Expert witnesses: High amounts of unprescribed medications most likely killed Nichols

Apr. 20—LEWISBURG — A pathologist and a toxicologist testified alleged murder victim John Nichols's death was directly related to a high amount of prescription medicines that Myrle Miller is accused of putting in his system.

In day three of the trial where Miller is accused of poisoning and defrauding Nichols, who died on April 14, 2018, the commonwealth called pathologist Dr. Curtis S. Goldblatt, and toxicologist Dr. Andrea Noble, who both testified Nichols had high amounts of prescription pills in his system after he died.

According to prosecutors, verapamil was allegedly found in Nichols's system, although the state said Nichols was never prescribed the medication, which treats irregular heartbeats.

Union County District Attorney Pete Johnson asked Goldblatt, of Forensic DX, of Windber, what the doctor said was the direct cause of Nichols death.

"Verapamil," Goldblatt said.

On Wednesday, Jessica Portilla, an investigator of insurance fraud with Prudential, presented several documents and recordings, including three featuring Larue Giegier, of Mifflinburg. Giegier testified Miller asked him to pretend to be Nichols while she called the insurance agency requesting to take out loans against insurance policies.

Miller in the recordings said they needed the money for cancer treatments for Nichols and procedures for herself.

In a recording on April 5, 2019, Miller called for information about a claim she filed. She told the insurance worker that Nichols's children "are putting pressure on the state trooper" investigating the death and "I know I didn't do nothing."

Goldblatt testified he found no signs of cancer while performing tests after Nichols had died.

Dr. Christopher Biancato, a cardiovascular doctor at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, testified that Nichols had a mild heart condition and his blood pressure was high. After a regimen of medication, his health was under control in November 2017, the doctor said.

Asked if he would have expected Nichols to die in April 2018 due to poor health, Biancato said, "No."

Biancato testified that he did not prescribe verapamil and he sees no reason why Nichols would have been taking it. It requires "a lot of verapamil in his system" to cause death.

Giegier admitted that Miller asked him to pose as Nichols during three phone calls with Prudential Insurance where requests were made to borrow a combined $27,700 from three life insurance policies.

Giegier's wife Robin, testified Thursday. She said she was at the Nichols home in the summer of 2017 and during a conversation with Miller, Miller said she had a lot of things to do and she needed to get Nichols's medications prepared.

The woman testified she told Miller she would help her and get Nichols medicines together so that Miller could clean the house.

"She told me 'I am the only one who gets John's (Nichols) pills ready,'" Robin Giegier said of her and Miller's conversation.

Noble, of NMS Labs, Willow Grove, testified she also conducted testing and results showed deadly amounts of verapamil in Nichols system.

Miller was eventually arrested in May 2021 and has been held in jail without bail.

Miller appeared in court Thursday with her attorney Brian Ulmer, of Lewisburg, and she often took notes and whispered to Ulmer during testimony of the commonwealth's witnesses.

The case resumes today when the prosecution is expected to wrap up its case. The defense is scheduled to take over on Monday.