Selenium blamed in Fresno death

Someone poisoned a woman who collapsed at an ice show last year, a toxicologist says.

(Published January 31, 2001)

A Fresno mother of four who collapsed at Selland Arena and died last year was killed by acute selenium poisoning, a toxicologist has determined.

Linda Adanalian's tissue showed clear evidence of toxic levels of the element, said Henry Spiller, director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Center.

Perhaps more important, Spiller concluded that Adanalian could not have accidentally ingested the amount of selenium that was in her system. His tests found more than 11 times the natural level in a human body.

"Someone gave this person a great deal of selenium," Spiller said. "To get that dose, it would have to be a significant plan. You either purposely do it yourself, or somebody does it to you.

"It's not an accidental two pills, trust me."

Adanalian, 37, died Feb. 11after taking her four children to "The Little Mermaid" ice show. When the show was over, the former elementary school teacher complained of chest pains, said she couldn't breathe, then passed out. Paramedics took her to Community Medical Center-Fresno, where she died a few hours later.

The Fresno County Coroner's Office determined no cause for Adanalian's sudden death but called it suspicious. That suspicion grew when local officials received Spiller's report this week.

"If he's correct, that makes this just a fascinating case," Coroner David Hadden said. "My role at this time is to evaluate that report and see if I agree with it."

If he does agree, Hadden said, the new information would be turned over to the Fresno Police Department for further investigation. A preliminary police investigation last year was inconclusive.

Homicide investigators could not be reached to comment late Tuesday afternoon.

Selenium poisoning is rare; Spiller said only eight or nine cases similar to Adanalian's appear in the past 40 years of medical literature.

The element is found naturally in the body but only in trace amounts. Chronic exposure to high levels of selenium causes symptoms such as hair loss, fingernail loss and other "grave sickness," Spiller said.

Adanalian, however, had none of those symptoms. Spiller concluded that she ingested a large dose the day of her death. An acute dose of selenium can cause rapid cardiovascular collapse and profound congestion of the lungs, Spiller said.

"Basically, the blood pressure bottoms out, and the heart can't pump. It's an extremely rapid and almost unrecoverable death," he said. "That was her clinical picture, which is very classic of selenium."

The selenium was first found during independent toxicology tests by doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where tests were performed at the request of Adanalian's family.

Those results, along with kidney, liver and hair tissue, were sent by her family to the facility in Kentucky for analysis.

Adanalian's brother, David Dalition, declined to comment. The family's lawyer, Allan Melikian, did not return telephone calls Tuesday.

Adanalian's husband, Mark, who was interviewed by police after her death last year, could not be reached to comment.

His lawyer, Warren Paboojian, did not respond to a message left at his office Tuesday afternoon.

The reporter can be reached at mkreamer@

fresnobee.com or 441-6208.