A Connecticut woman, who was found dead just hours before her sentencing for killing her husband, died by suicide after ingesting antifreeze, officials reported on Monday.
Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi, 76, was discovered deceased at her home on July 24. State police were called to the residence that morning after someone at her home was unable to reach her, according to earlier reports from law enforcement.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined her cause of death as ethylene glycol toxicity.
Kosuda-Bigazzi had admitted to first-degree manslaughter in March for the 2017 death of her husband, 84-year-old Pierluigi Bigazzi. The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice reported that police found Pierluigi, a doctor and professor at the University of Connecticut Health, dead in the basement of their Burlington home after his employer requested a welfare check due to not hearing from him for several months.
In addition to manslaughter, Kosuda-Bigazzi also pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny for continuing to collect her husband’s salary after his death, according to prosecutors. Investigators discovered that paychecks from Pierluigi’s employer were deposited into the couple’s joint account from July 2017, when he died, until his body was discovered in February 2018.
Kosuda-Bigazzi was set to receive a 13-year prison sentence as part of a plea agreement, according to media. Her sentencing hearing was scheduled for 2 p.m. on the day she was found dead.
In a statement following her death, her attorney, Patrick Tomasiewicz, said, “We were honored to be her legal counsel and did our very best to defend her in a complex case for the past six years. She was a very independent woman who was always in control of her own destiny.”
Kosuda-Bigazzi had been out on bail, set at more than $1.5 million, while awaiting her sentencing.
The medical examiner’s office had previously ruled that Pierluigi Bigazzi’s death was caused by blunt force injuries to the head. Court records indicate that police found handwritten notes in which Kosuda-Bigazzi claimed she acted in self-defense.
Read More: South Africa: Pastor Wielding Machete and Rifles Arrested
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.
Follow Us On Social Media:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Twitter
