Microsoft manager died from drinking antifreeze

SEATTLE — Daniel Feussner, a former Microsoft manager who died suddenly two months ago while facing federal charges for allegedly stealing $9 million in company software, had ingested ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in automobile antifreeze, the King County medical examiner has determined.

But the Medical Examiner's Office said it cannot say whether the 32-year-old, German-born computer expert committed suicide or accidentally ingested the poison.

Feussner died Feb. 7 after being rushed to a Bellevue hospital. He had been free on bail while awaiting trial on 15 counts of wire, mail and computer fraud in U.S. District Court. Prosecutors alleged Feussner financed a lavish lifestyle by obtaining software from the company and selling it. If convicted, he could have faced up to 20 years in prison.