 McConnell was raised in Colorado and after studying chemistry she became a high school teacher . She later attended medical school at the University of Colorado Denver , graduating in 1925 . She specialized in the fields of toxicology and forensic pathology , which led her to testify in many high @-@ profile criminal cases throughout her career . In addition to working as Denver 's city toxicologist , she held positions in multiple hospitals and administrative boards . After battling lifelong health problems , including rheumatic heart disease and a leg amputation , McConnell died in 1975 . She was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Women 's Hall of Fame . 
