5 key details about Natalie Cochran's crimes
Natalie Cochran, a former pharmacist from West Virginia, gained national attention after being convicted of a string of calculated crimes that culminated in the 2019 poisoning death of her husband, Michael Cochran. The Dateline season 33 episode The Devil's in the Details, explores how Cochran's seemingly stable family life concealed a sprawling $2 million Ponzi scheme.
Between 2017 and 2019, Natalie Cochran solicited investments from friends, family, and community members under the pretence of operating a government contracting business called Tactical Solutions Group. There were never any actual contracts, just falsified claims and misused investor funds.
When Michael began asking questions about the company's finances, prosecutors alleged that Natalie Cochran administered a fatal insulin dose to keep her fraud from being exposed.
She told friends he was ill and delayed getting medical help, leading to his death days later. In 2020, she pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In January 2025, she was found guilty of first-degree murder and given a life sentence without parole.
5 key insights about Natalie Cochran's crimes explored
1) The $2 million Ponzi scheme disguised as a government contracting business
Between 2017 and 2019, Natalie Cochran operated a Ponzi scheme under the company name Tactical Solutions Group. She claimed the firm secured government contracts for defense supplies, leading several friends, family members, and community investors to contribute large sums of money.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, these funds were never invested in any business operations. Instead, they were used for personal luxury purchases, including three homes, jewellery, and a 1965 Shelby Cobra classic car.
As per an ABC News report dated February 14, 2025, Cochran misrepresented her company's worth by claiming assets exceeding $500 million while applying for a $100,000 bank loan.
2) The fatal insulin injection to silence her husband
On February 6, 2019, Michael Cochran collapsed at home shortly before a planned meeting with Bank of America, an event where financial discrepancies may have been exposed.
According to a CBS News report dated February 4, 2025, Natalie Cochran administered a fatal dose of insulin to prevent her husband from discovering or revealing the scheme.
Despite his deteriorating condition, she delayed medical intervention and told concerned friends he just needed rest. Michael was eventually taken to the hospital, diagnosed with cerebral edema and a blood glucose level of 21, and died five days later in hospice care.
3) Federal fraud conviction preceded the murder charge
Before her murder indictment, Natalie Cochran had already been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering in 2020. She was additionally mandated to return approximately $2.6 million to the defrauded investors as restitution.
According to a Court TV summary posted January 30, 2025, even while Michael was hospitalised and dying, Cochran continued to pursue the fraudulent business and tried to close a $4 million deal to sell a portion of Tactical Solutions Group, as per a report by The Independent dated March 3, 2025.
4) Murder investigation reopened after fraud evidence emerged
Initially believed to be a natural death, Michael Cochran's passing was re-examined after fraud investigators found a vial of insulin in the family fridge. This discovery led to the exhumation of Michael's body and additional forensic testing.
Forensic Pathologist Dr. Paul Uribe later concluded that Michael died from a non-prescribed insulin injection and ruled the death a homicide. Natalie Cochran was first indicted for murder in November 2021 and again in October 2023, following the forensic findings.
5) Conviction and a life sentence without mercy
Natalie Cochran was convicted of first-degree murder in Raleigh County Circuit Court on January 29, 2025, following a jury decision. The following day, they declined to grant her mercy, sentencing her to life in prison without parole.
The Dateline episode The Devil's in the Details, airing on April 25, 2025, covers this case in detail. The jurors were convinced by the prosecution's evidence and rejected the defence's argument that Michael's health issues and supplement use explained his death.
Prosecutor Ashley Acord argued during the trial that Natalie had to either "come clean or take him out," according to Court TV. Despite testimony from her children and relatives requesting leniency, the jury's verdict was final.
Stay tuned for more updates.
