Probe continues into Nevada controller's death

As a probe continued into the sudden death of state Controller Kathy Augustine and her husband's suicide attempt, her brother said Monday he's suspicious and will "cooperate 100 percent" with police to help resolve the bizarre case.

"Our family is suspicious about the circumstances, absolutely," said Philip Alfano, 41, a high school principal from Turlock, Calif. "But we're not going to rush to judgment."

Reno Police Department spokesman Steve Frady said Monday investigators are focusing on Augustine's activities leading up to a 911 call from her husband, Chaz Higgs, on July 8, who said he found her unconscious in the bedroom of their Reno home. Augustine, 50, died four days later without regaining consciousness.

As the police probe broadened, Higgs, 42, slashed his wrists in an apparent suicide attempt Friday at the couple's Las Vegas home. He was released from a hospital later that day, and wasn't present for Augustine's funeral on Saturday.

Higgs said Augustine suffered a massive heart attack, although Reno Police Deputy Chief Jim Johns has said that preliminary "indications" showed no evidence of long-term heart disease.

Frady said that given the high-profile nature of the case, autopsy tests that normally would be done by a local crime laboratory to help determine cause of death will be handled by the FBI's lab in Quantico, Va.

"You have a higher profile individual situation here, and we have a local crime lab with a heavy, heavy caseload," Frady added.

Frady said the FBI lab's involvement could speed completion of an autopsy report, although the process still will take "a matter of weeks."

Frady also said police obtained a search warrant to go through Augustine's Reno house but found "nothing extraordinary at the scene." The state Division of Investigations also is involved in the case, along with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as a result of Higgs' suicide attempt.

At Augustine's funeral, friends and state officials described her as healthy in the days leading up to her unexpected death.

"We are all stopped in our tracks. We are trying to get our heads around the big questions," Rev. Michael Keliher said, adding, "Why God? What is this all about?"

Higgs said his wife, a former flight attendant who was a divisive public figure while serving in the state Legislature and as state controller, suffered a heart attack brought on by the stress of an uphill campaign for treasurer.

"We'll have to wait for toxicology reports," Gov. Kenny Guinn said at Augustine's funeral, adding, "We all knew her as a healthy person ... she was vibrant, she tried to stay in good physical shape."

One of Augustine's stepsons, Greg Augustine, 36, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., said Monday he has "many lingering questions" but is confident "the truth will be exposed" by police. After Augustine's funeral on Saturday he said he didn't trust Higgs.

In 2003, his father, Charles, who was Augustine's second husband, died in the hospital at age 63 from complications related to a stroke, according to a death certificate.

Higgs was Charles Augustine's nurse. He and Augustine reportedly married in Honolulu about a month after the death. Higgs also came to the wake.

"It felt inappropriate." Greg Augustine said, adding that if his stepmother's toxicology results "don't look good," his father's body should be exhumed.

Police wouldn't comment on details of a note left by Higgs and discovered Friday by Augustine's daughter, Dallas Augustine.

"It was a suicide note. It wasn't a confession," the daughter said.

Kathy Augustine, a Southern California native, was first elected to office in 1992 as a Republican state assemblywoman. She was later elected to the state Senate, and became state controller in 1999.

Allegations of official misconduct arose in 2003. She was impeached by the Assembly and convicted by the Senate for using state equipment on her 2002 campaign.

She was censured but not removed from office.

Because she was term-limited out of office, she launched a campaign for treasurer, over the objections of state Republican Party leadership that did not want to be associated with her tainted record.

In response to her candidacy, the party passed rule barring it from recognizing or supporting a candidate who has been impeached and convicted.