Court declines to hear appeal in wife’s cyanide death case

PITTSBURGH – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has declined to hear the appeal of a former University of Pittsburgh medical researcher convicted in what prosecutors say was the cyanide poisoning death of his wife.

Sixty-nine-year-old Robert Ferrante was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life without parole in the April 2013 death of 41-year-old Dr. Autumn Klein. Allegheny County prosecutors say he put cyanide in her energy drink, which text messages show he urged her to drink to enhance her fertility.

An appeals court rejected defence arguments that cited a successful transplant of Klein’s liver as evidence that cyanide couldn’t have killed her.

Defence attorney Chris Eyster told the Tribune-Review on Wednesday he will seek further review of the conviction. He says they’re confident they’re “going to get this reversed.”

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Information from: Tribune-Review, http://triblive.com