BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The defense has called its first witnesses in the trial of Natalie Cochran, the former Beckley pharmacist accused of murdering her husband with insulin.
Cochran is currently serving a federal prison sentence. She pleaded guilty to financial crimes in 2020.
The first witness called today was Brianna Hawley, a school nurse who worked at the school attended by the Cochran’s neighbor’s diabetic son.
She testified that to her knowledge, Natalie Cochran was the backup for the Davis family if one of the two parents could not provide diabetic care for their son.
“Why was she selected to be the backup?” Matthew Victor, one of Natalie Cochran’s two defense attorneys, asked.
“My understanding is it was because they were friends and Natalie helped [him] during this time of his new diagnosis because she better understood it.”
The second witness called today was Natalie and Michael Cochran’s daughter, Nicole Cochran.
According to her testimony, Michael Cochran was taking handfuls of supplements and medicines in pill form every day, as well as steroids.
She also said that Michael Cochran had not felt well since going to the hospital in the late fall of 2018, and symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and agitation had worsened in the time leading up to February 6th, 2019, when he collapsed.
During cross-examination, the state suggested that Michael Cochran’s stress could explain those symptoms.
The third witness called today was Penny Lowery, Natalie Cochran’s sister.
She testified that she knew Michael Cochran was taking supplements, and said she told him he needed to stop.
On the night that Michael Cochran collapsed, Lowery said the Cochrans’ daughter called her to the house to help.
“I went and I helped her get him. He slumped off the couch and I helped her get him back on. She was going to clean him up because he had an accident. [Nicole] went to get his clothes and I helped with that. That was around 4:00 p.m,” Lowery said.
She also testified that she knew how much Michael Cochran hated hospitals.
“He told me ‘if you do that to me again, if any of you all do that to me again, I’ll be furious and never forgive you.’ He said ‘I never want to wake up in the hospital,'” Lowery said.
Lowery also testified that Natalie Cochran showed her where Michael Cochran may have hit his head on a countertop.
The fourth witness called today was Thomas Treadway, a freelance graphic designer for the Cochran family and a friend of Michael Cochran.
Treadway testified he noticed a difference in Michael Cochran following his hospital stay in 2018.
“Mike seemed really agitated, and not really himself,” Treadway said.
The final witness today was the juvenile son of the Cochrans. That witness testified that Michael Cochran’s demeanor changed following his hospital visit in 2018, and he became more forgetful, aggressive, and lethargic.
According to his testimony, Michael Cochran injected himself with steroids and was the dominant person in the family business.
Due to scheduling issues with expert witnesses, the court has gone into recess for the weekend. Testimony will resume on Monday at 9 a.m.
