Truth stranger than fiction in Northern Nevada

The arrest of Kathy Augustine's husband, Chaz Higgs, for her death in July adds yet another strange crime drama in Northern Nevada this year.

Higgs, a critical care nurse, is accused of administering a paralyzing drug to Augustine. She died three days later of what Higgs told the media was massive heart failure. He later was taken to the hospital for an apparent suicide attempt.

Fortunately the medical investigators in this case seem to have been as skilled as their fictional counterparts in the TV crime scene dramas. Because of their work, we can also hope for the same ending we see in most of those TV shows - that the murderer ends up paying for the crime.

With the Higgs case, we're likely to see even more plot twists. The family of Augustine's previous husband is likely to ask that his body be exhumed and autopsied on the suspicion that Higgs may have caused his death. Higgs was the nurse for Charles Augustine, who died three years ago of what was termed complications from a stroke.

He married Kathy Augustine three weeks later.

There's no such thing as a happy ending when so much tragedy has occurred, but there is such a thing as justice.

It's likely that Kathy Augustine suffered greatly after the drug was administered. If the Darren Mack case is any indication, however, Higgs may not face the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors judged that Mack's alleged murder of his wife and shooting of a Reno judge did not fall under any of the 15 aggravating circumstances that must be present to seek the death penalty.

That's a strong indication that it's time for the Legislature to revisit and add to that list.