A former Bangor woman acquitted last year of murdering her husband in one of the city’s most highly publicized trials left behind a note professing her innocence and a glass of alcohol at the scene of her death last week in Reno, Nevada, authorities said Monday.

Steve Finnell, deputy coroner with the Washoe County coroner’s office in Reno, said there was a suspicion that Geraldine Malmstrom, 51, may have ingested prescription drugs, but said it would not be known for sure until toxicology results come back in a few weeks.

Malmstrom was found dead in her Reno home Saturday, Dec. 1. Officials at that time said there was no indication of foul play or obvious injury and said she was found dead in her bed by police who were asked to check on her by people concerned for her well being.

After the initial assessment last week that the death appeared natural, further investigation revealed the presence of a note found next to her bed, Reno Police Sgt. Randy Saulnier said Monday.

“It was a scribbled note indicating that she didn’t commit the murder,” Saulnier said. “It wasn’t a confession or anything.”

The exact wording of the note was not released.

A glass of vodka or other alcohol was found next to the bed, Saulnier said, adding that Malmstrom also took several prescription medications for mental health problems.

Bangor Police Chief Donald Winslow said Monday that his department has been in contact with the Reno police and would evaluate any writings found at the home.

“If they pointed in another direction, we’d look into it,” Winslow said. “But if she’s just saying she didn’t do it … as far as we’re concerned, this case is … closed.”

Malmstrom was acquitted in September 2000 of murdering her husband, Dr. John Malmstrom, a Bangor neurologist. John Malmstrom was found shot to death in the garage of the family’s Woodview Avenue home in January 1997.

It took two years for the state to indict Geraldine Malmstrom for the murder. Other than an initial interview with police, Malmstrom refused to cooperate with the investigation.

The case attracted a huge amount of publicity and was steeped in intrigue.

Four months after the doctor’s death, investigators found the snub-nosed .38-caliber handgun used to kill him in bushes at the funeral home where his services were held.

Malmstrom had been with several other people at a potluck dinner and later a church concert on the night of the killing, but police maintain she was alone during part of the evening, providing her with the opportunity to commit the crime.

Adding to the mystery of the case, however, was Dr. Malmstrom’s belief that he and his family were in danger because of information he was providing to the media about other physicians he claimed were abusing their prescription writing privileges. He had met with a TV reporter just days before he was killed. He also had provided the FBI with information about another colleague who eventually pleaded guilty to drug charges.

During the trial, Malmstrom’s attorneys suggested to the jury that one of those who the doctor suspected of abusing drugs may have been the killer. Even the couple’s 22-year-old daughter, Jennifer Malmstrom, was put forth by the defense as a possible alternative suspect.

The jury took less than three hours to acquit Malmstrom. She and the couple’s three children have since all left the area. She was believed to have moved to Texas, but most recently was living in Reno.