Digest

The episode delves into the mysterious death of Kay Cybers, a seemingly healthy woman who died in her Panama City Beach home. Her husband, Bill Cybers, a doctor and the city coroner, declared her death a heart attack without an autopsy. However, a fellow doctor, Terrence Steiner, found this decision strange and urged local authorities to investigate. Agent Scotty Sanderson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigated Kay Cybers' death and found inconsistencies in Bill Cybers' story. An autopsy revealed Kay Cybers' heart to be healthy, but a needle injection mark on her arm raised further suspicions. Dr. Gary Cumberlin, the medical examiner, suspected foul play but lacked concrete evidence. Sanderson's investigation revealed evidence of an affair between Bill Cybers and a female technician at his lab. Phone records showed numerous calls between them, including one at 6:36 am on the day of Kay Cybers' death. A year after Kay Cybers' death, her son, Tim Cybers, committed suicide. He had been struggling with depression and believed his father murdered his mother. This event further fueled suspicions about Bill Cybers' involvement in his wife's death. Detective Dennis Noret took over the case and believed Bill Cybers was responsible for his wife's death. He focused on the fact that Cybers, as a doctor, would know how to induce a heart attack and, as a medical examiner, had the opportunity to cover his tracks. Noret convened a brainstorming session with forensic scientists to determine the cause of Kay Cybers' death. They reviewed the autopsy details and created a list of potential poisons. Elevated potassium levels in Kay Cybers' ocular fluid were noted. Noret sent Kay Cybers' organ samples to a toxicology lab. Dr. Fredrick Readers, a leading toxicologist, found an unusual ratio of potassium to iron in the samples, suggesting potassium chloride poisoning. Investigators requested the exhumation of Kay Cybers' body to further investigate the potassium chloride poisoning theory. However, the court rejected the request, deeming the evidence insufficient. Six years after Kay Cybers' death, District Attorney Harry Schorstein decided to pursue charges against Bill Cybers. He found Cybers' explanation of events implausible and believed he was responsible for his wife's death. Forensic toxicologist Kevin Ballard analyzed Kay Cybers' organ samples and found evidence of succinylcholine, a paralyzing agent commonly used in surgery. This discovery provided investigators with concrete evidence of poisoning. Bill Cybers was put on trial for murder. The prosecution's case relied on the evidence of succinylcholine poisoning and the embalming of the body, which preserved the poison. The trial concluded with Bill Cybers being found guilty of murder. The podcast highlights the importance of forensic science and the perseverance of investigators in solving cold cases.

Outlines

00:00:15

The Mysterious Death of Kay Cybers

The episode begins with the death of Kay Cybers, a seemingly healthy woman, in her Panama City Beach home. Her husband, Bill Cybers, a doctor and the city coroner, declares her death a heart attack without an autopsy. However, a fellow doctor, Terrence Steiner, finds this decision strange and urges local authorities to investigate.

00:02:11

The Investigation and Suspicions

Agent Scotty Sanderson of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigates Kay Cybers' death. He interviews Bill Cybers, who claims his wife woke up with chest pains and he attempted to draw blood from her. Sanderson finds inconsistencies in Cybers' story and suspects foul play. An autopsy reveals Kay Cybers' heart to be healthy, but a needle injection mark on her arm raises further suspicions. The embalming of the body makes it difficult to detect any poison. Dr. Gary Cumberlin, the medical examiner, suspects foul play but lacks concrete evidence.

00:06:02

The Affair, the Suicide, and the Cold Case

Agent Sanderson investigates Bill Cybers' personal life and discovers evidence of an affair with a female technician at his lab. Phone records reveal numerous calls between Cybers and the technician, including one at 6:36 am on the day of Kay Cybers' death. A year after Kay Cybers' death, her son, Tim Cybers, commits suicide. He had been struggling with depression and believed his father murdered his mother. This event further fuels suspicions about Bill Cybers' involvement in his wife's death. Detective Dennis Noret takes over the case and believes Bill Cybers is responsible for his wife's death. He focuses on the fact that Cybers, as a doctor, would know how to induce a heart attack and, as a medical examiner, had the opportunity to cover his tracks.

00:12:46

The Evidence and the Trial

Noret convenes a brainstorming session with forensic scientists to determine the cause of Kay Cybers' death. They review the autopsy details and create a list of potential poisons. Elevated potassium levels in Kay Cybers' ocular fluid are noted. Noret sends Kay Cybers' organ samples to a toxicology lab. Dr. Fredrick Readers, a leading toxicologist, finds an unusual ratio of potassium to iron in the samples, suggesting potassium chloride poisoning. Investigators request the exhumation of Kay Cybers' body to further investigate the potassium chloride poisoning theory. However, the court rejects the request, deeming the evidence insufficient. Six years after Kay Cybers' death, District Attorney Harry Schorstein decides to pursue charges against Bill Cybers. He finds Cybers' explanation of events implausible and believes he is responsible for his wife's death. Forensic toxicologist Kevin Ballard analyzes Kay Cybers' organ samples and finds evidence of succinylcholine, a paralyzing agent commonly used in surgery. This discovery provides investigators with concrete evidence of poisoning. Bill Cybers is put on trial for murder. The prosecution's case relies on the evidence of succinylcholine poisoning and the embalming of the body, which preserved the poison. The trial concludes with Bill Cybers being found guilty of murder.

Keywords

Q&A

• Why did Bill Cybers initially refuse an autopsy for his wife?

  Bill Cybers, as the city coroner, declared his wife's death a heart attack without an autopsy. This decision seemed strange to other medical professionals, who suspected foul play.

• What evidence did Agent Sanderson find that raised suspicions about Bill Cybers?

  Sanderson found inconsistencies in Cybers' story about his wife's death, including his claim of attempting to draw blood from her. He also discovered evidence of an affair between Cybers and a female technician at his lab.

• How did the embalming of Kay Cybers' body affect the investigation?

  The embalming process made it difficult to detect any poison in Kay Cybers' body. However, it also preserved the succinylcholine, which ultimately helped investigators prove the murder.

• What was the key piece of evidence that led to Bill Cybers' conviction?

  Forensic toxicologist Kevin Ballard found evidence of succinylcholine, a paralyzing agent, in Kay Cybers' organ samples. This discovery provided concrete evidence of poisoning and helped turn the case from a simple heart attack into murder.

Show Notes