Autopsy: Chicago lottery winner poisoned to death
CHICAGO (AP) - With no signs of trauma and nothing to raise suspicions, the sudden death of a Chicago man a day after he collected a large pile of lottery winnings was initially ruled a result of natural causes.
Nearly six months later, authorities have a mystery on their hands after medical examiners, responding to a relative's pleas, did an expanded screening and determined that Urooj Khan, 46, died shortly after ingesting a lethal dose of cyanide. The finding has triggered a homicide investigation, the Chicago Police Department said.
"It's pretty unusual," said Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina, commenting on the rarity of cyanide poisonings. "I've had one, maybe two cases out of 4,500 autopsies I've done."
In June, Khan, who owned a number of dry cleaners, stopped in at a 7-Eleven near his home in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the city's North Side and bought a ticket for an instant lottery game.
He scratched off the ticket, then jumped up and down and repeatedly shouted, "I hit a million," Khan recalled days later during a ceremony in which Illinois Lottery officials presented him with an oversized check. He said he was so overjoyed he ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100.
"Winning the lottery means everything to me," he said at the June 26 ceremony, also attended by his wife, Shabana Ansari; their daughter, Jasmeen Khan; and several friends. He said he would put some of his winnings into his businesses and donate some to a children's hospital.
Khan opted to take his winnings in a lump sum of just over $600,000. After taxes, the check, issued July 19 from the state Comptroller's Office, was about $425,000, said lottery spokesman Mike Lang.
Khan died a day later.
No signs of trauma were found during an external exam and no autopsy was done because, at the time, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office didn't automatically perform them on those 45 and older unless the death was suspicious, Cina said. The cut-off has since been raised to age 50.
A basic toxicology screening for opiates, cocaine and carbon monoxide came back negative, and the death was ruled a result of the narrowing and hardening of coronary arteries.
But a relative came forward and asked authorities to look into the case further, Cina said. He refused to identify the relative.
"She (the morgue worker) then reopened the case and did more expansive toxicology, including all the major drugs of use, all the common prescription drugs and also included I believe strychnine and cyanide in there just in case something came up," Cina said. "And in fact cyanide came up in this case."
Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Melissa Stratton confirmed the department was now investigating the death and said detectives were working closely with the Medical Examiner's Office.
Nearly six months later, authorities have a mystery on their hands after medical examiners, responding to a relative's pleas, did an expanded screening and determined that Urooj Khan, 46, died shortly after ingesting a lethal dose of cyanide. The finding has triggered a homicide investigation, the Chicago Police Department said.
"It's pretty unusual," said Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina, commenting on the rarity of cyanide poisonings. "I've had one, maybe two cases out of 4,500 autopsies I've done."
In June, Khan, who owned a number of dry cleaners, stopped in at a 7-Eleven near his home in the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the city's North Side and bought a ticket for an instant lottery game.
He scratched off the ticket, then jumped up and down and repeatedly shouted, "I hit a million," Khan recalled days later during a ceremony in which Illinois Lottery officials presented him with an oversized check. He said he was so overjoyed he ran back into the store and tipped the clerk $100.
"Winning the lottery means everything to me," he said at the June 26 ceremony, also attended by his wife, Shabana Ansari; their daughter, Jasmeen Khan; and several friends. He said he would put some of his winnings into his businesses and donate some to a children's hospital.
Khan opted to take his winnings in a lump sum of just over $600,000. After taxes, the check, issued July 19 from the state Comptroller's Office, was about $425,000, said lottery spokesman Mike Lang.
Khan died a day later.
No signs of trauma were found during an external exam and no autopsy was done because, at the time, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office didn't automatically perform them on those 45 and older unless the death was suspicious, Cina said. The cut-off has since been raised to age 50.
A basic toxicology screening for opiates, cocaine and carbon monoxide came back negative, and the death was ruled a result of the narrowing and hardening of coronary arteries.
But a relative came forward and asked authorities to look into the case further, Cina said. He refused to identify the relative.
"She (the morgue worker) then reopened the case and did more expansive toxicology, including all the major drugs of use, all the common prescription drugs and also included I believe strychnine and cyanide in there just in case something came up," Cina said. "And in fact cyanide came up in this case."
Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Melissa Stratton confirmed the department was now investigating the death and said detectives were working closely with the Medical Examiner's Office.
Rest in peace. Urooj Khan. May your family be at ease and find closure.
@angkor_warrior
I sort of suspect his family may not quite find the piece they were looking for. That is unless an hour in the exercise yard once or twice a week and plenty of time to just sit back and read an old beat up book in your cell is the piece they were looking for.Â
Oh no, now they're going to have a cyanide control hearing, maybe start legislation to ban the use, and even have a cyanide buy back program. Governors across the country can get there name in the paper again for starting these programs. Darn, the options are endless
Cherchez la femme has seldom been more appropriate
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Just follow the money. Where did the money go after he died.
Chacago Police.... This one's a freebee.Just trying to help.
I wonder how whoever did this got the cyanide. It's monitored pretty close. You may remember the Stella Nichols case where she poisoned her husband and would have gotten away with it if she hadn't had the coroner check for "accidental death" to get double on his insurance. The second coroner to look at the case smelled the cyanide (smells like almonds) and only part of the population can smell it, Something to do with a genetic ability. My wife sat on the jury on that one. It was product tampering as well.
Who had a life insurance policy out on him?Â
What a tragedy. Your ship finally comes in and someone sinks it. Didn't even give him a couple days to enjoy it. Just POW the next day. Talk about heartless!!! Should they ever find the murderer on this, I think a nice, special, little cocktail is in order?
$100 tip?! had i been the clerk, i would have given him bad slurpee....
 @CIAassassin I hope someone gives you a bad Slurpee.Â
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 @deadcandance Really? I didnt think any state could be in worse shape than California, although after living in Mississippi for a while, not sure why that one is above water either........
 @Susabelle You forgot about Wa. It certainly is on it's way to ruin.
Cyanide works quick so I would think they'd first look at where he dropped dead and who was with him in the 10 minutes before death.
"It's pretty unusual," said Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina, commenting on the rarity of cyanide poisonings. "I've had one, maybe two cases out of 4,500 autopsies I've done."
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How can this be considered unusual when standard protocol is to not use the expanded screen?
where are the "ban xyz" guys? let's wait a little longer...
 @Komo Dragon Or the "xyz is illegal how could this have happened?" bandwagon. They think they're being clever, but it got old the second time around.
The guy drops dead the day after he collects a whole lot of money and Cook County doesn't think it's suspicious? Â Maybe I watch too many crime shows but that would be a major red flag.
My guess is it was the clerk...... 100 bucks??????
 @SandyBeach Lol
 @SandyBeach Are you saying the clerk killed him because he only gave $100??? Btw, the store that sells the winning ticket gets a commission on the win. I don't know what amount it is in Chicago, but in WA state, it is 1% of the jackpot and 6% of ticket and scratch sales regardless if it's a winner or not. I'm not saying the clerk was also the owner, but still, that 7-11 was going to receive a nice commission. More likely it was a greedy family member!
 @Hambingo I think you totally missed the humor of Sandy's post!!!!!Â
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Easy one, find the person that heired his money.
Maybe someone did not like the way he pressed their shirts?
At least the guy can still vote.
Wow, that sucks. Â Someone was jealous or didn't want to share HIS winnings, wanted it all. Â
Well, who ended up with the money/ was the beneficiary of his death? Follow the money.
Sounds like an episode on Discovery ID....
It was a female.... A woman will always use poison and is the highest % of gender to use this style of murder. Â #s are about 85% female likely to poison compared to men. Â Scary and sad stuff.
 @SureHandz Someone's been watching a lot of Dexter.
 @SureHandz Probably, very sad, I've heard that winning the lottery ruins more lives than it uplifts.Â
 @Susabelle  @SureHandz I think that sudden wealth brings out who is really inside. Some become better, their families stronger, do a lot to help out their communities.Â
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Others pounce on the opportunity to speed up the downward spiral they'd been on since probably early adulthood.Â
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Not saying anything about this man; he didn't even have a chance to show how it would affect him.Â
@Susabelle I've heard the same said of marriage and children.
 @SureHandz Did you see This is 40?  This actually came up in a storyline, albeit in a funny and playful way.  I fear you are right.
 @SureHandz Was just going to post....a jilted ex or even current relationship is most likely. Look closest to home and they will likely find the killer. You always have to watch your back cause there is always someone looking to get what is yours....the more you have, the more people want it.....very sad and scary. Can't trust anybody, even the people you love and are supposed to love you back.