In this Dateline classic, Julie Keown succumbs to a mysterious illness after growing more debilitated and depressed by the day. Doctors later find antifreeze in her system. Was it murder, an accident or, in her despair, did she take her own life? Dennis Murphy reports. Originally aired on NBC on January 9, 2009.
James Cowan's journey in the radio industry began as a 15-year-old kid who walked up to a veteran broadcaster and told him he could be of help. His passion for radio and his resilience led him to Harvard and back to Jefferson City after a great loss, where he found a place to heal and rebuild his career.
From friends being envious of a success story to old teachers getting pranked, these stories from high school reunions and college life will leave you nodding your head in agreement.
James Cowan is suspected of poisoning his wife with ethylene glycol which resulted in her death, although there is no concrete evidence to prove it.
James Cowan murders his wife, Julie, in order to get a payout of $250,000 from her life insurance policy to get himself out of debt. Cowan was identified as a shameless liar and received a life sentence without possibility of parole.
The defense in the James Cowan case challenged the theory that his deteriorating life had driven him to poison his wife, and also contested the evidence of internet searches for poisonous substances found on his computer by the prosecution's computer expert.
Conflicting computer searches after Julie's death show someone was planning something weeks before, with one computer displaying searches for ways to poison while the other showed searches for ways to survive kidney disease, the illness Julie thought had doomed her.
James Cowan was found guilty by a jury for having planned and executed the death of his wife, despite his mother standing by him and his former in-laws expressing their contempt in open court.