The Auburn cyanide murders shocked a quiet Washington suburb and changed how America seals its medicine bottles. In 1986, Stella Nickell poisoned Excedrin capsules with potassium cyanide, killing her husband and an innocent neighbor in one of the most chilling product tampering cases in U.S. history. This episode of Yore Town Podcast dives deep into the true story of the Auburn cyanide murders, examining how a small-town crime triggered national panic just four years after the Chicago Tylenol murders. What started as a sudden death in a suburban home quickly became a federal case that reshaped consumer safety laws. We break down the full timeline of the Stella Nickell case, the forensic science behind cyanide poisoning, and the courtroom evidence that led to her conviction under federal anti-tampering statutes. What You’ll Learn: How the Auburn cyanide murders unfolded in 1986 The science of potassium cyanide and how it kills How Stella Nickell staged the Excedrin poisonings The connection to the Chicago Tylenol murders How this case changed tamper-proof packaging laws Real courtroom testimony and forensic evidence Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Auburn Cyanide Case 00:58 The Tragic Death of Bruce Nichol 01:25 The Connection to Tylenol Murders 02:19 The Role of Consumer Trust and Packaging 04:08 Why All Towns Are Named Auburn 06:01 Small Town Life in Auburn, Washington 08:01 The Chicago Tylenol Murders and Its Impact 08:57 Bruce Nichol’s Background and Financial Struggles 10:15 How Cyanide Affects the Body 11:42 The Investigation and Evidence Gathering 13:59 Shelf Placement and Tampering Evidence 17:19 The Trial and Conviction of Stella Nickel 21:14 The Tragic Loss of Bruce and Sue Snow 24:04 The Impact on Consumer Safety Laws 25:28 The Lesson: Trust as a Weapon This is Small Towns. Big Stories — where ordinary places collide with extraordinary crime. If you enjoy deep-dive true crime, small-town history, and long-form storytelling that keeps you locked in, subscribe now for more episodes of Yore Town Podcast. New episodes explore the biggest hidden stories in America’s smallest towns. Resources The Chicago Tylenol Murders - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Chicago Tylenol_murders Federal Anti-Tampering Act of 1983 - https://www.congress.gov/bill/98th-congress/house-bill/3380 Cyanide poisoning information - https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/cyanide/default.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.