The murder trial for an Alabama woman accused of killing her husband entered its third day Thursday at a Huntsville courtroom.
Former Alabama nurse Nikki Cappello is on trial for the poisoning death of her husband, Jim Cappello, who passed away from excessive amounts of insulin in his system. Prosecutors said this week that Jim was not diabetic.
During opening statements, prosecutors said Cappello was arrested a few days after Jim’s family reported him missing. His body was found in the couple’s garage at their Huntsville home in 2018. Capello resisted requests by law enforcement to search her home, prompting them to get a search warrant.
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found Jim’s lifeless body on a tarp near his car, with his feet positioned on his car’s floorboard. Investigators also found a shovel, a freshly-dug hole, and a pair of muddy women’s shoes at the property.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Huntsville police said Cappello stole insulin from North Alabama Specialty Hospital, where she worked at, at the time. She then allegedly called a friend and confessed to killing her husband. She then allegedly asked her friend help to her dump the body. The friend reportedly contacted authorities instead.
Medical Examiner with the Alabama Department of Forensics’ Huntsville, Valerie Green, said she couldn’t rule out insulin toxicity. She explained during the trial that it was impossible to say for sure since, “you cannot medically detect a level of insulin in the body, and days later, an insulin injection needle rarely leaves a mark or injection site,” News 19 reports.
James Cappello, a private investigator, reportedly grew suspicious that his wife was abusing narcotics. Before his death, he was compiling evidence to file for divorce and get custody of their young daughter. He’s also been accused of having an affair–something that the defendant discovered, the prosecution said.
Marjorie Cappello’s coworkers reportedly told investigators that she was open about having marital issues — and that she had stated that the only way she would be free of her husband is if he was dead.
A Madison County grand jury indicted Marjorie Cappello in 2019, finding that prosecutors had probable cause to proceed with a murder charge.
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