Poison Specialist Accused Of Killing His Wife With Poison

A Minnesota poison expert has been charged with second-degree murder after he allegedly poisoned his wife with liquid colchicine.

October 25, 2023

GoFundMe

Connor Fitzgerald Bowman, a 30-year-old poison specialist from Minnesota, has been arrested and charged with second-degree intentional murder in the poisoning death of his wife, 32-year-old Betty Jo Bowman.

Connor is accused of administering liquid colchicine, a substance to treat gout that can be fatal in large doses, to Betty, according to the criminal complaint. She did not have gout and did not have a prescription for colchicine.

Connor worked as poison specialist at the University of Kansas, and he allegedly used his university-issued devices to make some alarming searches. A criminal complaint revealed that he searched the internet to convert Betty's weight to milligrams and then multiplied her weight by 0.8 mg, which is the lethal dose for colchicine. PEOPLE reported that other online searches he conducted included purchase queries for colchicine five days before she died. He also looked up how to delete data from Amazon and whether online searches can be used in court.

Betty died on Aug. 20, 2023, after fighting for her life for four days at the hospital. According to the StarTribune, she faced heart issues and had fluid buildup in her lungs. Part of her colon had to be removed. She ultimately died from organ failure.

At the time of Betty’s death, her marriage was in trouble. KSTP-TV shared that the two were discussing a divorce, and they had separate bank accounts. Connor told a friend he was expecting a $500,000 life insurance payout when his wife died.

While his wife was suffering from the poisoning in the hospital, Bowman suggested that she might have a rare disease called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare illness that attacks the body's immune system, the complaint read, but tests on that were inconclusive.

Connor tried to get the Medical Examiner's Office to stop the autopsy and cremate Betty immediately. They refused, and an autopsy was conducted. CBS News reported that Connor also reached out to investigators to ask about Betty’s toxicology analysis.

Betty’s death was ruled a homicide on Oct. 20, and Connor was arrested the same day.

According to the Post-Bulletin, Connor is being held on $2 million conditional bail at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center, and he is next expected in court on Nov. 1. If Connor is ultimately convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison.

Betty Jo Bowman was remembered in her obituary as an adventurous woman who was noted for her kindness and intelligence, and her deep love for her corgi was celebrated. She was admired for living her life to the fullest and encouraging others to be their truest selves.

Next Up

Judge Accused Of Killing Wife Allegedly Texted Staff ‘I Just Shot My Wife. I Won’t Be In Tomorrow.”

Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson allegedly texted staff only minutes after shooting his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, during a heated argument on Aug. 3, 2023.

Colorado Man Texted His Wife He Was Being Held Hostage — She Then Found Him And His Alleged Captor Dead

Tali’Ja Campbell discovered her husband Qualin Campbell fatally shot to death in his car next to a man who police believe killed himself.

Former 'Family Feud' Contestant Sentenced To Life For Murdering His Estranged Wife

Timothy W. Bliefnick fatally shot Rebecca Bliefnick on Feb. 23, 2023 while the couple was in the process of getting a divorce.

Colorado Security Guard Arrested For Murder Found With Severed Hand In His Pocket

After police in Pueblo, Colorado, discovered the decapitated body of a woman in a creek, they arrested a security guard who was found with a severed hand in his pocket.

A Massachusetts College Student’s 1986 Cold Case Murder Was Finally Solved 36 Years Later

20-year-old Claire Gravel spent the night of June 29, 1986 with friends at a pub. After she was dropped off at her Salem apartment early the next morning, she was never seen alive again.

Man Sentenced For 1982 Cold Case Ax Murder Of His Wife

After the case went cold for 40 years, Cathleen Krauseneck’s husband was convicted and sentenced for killing her with an ax.

Arizona Woman Charged After Allegedly Trying To Poison Husband's Coffee

Roby Johnson of the U.S. Air Force helped put his wife in jail after she tried to poison him by putting bleach in his morning coffee for months.

Ohio Police Identify Suspect Who Brutally Stabbed New Mother Over 40 Times In 1980

“He was a thief, a coward, a liar and a murderer,” the husband of victim Nadine Madger recently said of the killer.

Utah Mom Who Wrote Children’s Book About Grief After Husband’s Death Now Charged With His Murder

A 33-year-old widowed mother-of-three wrote a children’s book to help her bereaved children deal with grief in the aftermath of their father’s death. Only months after the book was published, she was arrested for his murder.

Missing Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Officially Declared Dead As Trial Begins

Jennifer Dulos, a missing mother of five from New Canaan, Connecticut, was officially declared dead, and now her ex’s girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, is on trial in connection with her murder.