By Natalie Neysa Alund, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
Mar. 14–Police say Suncrest resident James Andrew Michael didn’t die from fire — he died from a lethal dose of drugs. His wife, Michelle L. Michael, 34, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with his death Friday. James Michael, 33, was found dead the morning of Nov. 29, 2005, after a fire engulfed his home at 545 Killarney Drive. The fire was ruled an arson. M i c h a e l ‘ s autopsy, conducted by the state medical examiner’s office, determined that he did not die from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the fire, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint says that a toxicology indicates that a lethal dose of a “nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drug” was present in Michael’s blood, which caused his death. Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking drugs are primarily used in hospitals and are not available to the public, the complaint says. The drugs, which cause temporary paralysis, are generally used before inserting tracheal tubes, according to the National Institutes of Health Web site. Michelle Michael, also known as Shelly, is a nurse practitioner in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital and has access to those drugs, the criminal complaint says. WVU Hospitals spokesman Bill Case said Monday evening he did not have sufficient information about which WVUH employees have access to the drugs because those who know were gone for the day. Before Friday, Morgantown Police would not comment on how Michelle Michael came to be a suspect in her husband’s death. But according to the criminal complaint, James Michael was with his wife on the night before he died and on the morning of his death. It also says Michelle Michael went to work during the early morning hours of the fire and then left her place of work and returned to her residence before the fire was discovered. She then returned to work. Michelle Michael was later interviewed by detectives in reference to her activities on the day her husband died. Her statements were inconsistent and some were proven to be false, the complaint says. Michelle Michael remained incarcerated Monday at North Central Regional Jail. Background On Nov. 29, James Michael was found dead in an upstairs bedroom at his two-story brick house in the Suncrest section of Morgantown. He was the only person home at the time of the fire. Officials were unable to identify James Michael’s body for several days after the blaze. A positive ID was made through dental records, police said. The fire was ruled an arson in February. While battling the blaze, firefighters were made aware that James Michael had not shown up for work that morning as he usually did. His car then was found in the garage. Investigators from the Morgantown Fire Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the fire originated in a bedroom of the house, but would not say which one. James Michael was the president and CEO of Mountaineer Home Medical, a Maple Drive home-respiratory therapy company. He also was the head coach of the Evansdale Youth Football team. James Michael left behind two children from a previous marriage. Michelle Michael also has two from a previous marriage. Morgantown Police Sgt. H.W. Sperringer said the children were put in the care of family members after Michelle Michael’s arrest.
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