The physicians and police were perplexed when Linda Curry died in 1994 under mysterious circumstances because they were unable to determine the cause of her undetermined demise. However, her friends and family had their doubts about her husband, Paul Curry, who they believed had a good cause to kill his wife. We learn in-depth information about Linda Curry, her marriage to Paul Curry, and the inquiry that followed her untimely death in “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” season 9 episode 25, “Toxic Relations.” We have all the information you need if you’re curious about whether Paul is guilty and want to know where the offender is right now.
Who is Paul Curry?
A smart, attractive young woman named Linda Curry (née Kinkade) had already been in a number of committed partnerships. Her love life didn’t feel complete when she worked at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, but that was only the case until March 1989, when Paul Curry started working there. Paul, the 32-year-old “Jeopardy” winner, managed to woo Linda despite being 13 years her senior, who was 45 at the time. The two got together quickly and began dating.
For approximately three years, Paul and Linda were the epitome of a perfect pair before they made the decision to move forward. So they were married in Las Vegas on September 12, 1992, and moved into a home Linda had bought in San Clemente, California, afterward. Despite spending a lot of time together working and cooking, the pair apparently had little passion because Paul did not appear interested in having a second wife.
After just one month of marriage, Linda called her closest friend Merry Seabold and revealed that Paul had insisted she get a $1 million life insurance policy with him listed as the beneficiary. She did as her husband asked, hoping to win him over. Soon after, Linda received a call from an unidentified woman who inquired about Paul’s child support. She learned about his child and two prior marriages, for which he apologised excessively and planned a romantic holiday for the two of them as a way of making amends. But as a Hantavirus spread among all the passengers, including Linda and Paul, it changed into something inconceivable.
Linda was transported to the hospital as her condition deteriorated, where she spent several weeks. Nothing untoward was detected in her blood testing, which perplexed the doctors as to what was deteriorating her condition. She returned home 25 pounds lighter and more frail after her symptoms subsided. Linda soon began to regain some of her health thanks to Paul’s commitment to taking care of her, which included giving her bubble baths and attending to all of her requirements. This only lasted through New Year’s Eve 1993 when she was terribly ill once more and needed to be admitted right away.
A needle hole in the tubing was detected by one of the nurses a few days later, providing proof that Linda’s IV bag had been tampered with. The police became engaged in the case after this finding, but Linda was discharged from the hospital before any progress could be made in the inquiry. Then, on June 10, 1994, Linda, then 49, passed away in her home, making Paul eligible to receive the proceeds from the life insurance policy. The case was considered closed in 2002 after a fresh investigator decided to revisit it because she believed she could solve it despite the lack of any tangible proof at the time.
The detective found that Linda had nicotine in her system despite not smoking after reviewing the post-mortem toxicology study. The new assessment revealed that she had levels of nicotine in her blood that were 50–100 times higher than those of a typical smoker, which was sufficient proof that Linda died from nicotine poisoning since toxicology analysis in 1994 wasn’t as sophisticated as it was in 2002.
The little mark behind Linda’s ear that they discovered during the autopsy can be attributed to Paul’s habit of putting tobacco in Linda’s food and drugging her with Ambien before injecting the deadly dosage of nicotine. Paul was the only logical suspect when the investigator used deceit to get him to admit that he and Linda were by themselves when she died. This was sufficient for authorities to apprehend him for killing his wife in 2010.
Where is Paul Curry Now?
On September 11, 2014, nearly 20 years after Paul Curry poisoned his wife Linda Curry, he was put on trial for insurance fraud and first-degree murder with unique circumstances. The jury found Paul guilty of Linda’s murder after a reputable and skilled nicotine expert provided his expert opinion and stated that Linda died soon from nicotine overdose. On November 14, 2014, Paul was given a life sentence without the possibility of release. He is currently incarcerated at California’s Chowchilla at Valley State Prison, located at 21633 Avenue 24.
