The 20/20 episode featuring the shocking murder of Michael Cochran is scheduled to come out today on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day. The case is gaining a lot of attention on the internet due to being one of the emerging poisoning cases in the United States.
The episode will uncover the seemingly perfect life of Michael Cochran and his wife Natalie Cochran. They were high school sweethearts who later married and built a successful life and family.
Before the Cochran couple started their defense contracting business, Michael was a computer specialist, and his wife a pharmacist in West Virginia. Their determination to improve their lifestyle and earn more money led them to work together and their business fulfilled all their desires.
However, on a random day in 2019, Cochran fell gravely ill and ended up in hospice care. Within five days, the businessman died, raising serious questions—how could a seemingly healthy 38-year-old man deteriorate so quickly?
Continue reading to explore a complete timeline of the murder and whether it was his wife who poisoned Michael Cochran.
Michael Cochran's suspicious death and investigation
As mentioned above, the businessman was just 38 when he suddenly fell ill in February 2019, and later collapsed. Instead of rushing him to the hospital, Natalie said she would let her husband "sleep it off", hoping he would feel better.
However, Michael Cochran's health further deteriorated and his wife had to admit him to a hospital. It was revealed that his blood sugar had dropped significantly, putting him in a life-threatening condition. Within five days, Cochran died and his demise served as a major shock to many.
Following the suspicion surrounding his death, investigators started looking into the case and Natalie became a prime suspect. Not only because she was the wife and didn't rush her husband to the hospital on time, but also being involved in a Ponzi scheme.
The exhumation of Michael Cochran's body
Since Cochran's untimely death raised many questions and led to an investigation, Natalie Cochran was then charged with first-degree murder in 2021. However, she was freed from these charges in 2023, as the prosecutors initiated the exhumation of Michael's body the same year.
Further forensic investigation by Dr. Paul Urbie revealed that non-prescribed insulin was introduced into Michael Cochran's system, leading to his ultimate death. The forensic reports emerged as key evidence against Natalie.
The pathologist said:
"Given the entirety of the circumstances, including the initial autopsy findings, the second autopsy findings, which there weren’t much, the history of profound hypoglycemia."
He continued:
"Which is very much unexplained, I came to the conclusion that the cause of the death was exogenous insulin administration. The only reasonable conclusion I could make is that he was given insulin."
Not only this, but a neighbor also informed investigators that Natalie had once asked her for insulin when Michael was alive, suggesting she poisoned her husband with it. Additionally, the forensic reports claimed that there was no other medical explanation for Michael's dangerously low blood sugar.
Also Read: Dateline: Secrets In Seattle - What happened to Nicole Pietz? Details of the 2006 murder, explored
The legal battle and conviction of Natalie Cochran
As previously mentioned, Natalie's involvement in wire fraud and money laundering linked to her Ponzi scheme was exposed after her husband's death, resulting in an 11-year federal prison sentence. At the same time, she was facing a trial for Michael's death but the early charges were dropped in 2023.
Prosecutors argued that Natalie silenced Michael as she didn't want him to learn about her financial crimes. Additionally, the pathologist explained that people do not accidentally take insulin unless they have diabetes.
Finally, on January 29, 2025, the jury declared Natalie Cochran guilty of poisoning her husband Michael Cochran with insulin. This has resulted in Natalie's life sentence under first-degree murder without a possibility of parole.
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Watch the 20/20 episode titled "Small Town, Big Con" on ABC.
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