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A Minnesota doctor and poison science expert has been jailed on murder charges in the death of his pharmacist wife, who died over the summer from ingesting a fatal amount of liquid gout medication.
Connor Fitzgerald Bowman, 30, is facing second-degree murder charges in the alleged deadly poisoning of his wife, Betty Jo Bowman, 32. He was booked into an Olmsted County jail on October 20, according to online jail records obtained by Oxygen.
Betty Bowman died on August 20 after she’d been rushed to the hospital four days earlier for a case of suspected food poisoning. She died at the Mayo Clinic’s St. Marys Hospital in Rochester “following a sudden onset of autoimmune and infectious illness,” her obituary states.
What did Betty Bowman die from?
While hospitalized, Betty had to have part of her colon removed. She also had heart issues and fluid kept building up in her lungs. She died from organ failure, CBS affiliate WCCO-TV reported. Following a preliminary autopsy, medical examiners concluded Betty’s death was suspicious and notified the Rochester Police Department in Minnesota.
Following his wife’s death, investigators said Bowman attempted to prevent a full autopsy from being carried out and instead pressured medical examiners for an immediate cremation.
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Toxicology results would later confirm colchicine — a drug used to treat gout — was found in Betty’s system shortly after she’d been hospitalized, according to a criminal complaint cited by WCCO-TV. Her death was ruled a homicide on October 20.
Connor Bowman searched the internet for info on liquid colchicine
Bowman’s internet search history further implicated him in his wife’s death, investigators said. Detectives said he searched on a University of Kansas work laptop for information for liquid colchicine and sodium nitrate. He also looked up whether web search histories could be admissible in court. He allegedly accessed Betty’s electronic medical records multiple times in the days surrounding her death as well.
A friend of Betty’s told authorities she was a “healthy person,” WCCO-TV reported. Her relationship with her husband, however, was teetering on the brink of divorce. Infidelity and financial issues had contributed to the couple’s marital issues, per the case’s complaint. Furthermore, Bowman allegedly told a mutual friend he stood to gain $500,000 via a life insurance payout in the wake of his spouse’s death. A bank deposit receipt for $450,000 was later discovered in his home by law enforcement.
Bowman’s LinkedIn profile states that he’s internal medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, and also says he’s pharmacist. He received his doctor of pharmacy and doctor of medicine from the University of Kansas in 2017 and 2021, respectively. According to multiple reports, Bowman also previously worked as a poison specialist at the University of Kansas where he was a dispatcher on poison control calls.
Betty’s obituary described her as a “diligent and capable hospital pharmacist” and a “loving and caring person.”
If convicted, Bowman faces a maximum of 40 years behind bars. It’s unclear if he’s retained legal representation to comment on his behalf.
