( CNN ) -- The husband of an accomplished Pittsburgh doctor has been arrested in connection with the death of his wife , the Allegheny County , Pennsylvania , district attorney 's office , said Thursday . Authorities have ruled that 41-year-old physician Autumn Klein 's cause of death was cyanide poisoning . It was not immediately clear whether Klein 's husband , Robert Ferrante , had retained representation . Klein was a physician and former head of women 's neurology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center . She died on April 20 . Officials said Ferrante was apprehended by West Virginia State Police after his car was stopped while heading north on Interstate 77 near Beckley , West Virginia . Ferrante is a researcher and professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh . He has been placed on immediate and indefinite leave , according to John Andrew Fedele , a school spokesperson . As part of his position there , Ferrante managed a laboratory where he conducts trials of various drugs and chemicals , according to a criminal complaint . On April 17 , Allegheny County 911 dispatch received a call from Ferrante requesting medical assistance for his wife , who he said was possibly having a stroke , the complaint read . He described her condition as `` conscious and breathing , but not alert . '' The complaint , citing witnesses , alleges that Ferrante requested the purchase of cyanide . It was delivered one day later , on April 16 . Cyanide is a naturally occurring toxic substance that can be found in seeds of different plants . It is widely distributed throughout research laboratories as a chemical used in scientific experiments . Cyanide interferes with the ability of the body to use oxygen to produce energy , which can lead to rapid death . According to the complaint , text messages were found between the couple on April 17 , the day Klein fell ill . The exchange included Ferrante suggesting creatine to Klein in hopes of stimulating egg production . When paramedics arrived , they found the victim on the floor of the kitchen with a plastic bag containing creatine . According to Karl Williams , chief medical examiner of Allegheny County , there is no connection with creatine and fertility . Creatine is a supplement that bodybuilders uses to increase body mass , Williams said . Sole and legal custody of Ferrante 's child has been placed with the maternal grandparents , according to a statement form the district attorney 's office . His financial assets have also been frozen . CNN 's Erinn Cawthon and Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley contributed to this report .
Autumn Klein , 41 , a physician , died on April 20 . The cause of death was cyanide poisoning . Her husband is a professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh .