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Coroner: Researcher’s cyanide death was suicide

1 min read

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A coroner has concluded that the death of a western Pennsylvania medical researcher found to have cyanide in her body last fall was a suicide.

Authorities in Allegheny said co-workers found 35-year-old Nicole Kotchey of Ross Township on the floor of her office at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Magee-Womens Hospital in November. She died about four hours later.

Medical examiner Dr. Karl Williams attributed the death to cyanide in November but deferred a ruling on the manner of death.

His office said Tuesday that Kotchey died of the combined toxic effects of cyanide and a medication used to treat epilepsy.

Her death came a week after another former UPMC medical researcher was convicted of first-degree murder in the April 2013 cyanide poisoning death of his wife.

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