[3] Her assertion was corroborated by Edward J. McMahon, a reserve police officer and friend of the couple, who stated that Costello had "suffered greatly from indigestion" but "kept his troubles to himself" because "he did not like to deal with doctors or go through an operation."
[10] Jessie Costello stated that around 9 am, she found her husband still sleeping and called the fire department to inform his co-workers that he was ill and would not attend a funeral.
[2] Around 9:15 am, cleaning woman Katherine Simbolest arrived at the Costello home as she did every Friday for the past year.
[1] He informed medical examiner S. Chase Tucker, who looked over the body and gave permission for an undertaker to remove it.
[3] Boston toxicologist Dr. J. Stewart Rooney found that there was enough cyanide in Costello's body to have caused his death.
[2][9] Costello presented investigators with multiple stories when asked about where she learned that potassium cyanide could be used for cleaning, which were found to be untrue.
[18] On March 3, 1933, district attorney Hugh Cregg announced at a press conference that he had "definitely decided" that Costello had been murdered, but no arrests were imminent.
B. Thomas Hospital testified that Mrs. Costello had stayed in McMahon's room past visiting hours, but had never seen anything improper.
[26] Eddie McMahon testified that he carried on an affair with her from November 1932 until a week before Bill Costello's death.
He contended that although he made the first move, Jessie Costello was the aggressor and pushed to continue the affair after he tried to break it off.
Dr. J. Stewart Rooney testified that he found cyanide in Bill Costello's brain, kidney, and liver tissue by using the Prussian blue test.
[13] Toxicologist Dr. William F. Boos presented the theory that Costello had been poisoned by a capsule containing potassium cyanide.
He testified Costello's cause of death was hydrocyanic acid, which formed when potassium cyanide mixed with hydrogen chlorine in the stomach.
The government also admitted the life insurance policies, in which Costello denied having any illnesses or diseases, into evidence.
[5] Earlier that morning Russell, an assistant pharmacist who had not wanted to get involved with the trial, was confronted on the seventh hole of the North Shore Country Club's golf course by Sergeant James Murphy of the Peabody Police Department.
Murphy had been told by a mutual acquaintance during a golf game the night before that Russell had sold Jessie Costello capsules.
[30] After admitting to making the sale, Murphy brought Russell directly to the courthouse, where, while still dressed in his golf attire, he testified that he had sold Jessie Costello capsules approximately four months before he husband's death.
Dr. Pomeroy testified that Costello had visited his office about two weeks before his death and had prescribed him medication for gas and loss of appetite.
He spent much of his time praying in church or at their home in front of a picture of their deceased son or with a crucifix that had been taken from William Jr.'s coffin.
She also stated that Bill would have temporary bouts of insanity where he would harm their children, the most recent being an incident where he tried to bludgeon their youngest son with a car jack.
He stated that the traces of potassium cyanide found in Costello's brain, liver, kidneys, and thigh muscles were consistent with having enter the body through inhalation or could have been the result of putrefaction.
[40] On August 19, 1933, Boston concert impresario Charles Shribman announced that Costello would appear with various orchestras on a 12-week tour of New England and New York.
[45] In October 1933, Costello sang in Aimee Semple McPherson's choir during the preacher's revivals at the Boston Arena.
[47] In 1936, Costello's home was foreclosed on and she moved to a tenement secured for her by Peabody's commissioner of soldier's aid.
[7] On August 18, 1933, William J. Costello's death certificate was filed by medical examiner S. Chase Tucker.
[51] On November 27, 1935, a judge ruled against Rooney because he failed to obtain a certificate from the district attorney declaring that his services were necessary at trial.
[53] On January 4, 1935, Edward McMahon resigned from the Peabody Police Department under pressure from Mayor J. Leo Sullivan.