Paul Curry was the kind of guy people called "brilliant." He was a nuclear engineer. He was a Jeopardy! winner. He was also, according to a jury of his peers, a cold-blooded killer who used a truly bizarre weapon to take out his wife, Linda.
People still talk about this case because it feels like something out of a Victorian thriller, yet it played out in the sunny, suburban streets of San Clemente, California. It took nearly twenty years to get a conviction.
The Mystery of the San Onofre Power Couple
Paul and Linda Curry met while working at the San Onofre nuclear power plant. On paper, they were a match. Linda was successful, well-liked, and generous. Paul was high-IQ, an engineer who seemed doting. They married in 1992.
Honestly, the red flags started almost immediately.
Within a month of saying "I do," Paul was already pushing Linda to take out a $1 million life insurance policy. Linda told her friends she was hesitant. She even asked a close friend, Frankie Thurber, to "watch Paul" and see if he was actually genuine.
It's heartbreaking.
Basically, Linda had a gut feeling that something was off, but she let Paul’s "genius" and his constant attention talk her out of her own intuition.
The Illnesses That Wouldn't Quit
In 1993, Linda started getting violently ill. We're talking 21-day hospital stays, vomiting, and even a stroke. Doctors were baffled. They couldn't find a single medical reason why a healthy 50-year-old woman was suddenly falling apart.
📖 Related: Sweden School Shooting 2025: What Really Happened at Campus Risbergska
While she was in the hospital, a nurse noticed something weird: an IV bag was cloudy.
When the lab tested it, they found lidocaine—a numbing agent—inside. The police were called. They even interviewed Linda in her hospital bed. In a recording that still haunts those who hear it, she told investigators that the only person with a motive to hurt her was Paul, and the only reason would be money.
But then, she immediately walked it back. She didn't want to believe it.
The Night Everything Ended
On June 9, 1994, Paul called 911. He told the dispatcher he’d woken up and found Linda not breathing. By the time paramedics arrived at their home, it was too late.
The initial autopsy was a mess.
The coroner couldn't figure it out at first. It wasn't until toxicologists looked closer that they found something insane: a lethal amount of nicotine. Linda didn't smoke. She hated it. Yet her blood was saturated with the stuff.
Investigators also found a tiny, almost invisible needle mark behind her right ear.
👉 See also: Will Palestine Ever Be Free: What Most People Get Wrong
Why Paul Curry Almost Got Away With It
For years, the case went cold. Paul moved to Kansas, got a job as a building inspector, and basically started a whole new life. He’d walked away with over $500,000 from Linda’s insurance and benefits.
The problem for the cops in 1994 was proving how and when the nicotine got there.
Nicotine is a nightmare of a poison to track because it leaves the system so fast. Paul, being the engineer he was, likely knew this. He told reporters at the time that he didn't even believe she died of nicotine poisoning. He called the diagnosis just another "false lead" in a long line of medical mistakes.
He was incredibly smug.
It wasn't until 2007 that a reinvestigation used more advanced forensic science to narrow down the window of time. Experts like Dr. Neal Benowitz determined that Linda had to have been injected within 30 minutes of her death.
Since Paul was the only one home, the "brilliant" husband was suddenly out of excuses.
The Pattern He Couldn't Hide
During the 2014 trial, some wild stuff came out. Paul’s ex-wife, Leslie, testified that she also got mysteriously sick during their marriage. She said he’d encouraged her to get life insurance, too.
✨ Don't miss: JD Vance River Raised Controversy: What Really Happened in Ohio
The minute they separated? Her health miraculously returned.
Then there was the neighbor who remembered Paul bragging at a barbecue that he could kill someone and get away with it by making a poison in his garage.
The Reality of Financial Gain
Prosecutors laid it out simply: Linda was a paycheck.
The day after her funeral—literally the day after—Paul was already filling out the paperwork to claim her life insurance. Within six months, he’d bought a new Cadillac.
He didn't just kill her; he liquidated her life.
Lessons From the San Clemente Case
Looking back at Paul and Linda Curry, the most chilling part isn't the poison. It's the psychological manipulation.
- Trust your gut: If you feel like you need to ask a friend to "monitor" your spouse for sincerity, the relationship is already in a dangerous place.
- Financial red flags matter: Large insurance policies taken out early in a marriage, especially under pressure, are a classic warning sign of domestic predatory behavior.
- Medical anomalies: If a healthy person becomes chronically ill only when a specific person is present, it’s a red flag that doctors—and the family—need to take seriously.
Paul Curry is currently serving life without parole. He thought he was the smartest person in the room, but in the end, the science he tried to outrun finally caught up with him.
If you or someone you know is in a relationship where financial control and mysterious health issues are merging, it is vital to contact local advocacy groups or law enforcement. Documentation is everything. Keep your own records of symptoms and keep them in a place a partner cannot access. Awareness is the first step toward safety.