she had over $20k in unpaid debt and the household was running in the red to the tune of $800+ a month, it figures that she had come up with a solution, which was why she joined the dating service before he’d even expired.
Some peoples’ plans show in their actions, you see.
I am not kanzz and you don’t have to put my posts on your moderated blog if you don’t want them here.
I am not defending her behavior. I’m saying that I don’t think Todd was poisoned. Under the law, all murder victims are supposed to be equal no matter how great or not they may seem. And no one should be convicted of any crime they didn’t commit even if they don’t measure up in other ways.
I find it really odd that the day he started coming down with symptoms, she had gone to the doctor about the breast augmentation which was way out of bounds for their budget.
It all adds up and points to her, I’m sorry.
You remind me of the people who are supporting Joseph Druce for killing John Geoghan. There is no question he did it, but his supporters carry on about all kinds of other things, blaming other people, anyway.
If you honestly think that with today’s forensics and science, that the testimony of experts in court is not reliable, then there really is no point with presenting you with the facts is there? I don’t think you are open to the idea of accepting it. I think the woman was guilty as sin and is exactly where she needs to be. They can give her another trial, but I bet the forensic evidence will stand and her fate will not change.
I’m sorry you don’t believe she’s guilty, but I do, and Hoosier mom does, and just about everyone that I show this to can’t believe the selfishness of this woman.
I don’t understand why you don’t shut up and let me have my opinion. Your crying over her being in jail for something she didn’t do is rather silly when you’re nitpicking over technical details that don’t amount to a hill of beans.
You ignore the behavior she exhibited shortly before his death and afterwards that indicates her guilt, I can’t. I don’t know why you’re so adamant about her innocence, I don’t think it exists. She lost her innocence years ago when she first started having babies and then had her tubes tied. She’s a grown woman who should be responsible for her behavior….particularly when it comes to something as serious as this.
Very seldom are people found guilty for crimes they didn’t commit anymore. Even OJ, who most people think is as guilty as hell, got off.
If arsenic was also found in the home, and that’s what the documents say - that’s even more incriminating evidence against her. Plus, her testimony of how close she was to him as he was feeling sick…he even drank some of her wine. I can imagine her doing something to it.
She looks damned guilty to me - and her partying afterwards is not the behavior of a grieving widow.
Just like Scott Peterson…
I thought she was probably guilty, until I started hearing the testimony. There were experts who differed with the poisoning theory. And they made more sense TO ME. I am not as “unopen” as you might think.
I’m fully aware that she could be convicted again. I hope that I get to see that trial and form my opinion based on the evidence presented there.
I do think that forensics and science today are truly advanced. But they are not foolproof. Nothing is.
Whether or not Todd was poisoned is a nitpicky detail???????
I’m not trying to change your opinion. You’ve got it, For gosh sake, continue enjoying it.
So you only want comments that agree with you? Huh?
No, you’re nitpicking about whether or not he was poisoned, I accept the forensic evidence that he was.
To me, there is no question, based on everything I’ve read….and everything that I’ve presented here including her behavior, which you are ignoring.
Because it’s self-incriminating, I guess…
Or maybe because you’re one of those types who stands in the rain in parking lots of prisons, crying for guys like Tookie Williams.
Now you have resorted to what you think are insults regarding stuff you just don’t know about me. Just make up ideas in your head and then hurl insults.
I don’t think that the question of whether or not Todd was poisoned is a NIT. It’s the whole thing.
We disagree.
No, it’s not an insult, it’s an observation.
As I said, you should get off the blog with your tunnel vision.
I pointed out that you’re refusing to look at the big picture, and you’re defending an accused murderess who not only did some morally indefensible things, but abused her own children, even losing custody of them for a while.
None of that seems to matter to you, which is worrisome to me.
You’re refusing to look at the big picture; and the big picture is what is going to land her in jail…not only the test results and his nausea and symptoms-from his first visit to the hospital to Sunday– but…her behavior, which showed she was already moving a life without him forward before he was even dead yet.
The day he started coming down with symptoms she was at already at the doctor’s office looking at a boob job that was obviously way out of their financial means.
There is so much evidence of intent here, it’s unbelievable. As I recall, they convicted Scott Peterson on the circumstantial evidence and the behavior he displayed at around the the time he should have been upset about Laci’s disappearance, and his attempting to sell her car and their house before they’d even found her body…and his dying his hair and traveling with a large amount of cash, appearing as though he was trying to skip the country.
You’re concentrating and focusing ONLY on the possibility that the tissue samples were tainted. That in itself doesn’t make the case. But it might, if the next trial allows them to remove the testimony about her wild partying with the money, her trip to Vegas, boob job, taking up with another man and everything else.
Those things are relevant, even if you don’t want to see them.
I have to wonder about your thought processes on this, it’s not rational thinking–at least, to me.
If the time comes that I believe Todd was murdered then I will look around for a murderER. Then I will examine Cindy’s behavior. Until then, I do not consider Cindy’s behavior to be a variable in the lab tests.
It is a variable as to her guilt.
Which you are not focusing on.
You are in denial, lol…complete and utter denial.
The lab tests are not the only component that should be examined in this case, although they should be considered.
The expert testimony has already been given: that his symptoms were entirely consistent with arsenic poisoning, along with cardiac arrhythmia, a disturbance of the heart rhythm as a result of the poison. This also includes his gastrointestinal problems first reported after he ate the chinese food.
That fact that you are not willing to acknowledge it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I hope the jurors have more common sense than you do, lol
It also seems, since you refuse to look at her incriminating statements, the circumstances around his death, the fact that his symptoms were all indicative of arsenic poisoning, that you don’t trust Toxicology Consulting PLLC’s written pharmakinetic analysis authored by Bernard H. Eisenga, (PhD, MD, ABIM).
If you don’t have those credentials or anything near them, I would say you’re not in an authoritative position to argue the toxicology reports and analyses.
Let the experts fight it out. And it is the job of the paid experts on the defense side to inject reasonable doubt, which you’ve obviously fallen for…even though to me, it’s completely ridiculous what you’re saying.
This is a classic case of premeditated murder, which her trip to the boob doctor on the same exact day - February 8, 2002- he started exhibiting symptoms (10 days before he died), her signing up for an internet dating service before his death, her asking about money 4 times in the first 5 hours after he died (questions like - what about the re-enlistment bonus? what about taxes?)-throwing wild parties, having 4 sex partners in the first 2 months after he died and another she met on the 2-month anniversary of his death-buying a tiffany ring, going to Vegas, getting a new computer and a new TV,-and numerous other behaviors- shows.
This is a woman who was not acting one bit like she was sad or was grieving. uh-except for the crying. She put on a good show THAT way, clutching his shirt, crying in a fetal position and all. But what came out of her mouth was calculating how much she was going to get…and she wasted no time spending it.
Sorry, she did kill Todd. When people say that “People grieve differently”, like the defense did in this case, it makes me think of the book written by Keith Ablow, a renowned forensic psychiatrist. His experience and research disproves the ‘people grieve differently’ statement- most all people grieve a death in the same way, anxiety, tears, depression, etc. Sociopaths; however, do not. For example, Scott Peterson grieved ‘differently’, Melanie McGuire grieved ‘differently’, Audrey Marie Hilley grieved “differently”. Hence, Cynthia Sommer grieved ‘differently’, and there’s the common thread.
The charges against Cindy have been dropped and she has been released from jail. New tests, no arsenic. I tried to tell you so.
Regardless, I think this woman is guilty; and I’m entitled to my opinion.
Where did the tissue samples come from and why were they sent to Canada for testing?