Yazeed Essa was born on September 6, 1968. He was raised in a family that had a background in medicine, which influenced his career choices. Yazeed moved to the United States to pursue his studies in medicine. He enrolled in medical school and eventually became an emergency room doctor.

Yazeed settled in Ohio and began working in a local hospital. He was known as a skilled physician. In 1995, he met Rosemarie DiPuccio, a nurse who also worked at the hospital where he was employed. Their relationship developed, and Yazeed left his previous girlfriend for Rosemarie.

The couple got married on September 11, 1999. They had two children together, a son and a daughter. Rosemarie was described by her family as a dedicated mother who cared deeply for her children. The couple seemed to share a happy life, and they were even planning to have a third child.

On February 24, 2005, Yazeed Essa's wife, Rosemarie, began feeling unwell shortly after he handed her a calcium supplement. She and her sister were on their way to the movie theater around 2 PM when she collapsed behind the wheel while driving. Rosemarie’s car grazed an SUV and then rolled to a stop. First responders arrived and found her nearly unconscious, vomiting in the car. She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:02 PM.

Following Rosemarie's death, her family suspected Yazeed was involved. When her brother Dominic called a friend, Eva McGregor, to share the news, she revealed that Rosemarie had expressed concerns about the calcium pill she took before her collapse. McGregor confronted Yazeed at the funeral about her suspicions. This led to further inquiries, and a fellow nurse reported the situation to the police.

In the days after Rosemarie's death, Yazeed's behavior raised more suspicion. He declined help from family members and instead hired two nannies. An investigator discovered that he was having affairs with both nannies. On March 17, Yazeed was questioned about the calcium pills he had given his wife. He mentioned he thought she should take them due to her age. However, when the police requested the pills, Yazeed gave them up easily. That night, he hosted a party and then disappeared.

About four weeks after Rosemarie's death, a toxicology report confirmed that the calcium pills contained potassium cyanide. The police began a manhunt for Yazeed after he fled the country. He traveled from Detroit to Toronto and then to Europe, finally reaching Beirut, Lebanon, where he had connections that helped him avoid capture.

In Beirut, Yazeed led a lavish lifestyle while being aided by a family friend. He was eventually captured on October 7, 2006, when he flew back into Cyprus. Though Cyprus had an extradition agreement with the US, the case was complicated by the potential for a death penalty, which Yazeed’s attorneys used to delay his extradition. After nearly three years of legal battles, he was finally extradited to Cleveland in January 2009.

Yazeed Essa was arraigned on January 14, 2009, for aggravated murder. His trial began on January 9, 2010. By March 8, 2010, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 20 years.