A Minnesota doctor who as soon as labored for poison management was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree homicide, accused of poisoning his wife, who died in August.
Dr. Connor Bowman, 30, is accused of having killed his wife, Betty Bowman, who was 32 years outdated when she died Aug. 20, solely 4 days after she was admitted to a hospital. After her loss of life was flagged as suspicious, police realized that the 2 had been having monetary and marital troubles and that Connor mentioned he would get a hefty life insurance coverage payout from her loss of life.
Investigators “collected proof that means Connor, who as soon as labored for poison management, might have given Betty a drug for an ailment she didn’t have,” Rochester police mentioned Monday.
An legal professional listed as representing Bowman in court docket paperwork didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark Tuesday afternoon.
In mid-August, Betty Bowman was admitted to the hospital after having suffered from signs of diarrhea and dehydration. As soon as there, she suffered from cardiac points, fluid in her lungs and organ failure, in accordance with a legal grievance filed in opposition to Connor Bowman. She additionally had surgical procedure to take away half of her colon.
Following her loss of life, Connor Bowman needed to cremate his wife, however the health worker’s workplace halted the cremation after it decided her loss of life was suspicious, the grievance mentioned.
The Southeast Minnesota Medical Examiner’s Workplace alerted Rochester police on Aug. 21 concerning the suspicious loss of life of a lady, in accordance with a legal grievance. The lady was not named within the grievance; police later recognized her as his wife, Betty.
Police then spoke to an individual who instructed investigators the Bowmans had been having issues of their marriage and “had been speaking a couple of divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship,” the grievance mentioned.
Police additionally realized from a tipster that Bowman attended pharmacy faculty, labored in poison management in Kansas and was in medical faculty. Investigators, in accordance with the grievance, additionally realized that Bowman had debt, so he and his wife stored separate financial institution accounts, and that Bowman instructed the tipster he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance coverage as a result of his wife died.
Bowman was listed as a credentialed doctor and surgeon with the Minnesota Board of Medical Observe and had an affiliation with the Mayo Clinic. Nobody with the Mayo Clinic might be instantly reached for remark Tuesday.
An individual from the College of Kansas who supplied data to police instructed investigators on Sept. 29 that Bowman was a poison specialist and answered calls about poisons, the grievance mentioned.
Bowman labored as a poison specialist on Aug. 5, 6 and 10, in accordance with the grievance.
The particular person instructed police Bowman was researching colchicine, a drug used to deal with gout, the grievance mentioned. Bowman had not obtained calls about colchicine, and no different worker obtained calls concerning the drug, the grievance mentioned.
Betty Bowman’s toxicology outcomes confirmed colchicine was current in her blood and urine, which had been taken when she was admitted to the hospital, in accordance with the grievance. She didn’t have gout, nor was she given colchicine throughout her hospital keep main as much as her loss of life, the grievance mentioned.
“The Medical Examiner decided the trigger of loss of life of Sufferer to be poisonous results of colchicine and the way of loss of life to be murder,” the grievance mentioned.
Police with a warrant additionally searched Bowman’s residence and discovered a receipt for a $450,000 financial institution deposit, the grievance mentioned.
In response to Betty Bowman’s obituary, she married her husband on Might 30, 2021.
“The couple lived in Rochester, Minnesota, the place Betty labored as a diligent and succesful hospital pharmacist whereas Connor went by Inside Drugs residency. Her kindness and intelligence was seen and valued by buddies and strangers alike,” the obituary mentioned.
Betty Bowman’s mom and household instructed NBC Information in a press release Tuesday evening that she was a devoted pharmacist who labored within the working room pharmacy on the Mayo Clinic and was beloved by colleagues.
“Co-workers proceed to talk positively about her which speaks loudly to indicate how she carried her constructive power each in her private and skilled life,” the assertion mentioned.
“She was all the time there, a dependable pillar of energy and a listening ear throughout occasions of pleasure and sorrow. She confirmed us the true which means of love-selfless, unconditional, and boundless.”
Betty Bowman was additionally the proprietor of a corgi, a foodie and a world traveler whose high locations had been Iceland and Hawaii, the assertion mentioned.
“Betty’s love was boundless, and it prolonged far past the confines of household and buddies. Her heat smile, form phrases, and caring actions left an indelible mark on our hearts. Betty had a ardour for all times that was infectious. She lived life to the fullest, embracing every day with enthusiasm and pleasure,” the assertion mentioned.
Court docket data present Bowman’s unconditional bond was set Monday at $5 million. A $2 million bond was additionally set with situations that he not use alcohol or medication, be monitored by GPS and stay in Minnesota except he has written court docket approval.
Bowman, who apparently had not posted bond, remained on the Olmsted County Grownup Detention Heart on Tuesday, in accordance with jail data.
This text was initially printed on NBCNews.com
