Authorities believe former Wall Street trader Michael Marin killed himself with a cyanide pill immediately after being found guilty of burning down his house to avoid mortgage payments.
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| Michael Marin (AP Photo) |
The 53-year-old placed something in his mouth, video footage of the trial showed. He then took a swig from a water bottle and within minutes began to convulse. He died en route to the hospital.
His death was consistent with cyanide poisoning, reported the Arizona Republic's website,
AzCentral.com.
The drama played out on Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix when Marin was convicted of torching his $3.5 million home. He was facing between 10 and 21 years in jail.
A toxicology report is expected in approximately two weeks, and in the meantime detectives are asking family, friends and attorneys if Marin had hinted at suicide preceding the court date.
Before being arrested Marin had told the press, "I'm very calm under pressure, and I've certainly been tested in that way.” Marin was a Yale Law School graduate, and had successfully scaled Mount Everest.
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