Autumn Marie Klein Update: FBI helps investigate prominent Pittsburgh doctor's death from cyanide poisoning
(CBS) PITTSBURGH - The FBI is now helping investigate the death of Autumn Marie Klein, a prominent doctor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center who died of cyanide poisoning on April 20, CBS Pittsburgh reports.
Homicide detectives, technicians from the police crime lab and the FBI - armed with a search warrant - searched the Pittsburgh home Klein shared with her husband, Dr. Robert Ferrante, and their 6-year-old daughter on Friday night.
Ferrante called 911 on April 20 to report his wife had a heart attack. It was later determined that "extremely high levels of cyanide" were found in her blood and ultimately caused her death.
CBS Pittsburgh reports Klein's death is being investigated as a possible homicide, suicide or accident.
On Friday, police reportedly removed several bags of evidence from the family's home, along with at least one plastic jug containing a dark liquid.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, police also towed away two vehicles that belonged to the couple.
Klein was chief of the division of women's neurology and an assistant professor of neurology, obstetrics and gynecology at UPMC's Presbyterian and Magee-Womens hospitals.
Her husband works as a neurology professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
It was previously reported that the medical examiner's office issued subpoenas to the university to gain insight into the movement of chemicals, including cyanide, in and out of the lab. CBS Pittsburgh reported search warrants were specifically being used to obtain cyanide from the lab where Ferrante works.
Ferrante has hired prominent attorney, and former U.S. Attorney General J. Alan Johnson, the station says. He has also reportedly retained the help of forensic pathologist Cyril H. Wecht.
Sources say Klein was taking large amounts of the supplement creatine in an effort to get pregnant and Wecht will try to determine if creatine can produce cyanide if taken in large amounts, CBS Pittsburgh reports.