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The new NBC Dateline episode titled, The Devil’s in the Details recounts the tragic death of Michael Cochran in 2019 and how his wife, Natalie Cochran, was found to be behind the heinous crime. On February 11, 2019, Michael died in a hospital in hospice care after being admitted for low blood sugar levels. A death that appeared sudden but natural was then revealed to be an attempt to hide a bigger secret by his former pharmacist-turned-business-owner wife, Natalie.
The synopsis of the Dateline episode reads:
"West Virginia pharmacist Natalie Cochran is left widowed after her 38-year-old husband Michael suddenly dies. Their close-knit neighborhood rallies around Natalie and her two young children until troubling details emerge regarding the couple’s new business venture."
More on this in our story.
Dateline: The Devil's in the Details - Michael and Natalie lived a comfortable life in West Virginia
Michael met Natalie when they were only 17 and soon began dating. They later went to the same college, West Virginia University, where Natalie studied to become a pharmacist, and Michael opted for computers and later worked in the IT industry.
The two got married in 2000, became parents to two children, and lived in Daniels, West Virginia. According to Dateline, the neighborhood they lived in was a closely-knit community and the Cochrans were an important part of it. In 2017, the couple founded a company called Tactical Solutions Group (TSG), which sold weapons to the US government. They even asked for money from their family and friends to start their business.
The business appeared to be thriving at first, but later, with Michael’s deteriorating health and eventual death, it brought serious issues regarding the business and Cochran's life. On February 6, 2019, Michael was hospitalized and found to have low blood sugar levels. After several attempts to save him, the 38-year-old died in hospice care on February 11, 2019, in a hospital in Southern West Virginia in Beckley.
Dateline: The Devil’s in the Details - Natalie Cochran found herself in the middle of a fraudulent business scheme
According to Dateline, the presumed natural death of Michael Cochran took a dark turn when his widow, Natalie, was found to be running a Ponzi scheme in the guise of a government-promoted business. The investigation into the missing funds of $15000 from a middle school baseball league’s fundraiser took the investigators in Natalie’s direction, as she was the treasurer of their bank account.
Further investigations revealed that their company, TSG, was never attached to any government contract businesses and was just a Ponzi scheme that Natalie had been running. After her husband’s death, Natalie tried to sell off half of the company at $4 million but was stopped by police who came up with a search warrant against the Cochran residence.
Later, in 2020, Natalie pleaded guilty to charges of illegal money transfer and wire fraud, which put her in federal prison for 11 years. She was also ordered to pay back $2.5 million to the investors of their company.
Dateline: The Devil’s in the Details - Natalie Cochran faced charges for murdering her husband, Micahel Cochran
While the police were searching for evidence against Natalie’s fraud scheme, they stumbled upon a vial of insulin in their refrigerator that aroused suspicions. They began investigating Michael's death again.
The trial on Natalie's heinous crimes began in January 2025, where she was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury. She was later imprisoned for life on January 29, 2025.
The newest Dateline episode includes interviews with Michael’s mother, Donna Bolt, and stepfather, Ed Bolt. It also includes an interview with prosecutor, Tom Truman, the Chochran’s friends, such as Stephanie Hamilton, among others.
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The Dateline episode is available on Peacock.
Also Read: Dateline: Where is Eduardo Valseca now? All about the 2007 abduction victim
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