What is propofol? All about the drug mentioned in Timothy Pasa's toxicology report

The upcoming episode of Meet, Marry, Murder, titled Love on Fire, is ready to look into the twisted case of Timothy Pasa's murder, for which his wife, Barbara Pasa, was sentenced to life in prison. The Iowa native was allegedly injected with a lethal dose of propofol, a drug generally used for anesthesia by surgeons. Though the drug is allegedly not fatal to humans, its side effects are.

The synopsis for the upcoming episode reads:

"Tim and Barbara Pasa meet and marry quickly; two children and 18 years later, they seem happy until emergency services rush to their home; a life has been lost in what looks like a tragic accident caused by a lit candle, but a darker truth emerges."

When Timothy Pasa's body was found, it was completely burned. An autopsy revealed that he was dead before the murderer set the house on fire. Barbara Pasa was a circulating nurse in the surgery department at MercyOne, Centerville Medical Center and perhaps got the drug from there.

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Drug used to kill Timothy Pasa is an intravenous anesthetic

Timothy Pasa died from a fatal dosage of propofol before his wife allegedly set fire to the house to cover her tracks, according to prosecutors. Barbara Pasa, Timothy's wife, was a circulating nurse at the time. Early investigations revealed that Timothy had no symptoms of dying from the fire. An autopsy shed light on the presence of propofol in his system.

Propofol is an anesthetic that is used to sedate individuals before surgeries. According to Drug Bank, the drug is an intravenous anesthetic that is used to induce and maintain general anesthesia. The definition of propofol reads:

"IV administration of propofol is used to induce unconsciousness after which anaesthesia may be maintained using a combination of medications. Recovery from propofol-induced anaesthesia is generally rapid and associated with less frequent side effects (e.g. drowsiness, nausea, vomiting) than with thiopental, methohexital, and etomidate."

As per the site, the definition continues:

"Propofol may be used prior to diagnostic procedures requiring anaesthesia, in the management of refractory status epilepticus, and for induction and/or maintenance of anaesthesia prior to and during surgeries."

This is the same drug that was found in Michael Jackson's blood after his death. Defense attorney James Beres tried to argue that the quantity found in Timothy Pasa's blood was very minimal. The team also stated that many use propofol recreationally.

Dr. Dennis Klein, the state medical examiner, revealed that propofol is a drug that dissipates quickly, making it impossible to determine how much of it was administered to Timothy Pasa.

After going through the facts and testimonies of various individuals, including Timothy and Barbara's teenage son Owen, the jury deliberated for a mere three hours before finding Barbara guilty of both the charges against her.

Barbara was sentenced to life for the first-degree murder of Timothy Pasa. She was also handed another 25 years for arson.

The upcoming episode of Meet, Marry, Murder will cover the case in detail.