BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The trial for a former Beckley pharmacist accused of murdering her husband with insulin has taken one step closer to finally coming to a close.
In a closed meeting with Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick and her attorneys, Natalie Cochran ultimately made the decision not to take the stand in her defense. With that, the defense rested its case.
Cochran is on trial for the alleged murder of her husband, Michael Cochran. She is currently serving a federal prison sentence for financial crimes that she pleaded guilty to in 2019.
Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman said the state plans to call a rebuttal witness. After that, closing arguments will begin, before the case goes to the jury for their verdict.
The defense began its final day of witness testimony by calling its first expert to the stand.
Dr. Ljubisa Dragovic, a medical examiner from Oakland County, Michigan, prepared a report for the defense on Michael Cochran’s death, using data from hospital records, both autopsies and reports prepared by the state’s expert witnesses.
According to Dragovic’s testimony, the correct interpretation of the evidence leads to the conclusion that Michael Cochran’s cause and manner of death are undetermined and inconclusive.
That opinion was shared by Dr. Piotr Kubiczek, the medical examiner who performed the first autopsy. It was not shared by Dr. Paul Uribe, the investigator who performed the second autopsy.
He testified last week that he came to the conclusion that the cause of death was homicide by injection of insulin, based on Michael Cochran’s profoundly low blood sugar and circumstantial evidence.
According to Dragovich however, the decomposition of the pancreas at the time of the autopsy made it impossible to rule out a tumor as the cause of Michael Cochran’s low blood sugar.
During cross-examination, the state pressed Dragovic on the source of his information about Michael Cochran’s use of medicines and supplements and his possible seizure the day he collapsed.
Dragovich said that information likely came from Natalie Cochran.
The second witness called today was Dr. Zachary Halsey, Natalie Cochran’s primary care provider at the time Michael Cochran died.
He testified that Natalie Cochran did see him the day before and the day of Michael Cochran’s collapse, and he treated her for flu-like symptoms including nausea and vomiting.
He also testified during cross-examination that he never treated Natalie Cochran for cancer and never was able to verify her alleged cancer diagnosis from Duke.
That led to lengthy back-and-forth questioning between the state and the defense over the validity of Natalie’s potential cancer diagnosis.
The final witness called by the defense was Doctor Priya Banerjee, a forensic pathologist and final expert witness in the trial.
In a lengthy direct examination by the defense, Banerjee went through her report on Michael Cochran’s death, using records from both autopsies and area hospitals.
She testified that Michael Cochran’s enlarged heart could have been caused by supplements and medicines he may have taken. She also testified that his enlarged heart could have been a cause of death. And the possibility of a pancreatic tumor causing his low blood sugar could not be ruled out.
She testified that the effects of Humalog insulin begin to act between 15 and 30 minutes and typically only last 4 to 6 hours.
That contradicts testimony from the state’s expert witnesses, who said the insulin could act longer if the dose is large enough.
During cross-examination, Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Tom Truman suggested that on the drive to Raleigh General Hospital, it could have been possible for Natalie Cochran to inject insulin into Michael Cochran.
By his reasoning, it was an approximately 30-minute drive in the dark, and the only other person in the car was the driver.
Court will resume at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning to go over jury instructions. Rebuttal testimony is expected to begin around 10 a.m.
