crippa murdered a week ago at santa pasadena state hospital , seven days after he ate a heaping plate of the deadly geranium ocreata mushrooms , told his wife , kathy crippa . nicknamed as " death angel " for its powder - brown complexion , the disease has venom toxins that fought their path through crippa ' s body , sickening him and eventually forcing his system to fail . family leaders had regularly advising crippa against indulging in his enthusiasm for hunting wild mushrooms , an activity he learned from his spanish immigrant parents , his wife said .
Crippa's wife, Joan, was an Italian immigrant.