Lure Of Insurance Money Parallels With First Tampering

The Sudafed-tampering case against Joseph Meling of Olympia bore several similarities to the 1986 case of Stella Nickell of Auburn, convicted of fatally poisoning her husband and an Auburn woman.

Prosecutors alleged the same motive: attempting to kill a spouse to collect insurance and the same method: placing cyanide in two-piece capsule medication.

The link, the government suggested, was more than coincidental: a copy of a Reader's Digest article on the Nickell case was found in Meling's apartment when he was arrested last summer.

The article, which detailed how the FBI solved Nickell's crime, was published in the February 1991 issue, distributed shortly before the Sudafed poisonings.

Meling maintained he did not see the story until sometime after his wife was poisoned.

In both the Nickell and Meling cases, much of the evidence was circumstantial, with little physical evidence tying the defendant to the crime. One difference, however, was the lack of fingerprint evidence in the Sudafed case.

Nickell's fingerprints were found on parts of books dealing with poisoning and cyanide. None of Meling's fingerprints were found on anything connected to the Sudafed poisonings.

In the Nickell case, tainted capsules contained not only cyanide, but traces of a fish aquarium killer known as "Algae Destroyer." Nickell, who had an aquarium, was identified as buying that product six months before her husband's death.

In each of the two cases, a relative of the defendant testified for the prosecution. Nickell's daughter, Cindy Hamilton, said Nickell had considered getting "a hit man" to eliminate her husband. Meling's uncle, Keith Meling, said Joseph Meling had wanted "to get rid of his wife."

Neither case posed an easy decision for jurors. After the Nickell verdict, the jury foreman told reporters, "There were so many pieces of evidence that were not black and white. . . . It took a great deal of agonizing."

Nickell was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

-- Times staff reporter Peter Lewis contributed to this report.

-------------------------------------------------------------- A comparison of the Nickell and Meling cases.

This chart compares facts alleged in the Joseph Meling and Stella Nickell product-tampering cases: .

MELING CASE NICKELL CASE . Product involved 12-hour Sudafed capsules Extra-Strength.

Excedrin capsules. . Poison used Sodium cyanide Potassium cyanide. . When poisonings February 1991 June 1986. occurred.

. Victims Kathleen Daneker and Bruce Nickell and.

Stanley McWhorter died; Sue Snow, both died.

Jennifer Meling survived. . Time between crime 18 months 18 months. and arrest.

. Motive alleged To kill wife for insurance To kill husband.

for insurance. . Prosecutor Asst. U.S. Atty. Joanne Maida Asst. U.S. Atty.

Joanne Maida . Defense attorneys Cyrus Vance Jr. and Tom Hillier.

Carol Koller. . Length of jury 17 hours 20 hours. deliberations. . Verdict Guilty Guilty.