Trace of Suspicion — “Smoke and Mirrors” (March 19, 2026)

Podcast: Trace of Suspicion (Dateline / NBC News)
Host: Josh Mankiewicz
Episode Theme:
This episode covers the intense investigation and criminal trial of Cindy Sommer, the widow of 23-year-old Marine Todd Sommer, who died suddenly and mysteriously. As Cindy’s post-widowhood spending, partying, and plastic surgery spark suspicion, prosecutors accuse her of poisoning Todd for life insurance money, leading to a dramatic trial hinging on circumstantial evidence, scientific ambiguities, and a battle of narratives.

Overview

The episode centers on the suspicion, investigation, and eventual prosecution of Cindy Sommer, accused of murdering her husband Todd Sommer with arsenic poisoning. The prosecution frames Cindy’s lifestyle changes and financial motives as evidence against her, while the defense challenges the scientific validity of the lab results and probes the weaknesses in the circumstantial case. The episode features interviews with Cindy, her legal team, law enforcement, and prosecutor Laura Gunn, digging into the tangled facts, holes in the investigation, and the highly publicized trial that follows.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Cindy Sommer’s Infamy and Pre-Trial Experience

• Prison Notoriety:
  • Cindy’s profile as an accused “husband killer” made her notorious among fellow inmates and even deputies at the detention center.
    • “Even like the homeless girls that came in from the street, knew who I was. All the deputies knew who I was.” — Cindy Sommer [01:13]
• Coping with Isolation:
  • On advice from a Florida deputy, Cindy kept her composure and avoided emotional reactions in jail for ten months, waiting for her day in court.
    • “I compartmentalized… I focused on my case. I read books. I did Sudoku.” — Cindy Sommer [02:16, paraphrased]

The “Evidence” Against Cindy

• Physical Evidence:
  • The prosecution’s case was circumstantial; NCIS did not find physical evidence directly linking Cindy to the arsenic.
    • “There was no evidence against me. There was nothing there.” — Cindy Sommer [02:41]
  • Prosecution claims Todd Sommer's organs had lethal levels of arsenic.
    • “There are lethal levels of arsenic in Todd Sommer's tissues.” — NCIS Agent Terwilliger [02:57]
• Ignored Expert Advice:
  • Defense notes that a top arsenic expert told authorities their scientific conclusions were wrong.
    • “The premier expert in this country on arsenic told the government, take a walk, you got it wrong.” — Defense Attorney Bob Udell [03:04]

The Investigation’s Twists and Weaknesses

• NCIS Turnover:
  • Shortly after Cindy’s arrest, lead agent Rob Terwilliger is reassigned. Case is picked up by Rick Rendone, who brings continuity but faces a “cold” file.
    • “You’re telling me this is not like the TV show?” — Josh Mankiewicz | “No, no. You don’t stay in one place for very long.” — NCIS Agent Terwilliger [03:51-03:54]
• TV-Inspired Motive?
  • Investigators briefly consider whether Cindy copied murder methods from TV but dismiss the idea after finding no relevant inspiration.
    • “We do an internet query… two poisoning episodes [on Melrose Place]. In the end, those TV episodes had little in common with the case.” — NCIS Agent Rendone [05:14-05:32]

The 911 Call Timeline Controversy

• Sequence of Calls:
  • A key witness, Susan Beach, claims Cindy called her to watch the kids before calling 911, potentially delaying help.
    • “She should not have beat the first responders, but she did… no police cars, no ambulance, no fire trucks.” — NCIS Agent Rendone [06:45-06:48]
  • First responders didn’t recall seeing Susan Beach at the scene, raising doubts about her timeline.
    • “None of the emergency responders… reported seeing another woman minding the kids.” — Josh Mankiewicz [09:47]
  • Defensively, the team suggests she could plausibly have been unnoticed.
    • “They’re not milling around… It’s very possible… you’re not even gonna see anyone in there.” — NCIS Agent Rendone [10:14]

Prosecution’s Strategy and Evidence

• Motive & Behavior:

  • Prosecutor Laura Gunn frames Cindy’s immediate focus on finances as suspicious.
    • “As Todd was being taken out of the bedroom on a gurney, she said, ‘We joked about his SGLI policy, but I never thought I’d actually see it.’” — Laura Gunn [14:16]
    • Cindy inquired about her late husband’s bonuses at the hospital, reinforcing financial motive.
  • Prosecutor’s challenge: Lifestyle evidence of Cindy’s “carousing” is restricted by the judge but becomes relevant when the defense “opens the door” later.

• Financial Problems:

  • Family had fully depleted Todd’s $30,000 trust just two weeks before his death.
    • “We felt like we had strong motive evidence… whose nest egg had just run out, who knew divorce was not going to pay her well for her four kids, who stood to gain financially…” — Laura Gunn [16:59]

• Implants & Secrecy:

  • Cindy planned expensive breast augmentation before Todd’s sickness; lied about Todd’s support and presence at consultations.
    • “He was all for it. He came with me…” — Cindy Sommer, as questioned by NCIS [19:46]
    • Investigators prove Todd was away at the time of the consultation [20:10]
    • Cindy ultimately paid for surgery with life insurance money.

• The Science:

  • Prosecution presents lab data: Todd’s kidneys and liver had arsenic levels “more than 200…” and “a thousand times” the normal.
    • “He suffered from vomiting, nausea, diarrhea—all consistent with arsenic poisoning.” — Laura Gunn [21:59]
  • The purchase and source of arsenic is never demonstrated.
    • “There are so many places where she could have gotten arsenic… Arsenic is gettable on the Internet… anything is possible.” — Laura Gunn [24:17, 24:51]

The Defense’s Case

• Cindy Takes the Stand:

  • Cindy recounts the night of Todd’s death, and her loyalty and grief; highlights include tattoo memorial and calls to Todd’s cell.
    • “When Cindy grew up, her goal in life was to be the wife of a marine… and she didn’t all of a sudden decide to kill that marine.” — Bob Udell [28:00]
  • Cindy admits to over-spending but says this is normal among military families.
    • “Every military family does.” — Cindy Sommer [29:50]
  • She defends her breast implants as something Todd supported, claims she visited multiple doctors.

• Door Opens to Character Attacks:

  • Testimony from Cindy’s mother about her deep grief is deemed to “open the door.” Prosecutor introduces evidence of Cindy’s partying, affairs, and credit card use for dating sites just before Todd’s death.
    • “If the defense was going to present Cindy as a grieving widow, then the prosecution had an opportunity to rebut.” — Josh Mankiewicz [31:31]
    • “Breast implants, parties, sex. Must be guilty.” — Bob Udell [32:26]

• Timeline Rebuttal:

  • Defense challenges the Susan Beach timeline using phone records, arguing Cindy could not have delayed the 911 call.
    • “According to those phone logs, Cindy called Susan at 1:43—that would be minutes after paramedics arrived.” — Josh Mankiewicz [33:16]
    • “In that phone call, EMS has already been there, correct? Correct.” — Udell & Gunn [33:44]

• Science on Trial:

  • Defense’s star expert, Dr. Alphonse Poklis, a top arsenic toxicologist, criticizes the lab results as inconsistent with arsenic poisoning, noting the odd distribution and Todd’s activity before death.
    • “Those tests did not make sense… That’s not the way arsenic is processed in the human body.” — Dr. Poklis [34:44-34:59]
    • “It makes absolutely no sense that that’s acute arsenic.” — Dr. Poklis [35:23]
  • Suggests tissue samples may have been contaminated; “if there’s no arsenic, there’s no murder.” — Bob Udell [36:51]

Closing Arguments & Jury Deliberations

• Prosecution’s Final Point:
  • Cindy was the only adult with motive and opportunity.
    • “It’s a fact that nobody else had access to Todd Sommer at the time he first started to get sick.” — Laura Gunn [37:12]
• Defense’s Final Point:
  • Lab evidence is unreliable—no arsenic, no crime.
• Jury’s Challenge & Fallout:
  • Jury deliberates after 18 days of testimony; some jurors allegedly discussed the case prematurely.
    • “They commented upon my granny glasses and faces that I make. Jury hated me.” — Bob Udell [37:40]
    • “Everybody was, you know, like, they couldn’t believe our verdict. And I mean, I was like, what?” — Laura Gunn [37:53]
  • After the verdict, public controversy and divided opinion—NCIS agent receives letters urging both upholding and reversing the verdict.
    • “I’ve received probably 50 letters and emails—these are encouraging me to do one thing or the other with regard to the verdict…” — NCIS Agent Terwilliger [38:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:13 | Cindy Sommer (via Gunn) | “Even like the homeless girls that came in from the street, knew who I was...” | | 03:04 | Bob Udell | “The premier expert in this country on arsenic told the government, take a walk, you got it wrong.” | | 06:48 | NCIS Agent Rendone | “She should not have beat the first responders, but she did.” | | 14:16 | Laura Gunn | “‘We joked about his SGLI policy, but I never thought I’d actually see it.’” | | 17:28 | Laura Gunn | “We felt like we had strong motive evidence… who stood to gain a great deal financially…” | | 20:12 | NCIS Agent Terwilliger | “According to the Marines… they were with him, and he did not get home until late in the evening.” | | 21:45 | Laura Gunn | “I knew that when we got to that part of the case, it was going to get difficult…” | | 24:51 | Laura Gunn | “Arsenic is gettable on the Internet. It’s gettable from various other sources…” | | 28:00 | Bob Udell | “When Cindy grew up, her goal in life was to be the wife of a marine… she cries.” | | 29:50 | Cindy Sommer | “Every military family does.” (live above means) | | 31:31 | Bob Udell | “The judge ruled that, no, I had opened the door to it. And that’s the sin I confess to today…” | | 32:26 | Bob Udell | “Breast implants, parties, sex. Must be guilty.” | | 33:44 | Udell and Gunn | “In that phone call, EMS has already been there, correct? Correct.” | | 34:44 | Dr. Poklis | “Those tests did not make sense… That’s not the way arsenic is processed in the human body.” | | 36:51 | Bob Udell | “If there’s no arsenic, there’s no murder, and that’s that. There isn’t even any arsenic.” | | 37:12 | Laura Gunn | “It’s a fact that nobody else had access to Todd Sommer at the time that he first started to get sick…” | | 38:12 | NCIS Agent Terwilliger | “I’ve received probably 50 letters and emails—these are encouraging me to do one thing or the other with regard to the verdict…” |

Useful Timestamps for Key Segments

• Prison Notoriety: 00:37–02:32
• Case against Cindy (circumstantial, scientific challenges): 02:41–04:35; 21:18–25:04
• 911 call and timeline controversy: 06:07–11:11, 33:12–33:48
• Prosecutor’s case, financial motive, and medical evidence: 13:25–25:34
• Breast augmentation and lies: 19:16–21:08
• Defense opens the door to Cindy’s character: 31:12–33:42
• Scientific rebuttal, Dr. Poklis testimony: 34:03–36:51
• Closing arguments and jury: 36:58–38:20

Tone and Style

The episode weaves its narrative with Dateline’s signature suspense, balancing clinical analysis and human emotion. Josh Mankiewicz offers dry, occasionally sardonic asides, while prosecutor Laura Gunn is precise, and the defense’s Bob Udell is candid—even rueful—about legal missteps and optics.

Conclusion

“Smoke and Mirrors” illustrates not only the difficulties of prosecuting (or defending) a murder with primarily circumstantial evidence, but also the uncontrollable impact of presentation, personality, and public perception—both in the media and in the courtroom. The episode ends noting the lingering doubts, ongoing controversy, and the unanswered question at the heart of the case: Was it murder, or a tragic medical and investigative mix-up?