Dr. Robert Ferrante is facing homicide charges for allegedly giving his wife a lethal dose of cyanide.
After a nationwide manhunt is over after a University of Pittsburgh medical researcher, Dr. Robert Ferrante is accused of fatally poisoning his neurologist wife. He agreed to be transported from West Virginia back to Pennsylvania to face charges related to the death of 41-year-old Dr. Autumn Klein, Chief of Women’s neurology.
Ferrante received an overnight delivery of cyanide two days before his wife died. Ferrante, co-director of the Center for ALS Research who is also a visiting professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, allegedly used a university credit card to buy more than a half-pound of cyanide.
West Virginia State Police were able to track down and arrest Ferrante with the use of license plate reading technology. When he passed through a toll plaza, police stopped traffic and then pulled him over routinely.
On April 17, 2013 Allegheny County 911 received a call from Ferrante requesting medical assistance for his wife. Ferrante said she was possibly having a stroke. He described her condition as “conscious and breathing, but not alert.” Paramedics found Klein with a resealable plastic bag of creatine and a glass vial near her at the scene. Klein died in the hospital on April 20, 2013.
Text messages between the couple indicate that Ferrante suggested Klein use creatine to stimulate egg production. Creatine is used for muscle building, it is not known as a stimulator of egg production.
Get updates from The Cardinal CRIME BLOG ‘Plus’ on Facebook. Just ‘LIKE’ the ‘Arlington Cardinal Crime & Forensics’ Page (become a fan of our page). The updates cover all posts in the 24/7 Crime Alerts! and sub-categories. See all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages at Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …