Cynthia Sommer

Cynthia Sommer was convicted of Todd’s murder. But did she actually poison her husband, or was she being judged for her scandalous behavior Usually a verdict means the end of a case, but for Cynthia Sommer, the biggest surprise was yet to com. Marine Sgt. Todd Sommer, 23, seemed to be in peak physical condition before he suddenly collapsed and died in February of 2002.

Prior to that fatal day, Todd had complained of severe stomach pains and nausea, information that led NCIS to order a rarely performed test on some of Todd’s tissue samples. The results, prosecutors said, proved that Todd Sommer was the victim of a lethal dose of arsenic. And only one person had both motive and opportunity – his wife, Cynthia.

Although authorities never uncovered direct proof that Cynthia purchased the deadly powder or poisoned her husband, prosecutors believed Cynthia’s questionable behavior in the aftermath of Todd’s death still gave them plenty of ammunition against her. The military police officer who drove her to the hospital recalled that she never shed a tear, and instead of being in a hurry to get to Todd, she asked if they could stop for cigarettes.