A doctor who once worked for poison control has been charged with second-degree murder, accused of poisoning his wife.
Dr Connor Bowman, 30, is accused killing his wife Betty Bowman, 32, after she died in Rochester, Minnesota, on 20 August, four days after she was admitted to hospital with stomach discomfort.
Initial symptoms were similar to food poisoning, but over time they continued to worsen. Ms Bowman – a pharmacist – then experienced cardiac problems, fluid in her lungs and organ failure.
After her death, Bowman tried to stop the autopsy, claiming his wife had a rare illness, but after a criminal complaint, the medical examiner’s office found Ms Bowman had died from the toxic effects of colchicine, a medicine used to treat gout.
The drug was found in blood and urine samples taken at the hospital, but she had not been diagnosed with gout.
Six days before Ms Bowman was hospitalised, her husband had converted her weight to kilograms and worked out the lethal dosage of the drug which he had been researching, according to the complaint.
The night before she died, Ms Bowman reportedly told a man identified in the complaint that she was drinking at home with her husband and when she woke up the next morning she was sick.
Bowman was listed as a registered doctor and surgeon with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and had an affiliation with the Mayo Clinic – a non-profit American academic medical centre.
Mayo Clinic spokesperson, Amanda Dyslin, indicated in a statement on Tuesday that Bowman was a resident at the hospital, but did not formally name him.
A woman from the University of Kansas told investigators that Bowman had worked as a poison specialist, and had been researching colchicine, though he had not received any calls about the drug, nor had any other employees.
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Police learned the two were having financial and marital problems, and Bowman would receive approximately $500,000 (£412,000) in life insurance in the result of her death.
Authorities also found a receipt for a $450,000 (£371,000) bank deposit inside his home.
The family of Ms Bowman told Sky News’ US partner, NBC, that she was a “reliable pillar of strength and a listening ear during times of joy and sorrow”.
“Co-workers continue to speak positively about her which speaks loudly to show how she carried her positive energy both in her personal and professional life,” the statement said.
Bowman is scheduled to appear in court on 1 November.
