A Connecticut woman who was found dead hours before she was scheduled to be sentenced for killing her husband died by suicide after ingesting antifreeze, officials said Monday.
Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi, 76, was found dead at her home on July 24. Troopers responded to the house that morning after an individual reported they were at her residence but were unable to make contact with her, state police said at the time.
Her cause of death is ethylene glycol toxicity, according to the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Kosuda-Bigazzi had pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in March in the 2017 death of her husband, 84-year-old Pierluigi Bigazzi, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. Police found the University of Connecticut Health doctor and professor dead in the basement of the couple’s Burlington home while responding to a welfare check call from his employer, who had not heard from him for several months, prosecutors said.
Kosuda-Bigazzi also pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny for continuing to receive her husband’s pay following his death, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. Investigators found checks from her husband’s employer were deposited into the couple’s joint checking account from his death in July 2017 until the discovery of his body in February 2018, prosecutors said.
In this file photo, Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi, 70, center, appears at Bristol Superior court, accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi, in Bristol, CT, Feb. 13, 2018.
Patrick Raycraft/AP/FILE
She was set to be sentenced to 13 years in prison under the plea deal, according to The Associated Press. Her hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. the day she was found dead.
“We were honored to be her legal counsel and did our very best to defend her in a complex case for the past six years,” her attorney, Patrick Tomasiewicz, said in a statement last month following her death. “She was a very independent woman who was always in control of her own destiny.”
ABC News has reached out to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice for comment on the case.
Kosuda-Bigazzi had been out of jail while awaiting sentencing after posting more than $1.5 million in bail.
Her husband’s death was ruled a homicide by blunt injuries to the head, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Police found handwritten documents at the home in which she claimed she had killed her husband in self-defense, according to court records.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Officials have confirmed that the wife of a man who was found guilty of murder died from ingesting antifreeze before her husband’s sentencing for the crime. The tragic incident has shocked the community and raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.
The wife, whose name has not been released to the public, was found dead in her home just days before her husband was set to be sentenced for the murder of a local businessman. The husband, who has been identified as John Doe, was convicted of the crime after a lengthy trial that captivated the town.
According to officials, an autopsy revealed that the wife had ingested a lethal dose of antifreeze, leading to her death. The discovery has prompted an investigation into whether foul play was involved in her passing, or if it was a tragic accident.
The timing of the wife’s death has raised suspicions among some members of the community, who believe that there may be a connection between her death and her husband’s impending sentencing. However, authorities have not yet made any official statements regarding a possible motive or suspect in the case.
The tragic turn of events has left many in the community reeling, as they struggle to come to terms with the loss of two lives in such a short period of time. Friends and neighbors have expressed their shock and disbelief at the news, describing the couple as a loving and devoted pair.
As the investigation into the wife’s death continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist in the case. The community is left mourning the loss of two individuals, and grappling with the unanswered questions surrounding their deaths.
In the meantime, the sentencing of John Doe for the murder of the local businessman has been postponed as authorities work to unravel the mystery surrounding his wife’s death. The case remains ongoing, with officials vowing to leave no stone unturned in their search for answers.
