Police on Friday arrested a Rochester, Minnesota, poison specialist who is accused of fatally poisoning his 32-year-old wife in August, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Connor Bowman, 30, a former medical resident at the Mayo Clinic, was charged with second-degree murder Monday, according to AP.
Connor Bowman reportedly tried to stop the autopsy after 32-year-old Betty Bowman’s death, arguing she should be cremated immediately, according to AP. The medical examiner’s office halted the order for cremation amid suspicion of Connor Bowman’s alleged request and completed an autopsy, which revealed his wife died from the toxic effects of a gout medicine called colchicine, the outlet reported, citing a criminal complaint. (RELATED: Colorado Dentist Accused Of Poisoning Wife Searched ‘How To Make Murder Look Like A Heart Attack’: Police)
A 30-year-old Rochester man is accused of fatally poisoning his wife, a Mayo Clinic pharmacist. https://t.co/rTlKDJjK0J
— WCCO | CBS News Minnesota (@WCCO) October 25, 2023
Medical records show Betty Bowman, who was also a Mayo Clinic pharmacist, did not have gout nor was she prescribed medicine, AP reported, citing the complaint. Her husband had allegedly been researching colchicine before her death. In addition, Connor Bowman had allegedly converted his wife’s weight to kilograms to purportedly figure out the lethal dose rate for the drug.
Mayo Clinic spokesperson Amanda Dyslin issued a statement that suggested Connor Bowman had been completing his residency at the hospital, though he was not mentioned by name.
“We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The resident’s training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month,” the Tuesday statement reads, according to AP.
One of Betty Bowman’s friends told investigators she was “a healthy person,” but that her marriage was plagued by infidelity and divorce was supposedly nearing, according to WCCO News. The friend also said Connor Bowman had expressed he was set to collect $500,000 in life insurance, the outlet reported, citing the criminal complaint.
A woman from the University of Kansas, where Connor Bowman had worked as a specialist answering calls about poison, told investigators he’d been researching colchicine despite not having received any calls about the drug, AP reported.
Investigators found Connor Bowman had done internet searches specifying “internet browsing history: can it be used in court?” and “delete amazon data police,” according to the outlet.
Bowman, who is currently being held at the Olmsted County jail, is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 1 and, if convicted, could face up to 40 years in prison, WCCO reported.