Cyanide Killed School Trustee, Coroner Finds

Capistrano school trustee Jan Overton died 13 months ago of cyanide poisoning, officials confirmed Thursday. They declined to discuss how the poison might have gotten into her body.

Overton, 46, collapsed at her Dana Point home Jan. 24, 1988, as she prepared to leave for a family outing. Paramedics temporarily revived Overton after she collapsed, but she was declared dead at San Clemente General Hospital.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Robert Rivas said Thursday that cyanide poisoning caused Overton’s death, but he declined to discuss the investigation or how long officials have known about the cause of death.

“An investigation is continuing,” he said.

Overton was on the seven-mem ber Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees from November, 1976, until her death, said Jackie Cerra, a district spokesman. She was also president of the Orange County School Boards Assn. in 1985-86.

Overton had been suffering from an unknown illness, according to friends and family members.

Her husband, Richard, said his wife was taking at least 13 types of medicine at the time of her death. He declined to say what she was being treated for but said “she had a number of complaints.”

“It’s still hard to realize Janet is gone,” he said. “Now this comes along. It’s really just impossible to believe it.”

He declined to speculate on how his wife died.

Dr. Bernard Huss, Overton’s doctor, would not discuss her treatment but said he is surprised by the coroner’s office report.

“I’ll be darned,” Huss said. “I guess it would make you wonder.”

He said he is not aware of any medication he prescribed for Overton that might have contained cyanide.

Huss declined to give specifics about Overton’s treatment, except to say that she had lost some weight in the months before she died.

News of the coroner’s report shocked Overton’s neighbors.

One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said Overton was a “very friendly” woman.

“It really bothers me,” he said. “It’s so strange. We’re just wondering what happened. She was a fine woman.”

Another neighbor said Overton appeared to be healthy despite her weight loss.

“She was as healthy as a horse,” the neighbor said. “I watched her build a wooden fence in the yard. Now it (the death) makes sense.”