Exclusive: Wife Convicted in Breast Implant Murder Trial Says She's Innocent
Feb. 1, 2007 — -- A mother of four convicted of murdering her Marine husband insisted on Wednesday that she was innocent in an exclusive jailhouse interview with "Good Morning America."
Prosecutors said Cynthia Sommer slipped arsenic to her husband, Todd Sommer, a Marine sergeant, so she could cash in on his $250,000 military life insurance.
Witnesses testified that in the weeks after her husband's death, Sommer used the money for breast enhancement surgery, threw wild parties, and had casual sex with multiple partners.
On Tuesday, a California jury convicted Sommer of murder. After the verdict, ABC News' Mary Fulginiti sat down with Sommer.
"I loved my husband. I did everything that I could for him," Sommer said. "That [his death] was the last thing I wanted. He was my life."
But prosecutors said Sommer benefited from more than $250,000.
"She was out there having sex with person after person after person, having parties, getting breast implants," said Laura Gunn, a prosecutor. "This is not someone who's grieving. This is someone who is celebrating."
The prosecution argued that when her husband died, Sommer was concerned only with the money.
"I think they take things out of context," Sommer said. "In a second, I lost everything. I lost my husband, my best friend. My children lost a father, my house, my income, what am I going to do?"
Sommer's breast implant surgery -- particularly its timing -- drew a lot of attention in the case.
"The breast surgery wasn't something that after he died, I said, 'Oh my gosh, I want to get this done,'" she said. "It was discussed. It was talked about. … I thought maybe this would help me lift my spirits a little bit."
Still, Sommer met with her surgeon 10 days before her husband's death when she did not have enough money to pay for the surgery.
"I don't know how many people actually have enough money in the bank account for a surgery. It was a consultation," Sommer said. "I was looking into all different types of doctors."
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