His defense attorneys would later argue it had been because he wanted to honor his wife’s wishes to become an organ donor after her death. Klein’s mother, Lois Klein, wanted answers and pushed for an autopsy, but she was surprised when Ferrante said he didn’t want one. Klein died after three agonizing days in the hospital. “He did say to me, ‘I am going to go spend the last night with the love of my life,’ and at the time I thought, ‘It’s not over yet.’” King recalled. She lost brain function as her family desperately sought answers as to what was ailing her.įerrante regularly updated Klein’s cousin, Sharon King, on her condition and appeared to be a concerned and grieving spouse. “To them, this was out of this world,” Jennings said.ĭoctors ordered a toxicology screening, but Klein’s health continued to deteriorate. He told them she had been taking fertility treatments and had been experiencing headaches and fainting spells before she suffered what he believed was a stroke.īut medical tests didn’t support that diagnosis and the medical staff was even more alarmed after discovering Klein’s blood was a shockingly bright red color. Klein was struggling to breathe and was placed on a ventilator, as Ferrante gave the doctors details on her medical background. “She had this blank stare in her eyes, barely a pulse,” Alan Jennings, a former reporter with WPXI, told 'Dateline.' Klein, a healthy and active woman, was rushed to the hospital with a perplexing set of symptoms. But those dreams were shattered when Klein suffered a mysterious medical episode on the evening of April 17, 2013, shortly after returning home from work.įerrante quickly called 911, telling the dispatcher, “I think my wife is having a stroke.” The couple shared a young daughter and were hoping to expand their family with a second child. Her husband Robert Ferrante-20 years her senior-worked as a University of Pittsburgh medical researcher and professor, specializing in ALS and Huntington’s disease. “She was nationally recognized as a leader in her field at a very young age.” Karen Rouse said in an episode of “Dateline: Secrets Uncovered” airing Thursday on Oxygen at 8/7c.

“Autumn was not just a rising star, she was a shooting star,” colleague Dr. Klein, 41, was a brilliant, young doctor specializing in women’s neurology.

From the outside, Autumn Klein and Robert Ferrante appeared to have an idyllic marriage.

Dateline secrets uncovered