Murder With My Husband — Episode 282: The Nicotine Poisoner

Podcast by OH NO MEDIA
Air date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Peyton Moreland (true crime lover), Garrett Moreland (her slightly reluctant husband)

Overview of the Episode

This episode investigates the chilling case of Linda Kincaid, a vibrant power plant worker in San Clemente, California, who fell ill under mysterious circumstances in the early 1990s and ultimately died. The story explores how her much-younger husband, Paul Curry – a Jeopardy! contestant with a genius reputation – became the prime suspect in what would eventually be exposed as a calculated, slow-motion murder employing nicotine as the fatal weapon. Peyton and Garrett discuss not only the criminal investigation but also the red flags, the psychology of victims, and the forensic hurdles that made this case notorious.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Linda Kincaid: Her Life and Relationships

• Linda was a successful manager at a local power plant, known for her style, ambition, and sociability (05:35).
• She met Paul Curry, 13 years her junior and a reputedly brilliant nuclear engineer (and Jeopardy! veteran), whom she married after a whirlwind romance (08:49–12:57).
• Their marriage, while outwardly affectionate, was curiously non-intimate: “Linda told her friends that Paul was never even interested in consummating their marriage… She liked being intellectually challenged by Paul.” (13:02)

2. Early Signs: Mysterious Sickness and Suspicion

• Linda suffered a sudden illness after the couple took a cruise in June 1993, initially attributed to hantavirus, which didn’t fit her symptoms (13:54–15:22).
• Despite repeated hospitalizations, doctors remained perplexed by her recurring, near-fatal symptoms.
• Friends and hospital staff grew suspicious, especially as Paul was the sole caregiver and Linda’s condition worsened primarily when at home (18:27).

3. Mounting Red Flags and Financial Motives

• Paul pressured Linda soon after their wedding to make him the beneficiary on all her life insurance and retirement accounts—totaling nearly $1 million (22:34–23:20).
• Linda’s friend Mary and hospital nurse Sherry Bundy both voiced suspicions about Paul’s motivations, but Linda stayed, unable or unwilling to believe the man caring for her was harming her (24:47–25:58).
• Paul had hidden a prior marital history and three children, only discovered by Linda after a phone call from an ex (24:12–24:51).

4. Evidence Emerges: Hospital Incidents and Early Police Involvement

• Hospital staff caught signs of tampering: Nurse Sherry Bundy noticed a cloudy IV bag laced with lidocaine, and Nurse Nancy Rowe later observed intentional damage to Linda’s IV port (25:58–28:51).
• Linda admitted to police: “Well, the only person I could think of that would even have a motive… would be Paul, my husband. And the only motive I can think of is money. But I don’t want to really even believe that…” (27:17)
• Despite suspicions and some circumstantial evidence, no charges were filed, and Linda returned to Paul after each incident.

5. Linda’s Death

• Linda died at home on June 9, 1994, after a rapid decline, with Paul alone in the house (18:27–21:27).
• An initial autopsy revealed nothing conclusive, labeling the cause of death as undetermined (29:22).

6. Paul’s Behavior After Linda’s Death

• Paul quickly collected on insurance policies, totaling over $400,000, plus ongoing retirement benefits (29:22).
• Additionally, he filed a claim for a “stolen" Rolex and jewelry worth $9,000 just days after Linda’s passing (33:31–34:42).
• He abruptly left his job after being exposed as having faked engineering credentials, moved states, and started a new life with another woman (30:46–33:21).

7. Cold Case Breakthrough & Forensic Revelations

• In 2002, Detective Yvonne Scholl revived the dormant case. She uncovered that Paul’s previous wife also became mysteriously ill during their marriage but survived (33:33–35:53).
• Investigation revealed that Paul had boasted, “I could actually make a deadly poison in my garage… it would be really hard to detect.” (37:38)
• A re-examination of Linda’s tissues found toxic nicotine levels “50 to 100 times more than a regular smoker’s,” plus marks of a likely needle injection behind her ear (38:43–39:37).
• Theory: Paul experimented with various toxins, including lidocaine and nicotine, ultimately killing Linda via a lethal nicotine injection, masked by sleeping pills (39:38–40:16).

8. Prosecution and Conviction

• Detective Scholl orchestrated a Kansas interview with Curry, where he admitted he was “the only one” with Linda when she died—“an admission that he was the only one who could have poisoned Linda.” (41:42)
• In 2014, Paul Curry was convicted of insurance fraud and first-degree murder with special circumstances, sentenced to life without parole (42:28–43:15).

9. Reflections: Victim Psychology and Manipulation

• Peyton and Garrett discuss why Linda, despite clear signs, could not abandon Paul—citing the psychology of abusive and manipulative relationships.
  • “Perhaps Linda was loving and generous. She was blinded by that… Sometimes the most evil people can be the ones living right beside us.” (43:28)
  • “It’s not her fault at all… That can be very manipulative.” (44:18–44:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the couple’s platonic marriage:
  Peyton: "Linda told her friends that Paul was never even interested in consummating their marriage. Oh, but for Linda... it seemed that mental stimulation was enough." (13:02)

• On suspicion and love:
  Linda, to police: “Well, the only person I could think of that would even have a motive… would be Paul, my husband. And the only motive I can think of is money. But I don’t want to really even believe that or think that.” (27:17)

• On toxicology findings:
  Peyton: “She finds that Linda had 50 to 100 times more nicotine in her system when she died than the average smoker would.” (38:43)

• On Paul’s hubris:
  Peyton: “He basically admitted at this barbecue, ‘I could actually make a deadly poison in my garage and then… it would be really hard to detect.’” (37:38)

• On victim psychology:
  Peyton: “We never really know what’s going on behind closed doors…. Sometimes the most evil people can be the ones living right beside us.” (43:28)

Important Timestamps

• 05:35 — Introduction of Linda Kincaid, setting the scene.
• 08:36–13:02 — Paul Curry’s Jeopardy! fame, relationship dynamic, and unique aspects of the marriage.
• 13:54–18:27 — Onset of Linda’s illness, failed diagnoses, and increasing suspicions.
• 22:34–23:20 & 24:12–24:51 — Financial motives and discovery of Paul’s secret past.
• 25:58–28:36 — Hospital sabotage incidents and interviews with Linda/police.
• 29:22–33:21 — Linda’s death, Paul’s insurance collection, confessed fraud regarding credentials.
• 33:33–37:38 — Cold case reopening; discoveries about Paul’s past, his ominous statements.
• 38:43–39:37 — Critical forensic breakthrough: nicotine poisoning proven.
• 41:42–43:15 — Interrogation, confession, and final conviction.
• 43:57–44:44 — Discussion on manipulation and why victims stay.

Episode Tone and Style

• Peyton is deeply invested, empathetic, and detail-oriented, bringing not only facts but emotional context ("I love it and I hate it" vibe).
• Garrett brings skepticism, relatable commentary, and levity (“I already know where this is going…” at 21:27; frequent asides and hypotheticals).
• The tone is accessible, conversational, and often punctuated by dark humor and mutual teasing between the hosts, even amid harrowing content.

TL;DR

Linda Kincaid was slowly and methodically poisoned by her husband, Paul Curry, who leveraged his intelligence, deception, and the trust of those closest to him. After years undetected and unpunished, a persistent detective re-examined the evidence, revealing a rare and insidious use of nicotine as a murder weapon. Through a combination of dogged investigation and advancements in toxicology, Curry was eventually convicted, but not before Linda’s tragedy served as a stark warning about the hidden dangers of relationships built on manipulation and greed.

Hosts' closing message:
Peyton: “All right, you guys… That was our case this week. The case of Linda Kincaid. And we will see you next time with another one. I love it and I hate it. Goodbye.” (44:45)