A Connecticut woman tragically took her own life just hours before she was set to be sentenced for the killing of her husband.
On Monday, August 12, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed that 76-year-old Linda Kosuda-Bigazzi was found dead in her Burlington home on the morning of Wednesday, July 24. She had died by suicide, with the medical examiner identifying the cause as a toxic reaction to ethylene glycol.
Ethylene glycol is an industrial chemical commonly found in products like antifreeze, hydraulic brake fluids, some inks, ballpoint pens, solvents, paints, plastics, films, and cosmetics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
At approximately 10:37 a.m. on July 24, Connecticut State Police were called to Kosuda-Bigazzi’s residence after someone reported being unable to reach her. The Associated Press reported that she was scheduled to be sentenced later that day at 2 p.m. for the killing of her 84-year-old husband, Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi.
The Connecticut State Police stated, “Attempts by responding Troopers to initiate contact with anyone inside the residence were unsuccessful. With the assistance of the local fire department, Troopers made entry into the residence. An unresponsive female was located within the residence and was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Kosuda-Bigazzi’s death occurred four months after she pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree theft in March.
Her arrest stemmed from the discovery of Dr. Pierluigi Bigazzi’s body in their basement on February 5, 2018. Dr. Bigazzi had been an employee at the University of Connecticut.
Hartford Judicial District’s State Attorney, Sharmese L. Walcott, released a statement noting that police were asked to conduct a welfare check at the home by Dr. Bigazzi’s employer, who had not heard from him for several months.
“An investigation revealed that paychecks from the victim’s employer continued to be deposited into the couple’s joint checking account from the time of his death, which authorities believe occurred sometime in July 2017, until his body was discovered in early February 2018,” the statement said.
