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Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, June 15,1994 11 I An executive's plot to get away with murder missed... Max HAINES Crime Flashback ' ■ ^ ob Coulthard was bom near I J the tiny Virginia town of ■ A Sugar Grove. His folks owned -E. w a prosperous dairy farm, but held higher ambitions for their bright, good-looking son than milking cows. Their Rob would go all the way. For some time it appeared the Coulthards hopes for their son were well-founded. Rob sailed through high school with straight A's. In 1976, he entered Wake Forest University, where he met Sandy, the beautiful young girl who would become his wife. Four years later, Rob graduated with honors, majoring in biology. He won a scholarship scholarship to the University of Charlottesville, where he entered an eight-year program leading to combined combined PhD and MD degrees. Despite doing well for some months, Rob dropped out of university before the year was out. Rob landed on his feet. He entered the furniture business and gravitated to High Point, North Carolina, where he quicklyrose in the ranks until, at age 30, tall blond Rob Coulthard was vice-president of a large furniture manufacturer. Along the way, he married married Sandy, his college sweetheart. In a few short years, Rob had acquired an attractive wife, an executive salary, large home and fast-paced lifestyle. By any standard, he had the world by the tail. Wouldn't you just ' v ^ - -- know it, the man couldn't stand prosperity. He cultivated cultivated a relationship with a sweet young thing who was more than willing to carry on a torrid romance with a well-heeled married married man. Rob felt his clandestine lady friend was a far better companion companion than Sandy. He decided decided Sandy had to go. Rob purchased arsenic and commenced commenced to feed his wife small quantities quantities of the deadly poison. Sandy first became ill on New Year's Eve, 1987. That winter, her health alternately deteriorated and improved. In the spring, Rob decided a Caribbean cruise was just what his wife required to put the bounce back in her step. After an apparently delightful trip, they returned to High Point on June 17. Rob picked up a hamburger from a fast-food joint for his wife., In the wee hours of that morning, Sandy was in agony, suffering from diarrhea and vomiting. Rob rushed her to hospital. Within a few days, her condition improved remarkably, but soon after arriving home she again began suffering suffering from the unusual symptoms. This time, her condition didn't improve. She was so seriously ill it was decided to fly her by helicopter to the intensive care unit of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. Once there, she lapsed in and out of conscious conscious ness. On July 9, Sandy Coulthard was holding her husband's hand when she was pronounced dead. A few days later, Sandy was laid to rest. Members of the Coulthard family gathered around Rob to comfort him. Many believed he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. No one knew he had a spare lady friend stashed away in the reeds, so to speak. Those same unsuspecting relatives almost flipped four days later when the results of an autopsy revealed Sandy had died of arsenic poisoning. Her attending physicians physicians were also surprised. While all had been mystified as to the cause of Sandy's death, no one had suspected arsenic poisoning. Detectives paid a call to the Coulthards' Tudor-style home on affluent affluent Trafalgar Drive. Rob brought them up to date on his wife's final illness. Speaking analytically and concisely, he related how it all seemed to begin with the purchase of the hamburger when they arrived home from their Caribbean cruise. The investigators made no attempt to hide the obvious. Rob Coulthard was the prime suspect in his wife's murder, although at this point they had no idea why the successful successful businessman would kill his beautiful beautiful wife. Rob swore he had ho arsenic in the house. The suspicious officers confiscated confiscated several jars containing medicine and food. While they gathered up these items, Rob explained he had some insurance on his wife and had recently attempted to increase the amounts of these policies, but had been refused due to her recurring illness. Detectives were able to obtain Rob's financial records, as well as his wife's medical records. While they knew the cause of death had been arsenic poisoning, poisoning, they had no idea when the poisoning poisoning had started. This could be ascertained ascertained by examining the victim's hair. So vital was this evidence that a court order was obtained to have Sandy's body exhumed. Hair removed from her head was sent to FBI laboratories in Washington. From the hair analysis, experts were able to state Sandy had been systematically poisoned from late December 1987 until her death in July 1988. They were also able to pinpoint the months Sandy had been most seriously ill with the highest levels of arsenic. Investigators felt. Rob had been feeding Sandy arsenic over a period of months to establish a pattern of illness. To make absolutely absolutely sure that both husband and wife had not been targets of some unknown murderer, murderer, Rob's hair was examined. His hair held only normal traces of arsenic. Rob Coulthard may have been a bright student and a successful businessman, businessman, but he failed miserably in the murder game. An employee of a parcel delivery service came forward with the information that, in the fall of 1986, he had delivered a box of arsenic to Rob at his office. The arsenic was never found, but the parcel delivery company was able to produce an invoice for arsenic made out to Rob. Rob's chequebook was scanned for the time period immediately after the date on the invoice. Sure enough, police found a cheque in the amount of $196.49 dated Dec. 1,1986, which Rob had used to pay for the arsenic. He had purchased purchased enough poison to kill 2,500 people. people. Rob was arrested and charged with his wife's murder. On Nov. 28,1988, a hearing was hèld to determine whether his crime was especially heinous, atrocious atrocious or cruel and whether it was committed committed for financial gain. These factors would determine if the death penalty was warranted should the defendant be found guilty. Rob's lawyers did a good job of pointing out that if their client had killed his wife, there was no financial financial gain involved. The judge agreed. Rob would not be in danger of losing hislife. In a surprise move, at the last possible possible moment, Rob pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife. Unhesitatingly, the presiding judge sentenced him to life imprisonment. Rob had been told the cheque he had used to pay for the arsenic had been traced and he knew very well he had absolutely no chance with the jury. Today, Rob Coulthard, who once had everything to live for, resides in a North Carolina prison. He will be eligible eligible for parole in the year 2005. r-