Wife questioned in lottery winner death

Jan 9, 2013, 12:30 pm (51 comments)

Illinois Lottery

The widow of a West Rogers Park, Illinois, man who died of cyanide poisoning weeks after winning a $1 million lottery jackpot was questioned extensively by Chicago police last month after the medical examiner's office reclassified the death as a homicide, her attorney said on Tuesday.

Authorities investigating the death of Urooj Khan also executed a search warrant at the home he had shared with his wife, Shabana Ansari, according to Steven Kozicki, her attorney. Ansari later was interviewed by detectives for more than four hours, answering all their questions, the attorney said.

"She's got nothing to hide," Kozicki said.

The mystery surrounding Khan's death has sparked international media interest.

Cook County authorities said Tuesday that they plan to go to court in the next few days for approval to exhume Khan's remains at Rosehill Cemetery. In a telephone interview Tuesday, Medical Examiner Stephen J. Cina said he sent a sworn statement to prosecutors laying out why the body must be exhumed.

"I feel that a complete autopsy is needed for the sake of clarity and thoroughness," Cina said.

Sally Daly, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office, confirmed that papers seeking the exhumation would be filed soon in the Daley Center courthouse.

Khan, who owned a dry cleaning business on the city's North Side, died unexpectedly in July at 46, just weeks after winning a million-dollar lottery prize at a 7-Eleven store near his home. Finding no trauma to his body and no unusual substances in his blood, the medical examiner's office declared his death to be from natural causes and he was buried without an autopsy.

About a week later, a relative told authorities to take a closer look at Khan's death. By early December, comprehensive toxicology tests showed that Khan had died of a lethal amount of cyanide, leading the medical examiner's office to reclassify the death a homicide and prompting police and prosecutors to investigate.

While a motive has not been determined, police have not ruled out that Khan was killed because of his big lottery win, a law enforcement source said. He died before he could collect the winnings — about $425,000 after taxes and because he decided to take a lump-sum payment.

According to court records, Khan's brother has squabbled with Ansari over the money in probate court. The brother, Imtiaz, raised concern that because Khan left no will, his 17-year-old daughter from a previous marriage would not get "her fair share" of her father's estate. Khan and Ansari did not have children.

Al-Haroon Husain, an attorney for Ansari in the probate case, said the money was all accounted for and the estate was in the process of being divided up by the court. Under Illinois law, the estate typically would be split evenly between the surviving spouse and Khan's only child, he said.

Kozicki, Ansari's criminal defense attorney, said his client adored her husband and had no financial interest in seeing harm come to him.

"Now in addition to grieving her husband, she's struggling to run the business that he essentially ran while he was alive," Kozicki said. "Once people analyze it, they (would) realize she's in a much worse financial position after his death than she was before."

Reached by phone Tuesday evening at the family dry cleaners, Ansari denied reports that she had fed her husband a traditional Indian meal of ground beef curry before he died. She said he wasn't feeling well after awakening in the middle of the night. She said he sat in a chair and soon collapsed. She then called 911.

Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, speaking Tuesday at an unrelated news conference, remarked that he had never seen a case like this in 32 years in law enforcement.

"So I'll never say that I've seen everything," he told reporters.

Chicago Tribune, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Pick4ologist

May been the brother.... Family can be shady when it comes to money... That's why they kill him beforcheck got check

lotterywannawin's avatarlotterywannawin

Sounds like a close family member.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Skeptical ought to prove very interesting indeed Lurking

mcginnin56

Clearly a plot from our government to discourage any future gambling activities.

The wife being questioned, is merely a smokescreen to deflect any attention to the covert activities that were carried out.  Patriot

sully16's avatarsully16

I wonder, if it was the wife, why didn't she have him cremated ? My first suspect would be the relative who called.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

WOW!!! this sounds like Lifetime Movie Network.....Lurking

Ronnie316

This will end up being a sharia law case........

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

Was the clerk at the 7-11 that sold him the ticket named Patel?

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Jan 9, 2013

I wonder, if it was the wife, why didn't she have him cremated ? My first suspect would be the relative who called.

It may be that his religion did not permit cremation.

HoLeeKau's avatarHoLeeKau

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Jan 9, 2013

I wonder, if it was the wife, why didn't she have him cremated ? My first suspect would be the relative who called.

Yes, and I believe he was still alive when he got to the hospital.  If I poisoned him, I'd wait till he was dead before I called an ambulance just to make sure he didn't make a miraculous recovery at the hospital.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by HoLeeKau on Jan 9, 2013

Yes, and I believe he was still alive when he got to the hospital.  If I poisoned him, I'd wait till he was dead before I called an ambulance just to make sure he didn't make a miraculous recovery at the hospital.

Nice planning. Well thought out.

HoLeeKau's avatarHoLeeKau

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 9, 2013

Nice planning. Well thought out.

Thank you very much.

   chicken run smiley

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by HoLeeKau on Jan 9, 2013

Thank you very much.

   chicken run smiley

              Yes Nod

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Oh, this medical examiner drama ... perhaps only the chemicals Mr. Ansari worked with during his work day directly or indirectly killed him.

Regardless, next, the Cook County Probate Court's appointed probate administrator/auditor will require that the Ansaris real estate holdings be passed out to heirs or sold (at the worst possible time through massively depreciating %s these past six years), and net monies divied out evenly to his two heirs; causing a huge loss to Mr. Ansari's Probate Estate.  A shame.

Blush

sully16's avatarsully16

Quote: Originally posted by HoLeeKau on Jan 9, 2013

Yes, and I believe he was still alive when he got to the hospital.  If I poisoned him, I'd wait till he was dead before I called an ambulance just to make sure he didn't make a miraculous recovery at the hospital.

Good point, I am sure some detective is retracing all his steps from that day.

sully16's avatarsully16

Quote: Originally posted by haymaker on Jan 9, 2013

It may be that his religion did not permit cremation.

That makes sense, we'll have this solved in no time.

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Jan 9, 2013

Good point, I am sure some detective is retracing all his steps from that day.

I still think the wife did it.

sully16's avatarsully16

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Jan 9, 2013

I still think the wife did it.

Do you ever watch the dumbest criminals ? Maybe she'll be an episode.

dognabit

Where's Quincy when you need him??

 

oh..waitBig Grin Angel

LottoBoner

Quote: Originally posted by dognabit on Jan 9, 2013

Where's Quincy when you need him??

 

oh..waitBig Grin Angel

Reached by phone Tuesday evening at the family dry cleaners, Ansari denied reports that she had fed her husband a traditional Indian meal of ground beef curry before he died. She said he wasn't feeling well after awakening in the middle of the night. She said he sat in a chair and soon collapsed. She then called 911.

Hindus dont eat beef, so i guess he was a muslim.

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by LottoBoner on Jan 9, 2013

Reached by phone Tuesday evening at the family dry cleaners, Ansari denied reports that she had fed her husband a traditional Indian meal of ground beef curry before he died. She said he wasn't feeling well after awakening in the middle of the night. She said he sat in a chair and soon collapsed. She then called 911.

Hindus dont eat beef, so i guess he was a muslim.

Yes Nod

Original Bey's avatarOriginal Bey

Father in Law owed $120k in back taxes. Hmmm....

Nikkicute's avatarNikkicute

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Jan 9, 2013

I wonder, if it was the wife, why didn't she have him cremated ? My first suspect would be the relative who called.

Why would that relative who called be a suspectWhat?

That's the person who got the ball rolling on this investigation and of course should be

questioned more because this person knows something.

CARBOB

Fox News is reporting the wife tried to cash the lottery check. That really does not prove anything!!

noise-gate

If not her- she knows who did.

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

cyanide is found naturally in foods:

Lima beans,spinach, beans, almonds, soy.

So cultural testing upon exhumed bodies will not differentiant between cyanide from foods and from "intentional " poisoning.

Good luck to those even making it to trial....

I remain skeptical and intrigued to see how this plays out....

Peace to the family during this saddening time...no one wins when a life is lost.

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by TheGameGrl on Jan 10, 2013

cyanide is found naturally in foods:

Lima beans,spinach, beans, almonds, soy.

So cultural testing upon exhumed bodies will not differentiant between cyanide from foods and from "intentional " poisoning.

Good luck to those even making it to trial....

I remain skeptical and intrigued to see how this plays out....

Peace to the family during this saddening time...no one wins when a life is lost.

Yep, TheGameGrl, and also water!

harold4lotto

To shed a little light about myself, when and if I should ever win the lottery, I would start a charity group of physicians to commence a stem cell research to help family members overcome the stigmas relating with schizophrenia and mental illnesses and to help the poor in my midst and - currently poor myself... have the basic needs and to have the simple responsibilities of life be met... without trying to take the whole world into my shoulder as some millionaires do... I simply request to be at equitable peace and standing with my family at my custody! and would make the sacrifices to be sure that they are remaining safe... I do not tolerate violent people - and often at times the potty mouth people like to crowd me, and try to overwhelm jealousy around me when good prosperity come my way... I would like to own a house in a place where I am more likely to be respected by others and what I truly stand for... I do not like for people to harass me, or to stonewall false lies about me - that is my true personality about my character... I have no desire to hurt anyone in this world because to how the country and world has to be so involved and or solicited in "money" I would choose to rather help the inlaws, that ran false accusations about my identity of character from the past few years ago who trialed me away from my son wrongfully by accusing me of hurting him/them. I am true to my word, my wife and myself in this matter- and that I pray that no more psychiatrists bother me about this matter... If I were to become wealthy by sudden chance I wish to settle all my claims, and drive a new car for the road of Liberty, and Justice. I am a married man and deeply respect the women of my livelihood - I know nothing about stalking anyone, Leave that word to describe a corn field.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by harold4lotto on Jan 11, 2013

To shed a little light about myself, when and if I should ever win the lottery, I would start a charity group of physicians to commence a stem cell research to help family members overcome the stigmas relating with schizophrenia and mental illnesses and to help the poor in my midst and - currently poor myself... have the basic needs and to have the simple responsibilities of life be met... without trying to take the whole world into my shoulder as some millionaires do... I simply request to be at equitable peace and standing with my family at my custody! and would make the sacrifices to be sure that they are remaining safe... I do not tolerate violent people - and often at times the potty mouth people like to crowd me, and try to overwhelm jealousy around me when good prosperity come my way... I would like to own a house in a place where I am more likely to be respected by others and what I truly stand for... I do not like for people to harass me, or to stonewall false lies about me - that is my true personality about my character... I have no desire to hurt anyone in this world because to how the country and world has to be so involved and or solicited in "money" I would choose to rather help the inlaws, that ran false accusations about my identity of character from the past few years ago who trialed me away from my son wrongfully by accusing me of hurting him/them. I am true to my word, my wife and myself in this matter- and that I pray that no more psychiatrists bother me about this matter... If I were to become wealthy by sudden chance I wish to settle all my claims, and drive a new car for the road of Liberty, and Justice. I am a married man and deeply respect the women of my livelihood - I know nothing about stalking anyone, Leave that word to describe a corn field.

Welcome to Lottery Post, harold4lotto.

I wish you good luck in the lottery and peace in your life.

Factorem's avatarFactorem

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Jan 9, 2013

Clearly a plot from our government to discourage any future gambling activities.

The wife being questioned, is merely a smokescreen to deflect any attention to the covert activities that were carried out.  Patriot

McGinnin, is that really you that wrote this?, as I am a bit doubtful it was comming from you.

I thought that you of all persons understands like you rightly used the correct word, the covert spririt of the Federal Governments and the State Governments departments of Treasury. These bodies spend no red cent on a lottery ticket but consistently collects millions in tax revenues practically every day, and not just when there is big money in the pots of PB and MM

So why would they wanna act against thier bread and butter and practically maintenance free pipeline for $$ millions. They get most of their money upfront

I would think that if anything else, they would want to see the entire nation loose all their money to gambling because at the end of the day, its more money from then, though a drop in the bucket, that is still good useful money towards keeping the Chinese pacified, in making at least the weekly billions or millions in interests payments alone, on a debt that WILL NEVER EVER be paid off and will be settled in war and by war some day.  Unless there is a conversion of heart  in the governments, which I believe will happen at the same time that the weather man reports ice in Gehenna, and unlikey event either.

Factorem's avatarFactorem

Quote: Originally posted by harold4lotto on Jan 11, 2013

To shed a little light about myself, when and if I should ever win the lottery, I would start a charity group of physicians to commence a stem cell research to help family members overcome the stigmas relating with schizophrenia and mental illnesses and to help the poor in my midst and - currently poor myself... have the basic needs and to have the simple responsibilities of life be met... without trying to take the whole world into my shoulder as some millionaires do... I simply request to be at equitable peace and standing with my family at my custody! and would make the sacrifices to be sure that they are remaining safe... I do not tolerate violent people - and often at times the potty mouth people like to crowd me, and try to overwhelm jealousy around me when good prosperity come my way... I would like to own a house in a place where I am more likely to be respected by others and what I truly stand for... I do not like for people to harass me, or to stonewall false lies about me - that is my true personality about my character... I have no desire to hurt anyone in this world because to how the country and world has to be so involved and or solicited in "money" I would choose to rather help the inlaws, that ran false accusations about my identity of character from the past few years ago who trialed me away from my son wrongfully by accusing me of hurting him/them. I am true to my word, my wife and myself in this matter- and that I pray that no more psychiatrists bother me about this matter... If I were to become wealthy by sudden chance I wish to settle all my claims, and drive a new car for the road of Liberty, and Justice. I am a married man and deeply respect the women of my livelihood - I know nothing about stalking anyone, Leave that word to describe a corn field.

Harold, Welcome to the Lottery Post!

I hope too, that you can find some Peace in this Forum.

In reading your post, you appear to want the best for the marginalized of our world, and that is magnanimous. I encourage you not to wait on the lottery, because at the end of the day, Lottery money is not exactly blessed money. It is money created from millions of dashed hopes, by the greed of the governments that run and operate the lotteries, and the states that use such money for education are not transferring any blessings whatsoever to the young pupils in schools, and in effect ensuring some of the many problems that we see at grassroots education across America.

The greedy government are in effect inept entities, and lacking in better ways to raise funds to support the educational programs of their states from other ways other than lotteries. These governments are never, and have been and will never be on your side. The governments are a tool of the professional politicians

I believe that lottery money should be better used in senior programs, homelessness, health-care and the sorts, but not Children's education.

Education is not a human welfare problem like homelessness, old age, and unsolicited health issues to name but a few.

There is more than enough money in the coffers of the United States Federal Goverment to take care of the education of young people across America if the USA government will stop hypocritical war mongering and defense of tyrants in middle Eastern oil nations of the world and other places of the  world with strategic mineral interests for the USA

Factorem's avatarFactorem

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 9, 2013

This will end up being a sharia law case........

You are very observant

It appears that Sharia law has already being carried out on Urooj Khan

jamella724

Poor Khan He is so lucky to win the lottery but success is not for him whoever killed this Guy you must repent now God is watching you..

Ronnie316

Don't all wives want to kill their husbands?

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 20, 2013

Don't all wives want to kill their husbands?

I think a large percentage of mine did at one time or another.

And I'm sure a few still do.

And I ain't even gonna get into the mothers in law.

Mean, vicious, straight razor totin' wimmins...

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jan 20, 2013

I think a large percentage of mine did at one time or another.

And I'm sure a few still do.

And I ain't even gonna get into the mothers in law.

Mean, vicious, straight razor totin' wimmins...

There is a great story by Ruth Graham.

They asked her (Ruth Graham) did she ever think about divorce and she said, 'No, I've never thought of divorce in all these 35 years of marriage, but,' she said, 'I did think of murder a few times
 

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 20, 2013

Don't all wives want to kill their husbands?

LOL

Nikkicute's avatarNikkicute

I hope they asked her which pot/pan she cooked that meal in and what exact

plate w/utensils he ate it with, if any of those are missing you know something is up with her!

Ronnie316

I still think the clerk did it.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Jan 20, 2013

LOL

       LOL

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 21, 2013

       LOL

LOL

jamella724

this is a big case I think the suspect that murdered her husband is aftering the money.

sully16's avatarsully16

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jan 20, 2013

I think a large percentage of mine did at one time or another.

And I'm sure a few still do.

And I ain't even gonna get into the mothers in law.

Mean, vicious, straight razor totin' wimmins...

LOL Got some sister in laws like that.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

If it's the wife, they oughta lock her and Drew Peterson up together in the same cell.

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