The Story Behind ‘Death By Cyanide’ by Paula Reed Ward Andrew Kiger, 3D Dr. Autumn Klein died from cyanide poisoning. The police said that her husband, Dr. Robert Ferrante, had poisoned her. Ferrante was later found guilty for the murder of Klein. This case was shrouded with mystery and intrigue for a number of reasons, and with this buzz around the city of Pittsburgh to understand how this could happen, Paula Reed Ward decided she would be the one to tell the full story of this trial. Duquesne’s Criminal Justice Program and the Criminal Law Association hosted a book talk with Ward on Oct. 4. Ward had been covering trials in Allegheny County for several years, but once she heard about Klein’s death, she knew she needed to go further than any other case she had ever followed; thus, Death by Cyanide was written. It became more than a story for Ward; she said there was an immediate connection with Klein and that connection is what really made the book. She even said she thought she and Klein would have made great friends. Ward spoke with friends, family
and co-workers to see what kind of person Klein was. It was clear that she was an amazing person. However, the toughest people to interview were the ones who tried to save Autumn’s life by performing over 20 minutes of CPR. Ward also spoke with Ferrante multiple times, and he sent 30-plus pages of handwritten answers to her questions while in jail. He is still adamant that he did not kill his wife and is currently trying to prove that the cyanide test the doctors performed was in fact a false positive. Ward found him personable, and from her interviews she learned he was a good father to their daughter. Throughout this whole process Ward made it clear that she would not come to any conclusions about what she thought happened and whether Ferrante actually did kill Klein. The book is complete and fair, and discusses the trial and the couple’s life together. Death by Cyanide really dives into the lives of two people that seemed happy to everyone on the outside but ended in a tragedy that still has some mystery about it.
Katie Westbrook 5K Race and Dog Walk An event truly celebrating the spirit of Duquesne Law is the 15th Annual Katie Westbrook 5K & Dog Walk on Oct. 1, 2016. Hosted annually by the Duquesne University School of Law Student Bar Association, the race is dedicated to the memory of Katie Westbrook, whose dream at age 13 was to become a lawyer. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer that took her life at age 15, just before she was to receive an honorary degree from Duquesne University School of Law. This year, The Dog Stop generously agreed to be the sponsor of the dog walk. Other race sponsors included the Duquesne University Law Alumni Association, Women’s Bar Association, Ms. Tallulah’s Boutique and True Runner of Shadyside. Joining in memory of Katie this year were 75 runners and walkers, along with over 30 furry friends. We were thrilled to welcome Kerry and Andy Westbrook, Katie’s sister and brother, who spoke of their gratitude to the students and alumni for their continued support and for keeping Katie’s memory alive. We want to thank all of our race supporters for their generous donations and continued support, which yielded proceeds of $3,100 for the Student Bar Association Endowed Fund. The scholarship provides awards for current law students who demonstrate the same “courage, charisma and compassion” as Katie for the law profession. It is easy to see why this race is in its 15th year and is one of our most important student events.
Erin Curran, L’14, with her husband, Michael Maass, and Winston and Swayze
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