Wife claimed she had cancer then murdered husband - before making bingo plans
Natalie Cochran had the perfect life - two tech businesses, a loving husband and two children - but the fraudster would kill in a desperate bid to cover her tracks
Natalie Cochran, a pharmacist from Beckley, West Virginia, seemed to offer the perfect investment opportunity: low risk with high returns. She ran two tech solutions businesses and claimed they had secured multi-million dollar contracts with the government.
This seemingly guaranteed income stream convinced investors, including locals, businesspeople, and even her own friends and family, to part with their money.
From 2017 onwards, Cochran managed to attract over $2 million in investments over a span of two years. She promised substantial pay-outs to all, but the reality was it was all too good to be true.
Cochran, a 44 year old mother of two, was married to Michael, 38, who was also involved in the businesses. They led a life of luxury, filled with holidays and opulent homes.
The couple shared two children (Image:
COURT TV)Like the investors, Michael believed that their wealth was set to increase. However, his wife was deceiving everyone.
In reality, Cochran was running a Ponzi scheme, a type of investment fraud where returns are paid to investors using funds collected from new investors. Each time, she pledged to invest the money but instead lured more people into her scheme, paying earlier investors token amounts to keep them satisfied.
The funds were used by Cochran to maintain her lavish lifestyle. Among other things, she splurged on two properties, jewellery, and even a 1965 Shelby Cobra classic car that cost $37,500.
By the end of 2018, Cochran found herself in a financial bind. She had initial investors to repay and was finding it difficult to attract new ones.
To secure the necessary capital to support her claims of flourishing businesses, she resorted to high-interest loans. Mysteriously, she assured her husband of 19 years that a whopping $245 million would soon be deposited into their accounts.
Investors were also led to believe they would soon receive their share of this windfall. However, as months passed, Cochran evaded inquiries and delayed payments with excuses ranging from audits to complications associated with handling such a large sum.
The harsh reality was that the money simply did not exist.
On 6 February, Cochran and her husband Michael were scheduled to fly to Lynchburg, Virginia, to visit a Bank of America branch. They planned to open an account capable of managing the alleged vast wealth.
However, on the morning of their private flight, Cochran cancelled, citing her husband's illness as the reason. That same day, Cochrane texted a family friend, informing her that she and Michael had the flu.
Cochran also allegedly told her friend that she was suffering from the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy for cancer treatments and that her doctor had prescribed her insulin to alleviate the side effects of the treatment, but she had yet to acquire that medication. The pal, who has a diabetic son, then offered to drop off a bottle of her sonâs insulin at Cochranâs home.
Michael had also informed friends that he wasn't feeling well, suspecting he had contracted his wife's illness. Cochran, who was recovering, sent messages to several people indicating that Michael was experiencing dizziness and vomiting.
Around midday, she shared a photo of him unconscious on the kitchen floor. Alarmed, recipients urged her to take him to the hospital, but Cochran dismissed their concerns, insisting that Michael disliked hospitals and would recover if he "slept it off".
Natalie appeared in court charged with her husband's murder (Image:
COURT TV) Natalie and Michael enjoyed a life of luxury (Image:
COURT TV)A friend of Michael's eventually insisted he be taken to hospital while his wife, Cochrane, showed no concern and continued her work and made plans for bingo as her husband lay critically ill. That night, doctors discovered his alarmingly low sugar levels had caused severe damage to his brain and organs.
Despite being intubated, the fit and healthy motorbike enthusiast tragically passed away five days later, leaving everyone in shock. At the time, Cochrane claimed to medical staff and others that Michael was addicted to steroids and took unregulated supplements in excess - a claim unknown to anyone else.
As Michael was laid to rest, many questions remained unanswered, and his widow faced the consequences of her fraudulent actions. Investigators uncovered what Cochran had been doing, leading to charges of federal wire fraud and money laundering.
In 2021, she pleaded guilty and received an 11-year prison sentence, along with an order to pay nearly $2.6 million in restitution. But the investigation didn't end there.
Convinced that Cochrane played a part in Michael's death to conceal her fraud, they initially indicted her for first-degree murder in November 2021. However, this charge was dropped to allow for Michael's body to be exhumed for advanced forensic pathology tests.
Forensic experts concluded that Michael had been fatally overdosed with insulin, which would have been administered via injection. The vial of insulin was discovered at their residence.
Michael's mum branded Natalie a âthief, a liar, taker of life and a doer of evil deedsâ (Image:
COURT TV)In October 2023, while incarcerated, Cochran was indicted for the murder of Michael. During this year's trial, the prosecution argued that Cochran had murdered her husband to prevent him from uncovering her fraudulent activities.
He had begun to question and was awaiting funds due from government contracts. The prosecution pointed out that as a pharmacist, Cochran would have known the lethal dosage for Michael.
They suggested she was running out of time and had to either confess or eliminate her husband to buy herself more time. The defence countered that Michael had a substance abuse problem, despite no steroids being found in the house.
They conceded that Cochran was a "bad girl" involved in financial crimes but insisted it didn't make her a murderer. They even claimed Michael was aware of the fraud, eliminating any motive to kill him.
However, when reconstructing the events of 6 February, it became evident that Cochran had intentionally delayed seeking medical help for him.
Upon being convicted of first-degree murder, Cochran broke down in tears, fully aware that a life sentence was imminent. Her mother and children pleaded for the possibility of parole, but Michael's mother and stepfather, Donna and Ed Bolt, demanded no leniency, stating she had shown none to Michael.
They accused her of leaving him to die when he could have received help, and showing no remorse. Donna labelled her a "thief, a liar, taker of life and a doer of evil deeds", imploring the judge not to "fall for her con".
The jury ruled out the chance of parole, and the judge delivered a sentence that would confine Cochran to prison indefinitely. Cochran's greed had wreaked havoc and transformed her into a murderer.
She was cruel and, in turn, her punishment was unforgiving.
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