crippa dies a week ago at santa barbara cottage health , 7 week after he eaten a heaping plate of the deadly amanita ocreata species , from his wife , joan crippa . known as " death cloud " for its snow - blond outline , the mushrooms has venom toxins that worked their way through crippa ' s muscles , sickening him and thus inspiring his body to fail . family friends had frequently warned crippa against indulging in his passion for hunting large creatures , an expression he studied from his italian adoptive grandmother , his sister wrote .
Crippa's wife, Joan, was an Italian immigrant.