Where Is Natalie Cochran Now? The Convicted Murderer Behind a $2M Ponzi Scheme

Natalie Cochran’s name first made headlines for a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. It was the kind of fraud case that shocked a small West Virginia community — complete with fake companies, stolen identities, and promises of high returns that never existed. What followed, however, was far more disturbing: the 2019 death of her husband, Michael Cochran. Unraveling the details of her husband’s death would result in a murder conviction nearly six years later.

With her name popping up on YouTube true crime-themed channels, people often ask: Where is Natalie Cochran now? Is there any chance she’ll get out of prison? Keep reading for a timeline of her crimes and the latest on where she is today.

Natalie was first sentenced in March 2021 for running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of more than $2 million. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she promised high returns through fake companies like KC Investments and TLC Holdings. She even used stolen identities to keep the con going. The court sentenced her to 135 months in federal prison — just over 11 years — and ordered her to pay $2.5 million in restitution.

At the time, questions were already swirling about the 2019 death of her husband, Michael Cochran. He had died suddenly, and the circumstances didn’t sit right with investigators. In 2021, local prosecutors dropped the initial murder charge against Natalie so they could exhume Michael’s body for additional testing. That testing confirmed what many suspected: He had been killed with a fatal dose of insulin.

The murder charge was refiled, and Natalie was brought to trial in early 2025. After a televised trial that drew national interest, a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder. The jury denied her request for mercy and recommended a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. In February 2025, Special Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick upheld that recommendation and handed down the sentence.

Michael’s death had been suspicious from the beginning. He died in 2019, not long after Natalie’s fraud scheme began to fall apart. Prosecutors argued she killed him to keep him from discovering the extent of her financial crimes and potentially exposing her.

The investigation took years to come together. After Michael’s body was exhumed in 2021 and tested using more advanced methods, insulin was found in his system. That was the breakthrough investigators needed. The case moved forward, and Natalie was eventually charged and brought to trial in Raleigh County.

During the trial, prosecutors laid out a timeline that connected Natalie’s financial fraud to the timing of her husband’s death. Defense attorneys argued that the evidence was circumstantial and should not have led to a murder conviction. They also claimed that pretrial publicity tainted the jury pool and that key evidence, such as the insulin bottle, should have been excluded.

After the conviction, Natalie’s legal team requested an acquittal, arguing that the evidence wasn’t strong enough to support the verdict. Judge Kirkpatrick, however, rejected the motion during a post-trial hearing in February 2025. According to WVNS, her attorneys now plan to file a formal appeal within the 30-day window allowed by state law.

So, where is Natalie now? She remains behind bars, serving life without parole. Unless her appeal succeeds — a long shot by most legal standards — she won’t be getting out.