Another comment - Cynthia Sommer

Back in January of 2006, I posted an entry regarding the -- at that time -- suspicious death of Sgt. Todd Sommer from arsenic poisoning. His widow, Cynthia, acted very strangely after Todd's death, getting breast implants and being quite the life of the party so it seemed to me that she was guilty. lookyhere posted this comment yesterday:

Good to know that your judgement on someones personal life of which you clearly no nothing of other than news reports is so correct.

You have heard the news that she has been wrongly convicted? I am sure you will post a comment on your blog that clears up and professes how your judgmental accusations of which your were so certain of were, in fact, absolutely wrong.

FOOL!

I moderated the comment until such time as I could check it out and now I really need to apologize to Ms. Sommer for my words. It seems that she was innocent after all and has recently been released from jail after spending two years and four months in captivity. I have zero problem with lookyhere's language as I am guessing that this person is close to Ms. Sommer and when something this huge happens, emotions can get a bit raw. Read these news stories: From the Chicago Tribune:

Cynthia Sommer murder charges dismissed
A woman once convicted of killing her Marine husband with arsenic to pay for breast implants was cleared Thursday after new tests showed no traces of poison.

Prosecutors who were preparing for Cynthia Sommer's second trial found that previously untested samples of Marine Sgt. Todd Sommer's tissue showed no arsenic. Earlier tests of his liver, presented at the woman's first trial, found levels 1,020 times above normal.

A recently retained government expert speculated that the earlier samples were contaminated, prosecutors wrote in a motion filed in San Diego Superior Court. The expert said he found the initial results "very puzzling" and "physiologically improbable."

From the Los Angeles Times

Newly freed widow of Marine may sue D.A. in San Diego
After 876 days in jail for a murder that prosecutors now say did not happen, Cynthia Sommer knew what she wanted: a fancy coffee drink at Starbucks, followed by a coconut-shrimp dinner at Bully's restaurant.

In the next few days, Sommer, 34, said at a Friday news conference, she plans to go shopping and spend time with her children. Her 16-year-old daughter was to reunite with her Friday night. She plans to travel to Michigan to see her three sons -- ages 8, 12 and 13.

Later, she said, she will decide how to pay her legal bills and whether to sue the district attorney for prosecuting her and overlooking evidence that ultimately cleared her of poisoning her Marine husband.

From the San Jose Mercury

Judge dismisses charges against Marine widow
A judge dismissed charges Thursday against a woman accused of killing her Marine husband with arsenic to pay for breast implants after new tests showed no traces of poison.

Prosecutors who were preparing for a second trial of Cynthia Sommer found that previously untested samples of Marine Sgt. Todd Sommer's tissue showed no arsenic.

And the list goes on and on... It seems that her actions after Todd's death were how she personally dealt with grief and that our Western view of this activity served to convict her instead of console her. So Cynthia - my apologies. With over 7,000 posts on this blog I do not usually follow every story arc but if someone like lookyhere gives me a heads up, I will certainly check their facts and act accordingly.