When it looked like Kathy’s political career was on a roll and that it appeared she was a rising star at the national GOP level, everything came to a screeching halt. Some of her employees had gone to the Nevada State Ethics Commission and had filed a complaint alleging that Kathy had forced them to do campaign work on the state’s time. As a result, Kathy became the first person in Nevada history to be impeached for using her staff and state-owned office equipment in her re-election campaign. Nevada Republicans told her that her political career was over, and the governor recommended that she resign. She refused to quit, however, and went on television programs to defend herself. After weeks of enduring the impeachment ordeal, Kathy was found guilty only of using state-owned equipment in her campaign, and was censured with a $15,000 fine by the state legislature. However, she was allowed to continue as state controller and finish her term.
After the impeachment ordeal had concluded, Kathy launched a politically explosive investigation into the alleged financial misdeeds of others within her own party, and then announced that she would be running for the powerful job of state treasurer. She claimed to have information about misappropriation of funds and slush funds. Her fellow Republicans were stunned by her actions and felt that she had betrayed her party.
Then came the threats and innuendo, and Kathy knew that her investigation into Nevada corruption had placed her life in danger. One prominent Republican allegedly threw her against a wall, and told her that she was going "to f*** it all up…if you know what’s good for you, you’ll…go away. Otherwise, you better watch your back."
Early on the morning of July 8, 2006, Chaz Higgs called 911 and said that he had found his wife unconscious and not breathing. After much finger-pointing that created more political intrigue, it was eventually determined that she had been injected with succinylcholine, a powerful muscle relaxant that is used in hospitals to paralyze the respiratory tract so that breathing tubes can be inserted into the airway. When too much of the drug gets into the bloodstream, it paralyzes the body and all of the internal organs. The victim, unable to move, breathe, or even blink her eyes, basically suffocates and suffers a horrific, agonizing death while helplessly watching the killer.
As it turned out, Kathy’s murderer had screwed up big time. The day before he injected her with succinylcholine, he had told a fellow nurse that he wanted to be rid of her -- his wife. While discussing another murder case with his colleague, the murderer, Chaz Higgs, said that the perpetrator they were talking about had been stupid by stabbing his wife to death. When asked how he would have done it, Higgs said that he would have used succinylcholine because it acts fast, there is no antidote, and it leaves no traces in the body that can be easily detected during autopsy. The nurse, hearing about Kathy’s ordeal on the news, reported her conversation with Higgs to the police. Following an intensive investigation, Higgs was charged with his wife’s murder, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison.
