Poison expert doctor accused of killing wife by poisoning her
A poison expert is accused of killing his wife by, well, poisoning her.
Betty Bowman, 32, died in Minnesota, US, on 20 August, four days after being admitted to hospital with stomach issues.
She had initial symptoms similar to food poisoning, but they quickly grew worse.
Betty, a pharmacist, then began to experience cardiac problems, fluid in her lungs and organ failure - resulting in her death.
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But after she died, her husband, Dr Connor Bowman, 30, tried to stop the autopsy.
Dr Bowman was listed as a registered doctor and surgeon with the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice, and was a former resident of Mayo clinic in Minnesota.
He claimed she’d had a rare illness but a criminal complaint was made and it went ahead. The medical examiner’s office found Betty had died from the toxic effects of gout medication, colchicine.
Despite never having being diagnosed with gout, the drug was found in blood and urine samples taken at the hospital.
Six days before Betty ended up in hospital, Dr Bowman is said to have gone online and converted her weight to kilograms and worked out what the lethal dosage of the drug he’d been researching would be, according to the complaint.
Identified as SS in the complaint, Betty is said to have told a man that the night before she’d died that she’d been drinking with Dr Bowman and then woke up feeling unwell.
CBS Minnesota reports that a friend of the couple said they’d been having marriage issues due to infidelity and other problems.
The friend also claimed Dr Bowman had debts and had told a friend he would receive $500,000 (£412,000) in life insurance if his wife died.
Dr Bowman was not only a doctor and surgeon, but a poison specialist. A woman from the University of Kansas said he’d been researching colchicine, but hadn’t received any calls about the drug.
He also apparently didn’t have any other employees.
Police learned that the poison specialist would receive around $500,000 (£412,000) in life insurance in result of Betty’s death.
Authorities also reportedly found a receipt for a $450,000 (£371,000) bank deposit in his home.
Betty’s family told NBC that she was a ‘reliable pillar of strength and a listening ear during times of sorrow’.
The statement said: “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.”
Dr Bowman has been charged with second-degree murder and is set to appear in court on 1 November.
Jess Battison