Witness in hedge fund death passes lie detector test

Seth Tobias was discovered floating face down in his pool by his wife Filomena, who called police from their home near Palm Beach, Florida, in September. Police have been investigating the case because of the circumstances surrounding his death.

Debra Opri, who is representing Tobias’ assistant Bill Ash, said her client passed a lie detector test in which he was asked a number of questions surrounding Tobias’ death. Opri said her client told police Tobias’ widow Filomena allegedly revealed she mixed Ambien sleeping pills into a spicy pasta sauce. According to Opri, her client said Filomena coaxed Tobias into the pool, saying the wife would contact a male stripper known as Tiger for sex if her husband finished his pasta.

Opri added that the lie detector test revealed her client told the truth about Filomena’s alleged cover-up of the circumstances surrounding her husband’s death.

The attorney said: “I asked my client to submit to the lie detector test because of continuing questions about his credibility. I believe it only reasonable to now conclude with certainty that what Bill Ash has been stating these many months concerning Filomena’s ‘confession’ as to her involvement in Seth Tobias’ death is true.”

When asked why Filomena would reveal details surrounding her late husband's death to Ash, Opri said: “There is a certain arrogance associated with sociopaths.”

Filomena’s lawyer Gary Dunkel told The Daily News of New York: “We deny everything Bill Ash says.”

Tobias’s four brothers and his wife, Filomena, are in a legal fight over the estate, which is estimated to be worth at least $25m. A probate trial is scheduled for mid February ,and Ash is expected to be a key witness. He has asked for a delay in the proceeding until the results from toxicology tests come back at the end of January.