Narrator: a brilliant young
architect mysteriously died just
Before she testified in a
criminal trial.
Her diary contained stories of
sex, betrayal, and intrigue.
Investigators needed to know if
the stories were true.
Investigators needed to know if
the stories were true.
University park, texas, just
outside of dallas, is
Better known as "the bubble."
It's a place of privilege and
prestige -- an address many
Would like to have but few can
afford.
It's kind of the
beverly hills of dallas.
That's the way the park cities
is.
Narrator: nancy dillard lyon
lived most of her life in texas.
She was a harvard-trained
architect and the daughter of a
Wealthy and well-connected
dallas family.
Nancy met her husband richard
while at harvard.
They married and soon had two
children.
They had great energy, great
friendliness.
When we moved in, they gave
gifts of ice cream, and they'd
Bake cookies and bring them over
to us.
My husband, who I've said is
rarely hyperbolic about
Anything, used to say she was
the nicest person in the world.
Narrator: nancy quickly
became the youngest partner in
The history of trammell crow, a
large real estate development
Firm.
But success came at a price.
I think she always had, as
many women did at that time, a
Conflict between the amount of
hours that she wanted to work to
Develop her career and time
spending with her children.
Narrator: nancy was also
experiencing some physical
Ailments.
And on a january night in 1991,
her symptoms included vomiting
And severe stomach pain.
Her husband richard took her to
the hospital emergency room.
Doctors were initially baffled.
She was seen by multiple
consultants -- infectious
Disease, a gastroenterologist, a
pulmonologist, nephrologist,
Because of her multi-organ
failure.
Still, in spite of all the
resuscitation measures, she was
Not recovering.
Narrator: nancy's condition
deteriorated, but she provided
Doctors with a potential clue.
She said she first got sick
several months earlier after
Drinking some wine from a bottle
left on her doorstep.
She thought it was a gift
from a neighbor, or that it was
Just a housewarming gift, so to
speak, from a neighbor.
She drank that wine and
became violently ill later that
Day.
She had nausea, vomiting, and
abdominal pain.
Narrator: but that had been
months earlier and didn't
Explain her illness now.
Even though I had suspected
something foul play but really
Can't -- you couldn't pinpoint
anything.
Narrator: doctors sent
nancy's urine samples for
Testing, but her condition began
to deteriorate.
Her organs failed, and she was
put on life support.
It was clear that she was not
going to recover.
It was clear it was really
beyond -- nobody could really
Understand it.
Narrator: six days later,
nancy dillard lyon was dead.
I didn't quite understand
what it was that had k*lled her.
So there was a great deal of
sadness for what was lost.
Narrator: but doctors were
suspicious, and they weren't the
Only ones.
I was married to a nurse.
She had taken care of
nancy dillard in the trauma
Center.
She said, "she looked like she'd
been poisoned to me."
Narrator: when the daughter
of a wealthy dallas family,
Nancy dillard lyon, died under
mysterious circumstances, her
Doctors made two telephone
calls.
One was to the medical examiner
to suggest a thorough autopsy.
And I told him, "listen, I
have a patient here, and I
Suspect foul play."
Narrator: the other
was to police.
Now, they thought the death
was suspicious, and it needed to
Be investigated.
And it was suspicious, and it
was investigated.
They were absolutely correct.
Narrator: investigators
learned that nancy was about to
Testify at the embezzlement
trial of her former boss from
Trammell crow.
Nancy told friends she was
uncomfortable at the thought of
Testifying against her former
colleague.
Part of that may have resulted
from a threatening letter she
Received.
"Stay out of the bagwell case
or you and your family will face
The wrath of god."
It was a, I guess, kind of a
veiled threat.
No one ever knew where it came
from.
Narrator: at nancy's autopsy,
the pathologist found no signs
Of disease in her internal
organs.
But toxicology tests revealed
some surprising results.
Nancy lyon had been poisoned
with arsenic.
Well, all the specimens
showed significant amounts and
Levels of arsenic.
And what that shows is that the
poison was absorbed through the
G.i. Tract, that it was
distributed through the blood.
Narrator: patients often
don't know they're poisoned,
Since the symptoms are so
common.
You know, people don't think
about a poisoning immediately.
They think it's just some
natural thing, and when you have
Nausea and vomiting, that
certainly is a common symptom.
Most of the poisonings that
you see nowadays are of a much
More sophisticated variety that
are harder to detect initially
Or even after doing tests, so
arsenic was a surprise.
Narrator: the manner of death
was ruled a homicide, but
Questions remained.
Investigators discovered a
receipt among nancy's papers --
A receipt for arsenic.
Nancy's husband richard said she
bought the poison to k*ll a
Colony of fire ants in their
yard.
Fire ants can be a really big
problem and a bad problem,
Especially with individuals who
have really small children.
Fire ants can get all over you
and almost cover parts of your
Body before they even start
biting and stinging.
Narrator: and friends also
revealed nancy had been
Depressed over the past year.
She discovered her husband was
having an affair, and the couple
Briefly separated.
Richard had met another
woman, and she felt he was going
Through a midlife crisis.
So she said, at first, her take
was, "hey, I'm going to stay
Patient.
I'm going to get some
counseling," because she was
Just devastated, really.
I wouldn't discount a woman
making herself ill or even
Taking something to make herself
ill to get the attention of her
Husband.
Narrator: yet, medical
experts were skeptical that
Nancy committed su1c1de.
I don't believe that for a
minute.
I mean, you've got someone who's
dying a very, I would consider,
Hideous death, certainly capable
at any time of voicing that she
Had taken the poison, because
the symptoms are both painful
And you certainly are
deteriorating with this.
Absolutely ludicrous.
She had two children she loved
very dearly as a mother.
She was young.
She had everything to live for.
It is absolutely ludicrous to
believe that somebody would
Poison themselves with arsenic.
Narrator: also among nancy's
papers was a diary, and it
Contained a blockbuster
revelation.
She accused her older brother
bill of sexual abuse when they
Were younger.
Nancy said she feared her
brother and questioned his
Ability to control himself.
"Sex, sick sex," the notation
read.
"With me? My girls?"
Nancy's brother angrily denied
The allegation but couldn't
explain why she had written this
In her diary.
Her family strongly suspected
richard was the k*ller, since
They knew he was having an
affair with another woman.
I did not poison my wife,
nancy dillard lyon, nor did I
Have anything to do with her
tragic death.
Narrator: so there was no
shortage of suspects.
Who sent the wine to nancy's
home?
Who sent the threatening letter?
Why did nancy accuse her brother
of sexual abuse, and would he
k*ll to keep her quiet?
And was nancy planning to
divorce her husband?
In the event that this case
becomes a m*rder charge, this
Will be an honest-to-goodness,
perry mason-style whodunit.
Narrator: investigators had
plenty of suspects but little
Evidence in the poisoning death
of nancy lyon.
The only thing they knew was
that nancy didn't k*ll herself.
No way you would do it.
It's too painful.
It's too drawn-out.
It's a horrible way to die, and
you're very aware and very
Conscious up until the very end
of it.
There's no way you would k*ll
yourself that way.
Narrator: when a person
ingests arsenic, the poison
Attaches itself to the hair
follicles.
As the hair grows, the poison
residue remains on the hair
Shaft and becomes a permanent
record.
So scientists cut nancy's hair
into 7-millimeter pieces.
Each piece corresponded to a
Each piece was placed in a
separate vial and then exposed
To radiation in a nuclear
reactor.
The sample can by analyzed
as-is in most cases, just simply
Weighed in to a radiation dial.
Most other methods require
dissolution of the sample.
Narrator: when scientists
examined the hair with gamma-ray
Spectrophotometry, they
discovered a startling piece of
Information.
Nancy had ingested small doses
of arsenic every week starting
Four months before her death.
The dose of arsenic increased
four weeks before her death.
The highest amount of arsenic
was in nancy's system two weeks
Before her death.
Her levels were anywhere from
Levels were, so it was a very
significant level, and it was
Lethal.
Narrator: the forensic tests
showed the poisoning started
When nancy's husband richard
moved back home after the
Separation.
But richard wasn't the only
person in nancy's life who had
Both motive and access.
Nancy's handwritten diary
alleged her brother bill had
Sexually abused her as a child.
Investigators wanted to know
whether this was a possible
Motive.
To see if these entries were
written by nancy, investigators
Sent the diary to a forensic
document examiner,
Hartford kittel.
Handwriting examination is
based upon two distinct facts.
No two people write exactly
alike.
Within the writing of a single
individual, there's normal
Variation.
It's this normal variation that
we associate or we don't
Associate with the questioned
writing.
Narrator: surprisingly, nancy
and richard's handwriting looked
Strikingly similar.
Friends said this was
intentional.
While in college, nancy had
written some of richard's
Research papers, and she
mimicked his writing.
The similarities in these two
writers was significant.
But they weren't able to
completely make their
Handwriting look the same
because they had two different
Minds that were picturing things
a little differently.
But they tried to make them look
the same.
Narrator: kittel first looked
at known handwriting samples
From both nancy and richard.
Despite their similarities,
there were differences.
She used her ampersands quite
extensively through her writing,
So every 5th, 6th line will have
an ampersand on it in her known
Handwriting.
Whereas richard always used the
"a-n-d" for the verbiage "and."
Kittel also noticed that
nancy and richard made their
Capital "i"s differently.
Richard just used one
downstroke, like a one, whereas
Nancy used a downstroke, like
the one, and then a cross at the
Top and the bottom.
She was willing to take a lot
more time in executing them than
Richard was.
Narrator: their lowercase
"f"s were different, as well.
Richard used a clockwise
motion, coming down from the top
Of the "f" down to the bottom.
He'd swing off in a clockwise
motion to finish off the lower
Loop of the "f," whereas nancy
always came down and went
Counterclockwise to finish off
the "f."
Narrator: kittel concluded
richard wrote the diary entries
About nancy's brother bill.
Absolutely.
Certain that he had written
that.
100% Certain.
Yes.
Narrator: prosecutors now
believed richard lyon had forged
Nancy's diary to cover up the
m*rder.
It never crossed his mind he
was going to be caught.
He thought he had it aced, and
he certainly didn't think it'd
Be his own handwriting.
No one granted him the power
of god to take her life.
She was slowly poisoned to
death, probably one of the most
Hideous things that you can do
to someone.
This wasn't done in a moment of
passion or anger of picking up a
w*apon that was handy to him.
This was done with slow
premeditation and over a period
Of time.
And it's a hideous, hideous way
to m*rder somebody.
Narrator: richard lyon
insisted he had nothing to do
With the poisoning death of his
wife nancy.
As proof, he offered a receipt
for arsenic that he said nancy
Had signed.
Prosecutors asked forensic
experts whether this was, in
Fact, nancy's signature.
I wasn't able to reach a
conclusion as to authorship.
Narrator: but the owner of
the company listed on the
Receipt told prosecutors all
they needed to know.
"Did you sell her these
chemicals?"
"No, I didn't."
"Is this a receipt?
Do you sell chemicals?"
"No, I don't."
"Is this your receipt from your
business?"
"No, it's a forgery.
It's not mine."
Narrator: investigators also
discovered that arsenic was not
Shipped to the lyons' home, but
to a post-office box richard
Opened.
There was no reason in the
world to have a post-office box
Set up at preston center for him
to get this arsenic.
If everything is completely
legitimate, why aren't you
Having it delivered at home or
where you work?
It's because it's nefarious
reasons of having it delivered
To a post-office box.
Narrator: in the hospital
before she died, nancy lyon told
Her doctor about a suspicious
incident that occurred several
Months earlier.
She said one time, when they
were separated, they had gone to
The movies together.
And richard had gone and got her
a drink.
And when he brought it to her
and she drank some of it and she
Said it tasted awful and she
looked in there, there was a
White powder on the top of the
drink.
Narrator: nancy said she
became violently ill later that
Night, and she told her doctor
something else.
"My husband, he's been giving
me these capsules for the last
Several months, and he says,
'nancy, go take these.
These are like vitamins.
These are good for you.'"
Narrator: police confiscated
every pill in the lyons' home
And sent them for forensic
testing.
Two pills tested positive for
barium carbonate, a toxic
Chemical used in the production
of glass.
Despite her suspicions, nancy
never directly accused richard
Of poisoning her.
Nobody wants to believe that
they're married to somebody that
Can m*rder.
I mean, because then what are
you saying about yourself?
And it's kind of outside the
Realm of most people's reality
that someone would poison you.
And I don't think she wanted to
believe it, and I think that she
Was embarrassed or ashamed to
say anything about it.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
the motive was money and the
Desire to live with his
girlfriend.
He didn't want her, but he
wanted the family affiliations
And the alliances.
I think that it was partly
money, and it was partly just
The position that he wanted.
And he couldn't have either one
with just a divorce.
Narrator: prosecutors believe
richard first tried to k*ll
Nancy by putting barium
carbonate in her vitamin pills
And may have put it in nancy's
soda at the movies.
When that didn't work, he used
arsenic.
Forensic testing showed nancy
started ingesting arsenic in
September around the time she
and richard reconciled.
The fatal dose was administered
two days before nancy was
Admitted to the hospital where
she died.
To hide his involvement, richard
created the fake invoice for the
Arsenic, and forensic analysis
proved that it was richard who
Wrote the sex-related entries in
nancy's diary, implicating her
Brother as a possible suspect.
I think it was calculating.
He thought himself as a ladies'
man.
I think he was a cold-blooded
k*ller, and he did it in the
Most dispiteous way possible,
slowly ingesting arsenic to his
Wife.
Narrator: when he went on
trial for m*rder, richard lyon
Pled not guilty.
But the forensic handwriting
analysis, the timeline of the
Poisonings captured in nancy's
Hair, and the discovery of
poison in vitamin pills found in
The home were difficult to
deflect.
Richard's girlfriend even
testified, claiming richard lied
By telling her that nancy had a
rare and fatal blood disease.
Any time that you catch a
defendant or any witness in a
Lie, and that was a pretty big
one and I don't think a
Coincidence, that she was going
to die from a fatal blood
Disease.
I think that those things
immediately begin to color their
View of him.
And he was a liar -- he would
lie.
Narrator: it took a jury less
than three hours to convict
Richard lyon of first-degree
m*rder.
He was sentenced to life in
prison.
I've worked lots of cases
like this and the question was
Always why not just a divorce.
They may be intelligent, but
they're criminally stupid.
And for good reason, and thank
god they are, because we
Couldn't catch them.
It was hard for me to believe
that he had actually k*lled his
Wife, and it had just finally
broken down based on the shape
Of an "f" and an "l" and an
"r," and just scratchings on a
Piece of paper.
10x21 - Writer's Block
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Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.
Documentary that reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and outbreaks of illness.