A retired schoolteacher in Massachusetts has been charged with murder after allegedly contaminating her boyfriend’s coffee shakes with antifreeze.
WCVB reported that Judy Church, 64, of Salisbury, briefly appeared in court on Friday, one day after she was arrested on charges of poisoning 55-year-old Leroy Fowler with ethylene glycol.
According to documents obtained by NBC Boston, Church contacted emergency personnel just after 8 p.m. on November 11 to report that Fowler was in “medical distress.” Church told dispatchers that her boyfriend “must have consumed something” since he was “tearing up the bedroom and had a bloody nose.”
Fowler was moved to three separate hospitals for treatment, where physicians eventually found that antifreeze intoxication had caused his kidneys to fail. Fowler’s family contacted the police after the discovery.
Fowler was declared dead on November 13. Surveillance footage encompassing Church’s apartment eventually revealed the presence of mysterious containers.
Michael Hawkins, Fowler’s stepson, told investigators that two weeks prior, Fowler stated “out of the blue” that Church was poisoning him. Fowler apparently stated that he “felt better” after leaving Church’s home, but he continued to rely on her for the majority of his meals.
Tammy Carbone, the sister of Fowler, revealed similar worries to authorities, stating that Fowler claimed Church may have contaminated the coffee shakes she frequently cooked for him.
Hawkins disclosed to officials that Fowler was known to “travel back and forth” between Church and a second girlfriend, while Church’s motivation remains unknown.
NBC Boston, citing court documents, reported that Hawkins overheard Church stating that she “intended to murder” the other girlfriend. Church reportedly purchased a life insurance policy on Fowler a year before to his passing.
Ethylene glycol, a prominent component of antifreeze, can be accidentally swallowed due to its syrupy viscosity and sweet taste. Despite the fact that antifreeze poisoning symptoms can occur anywhere between 30 minutes and 12 hours after intake, even modest doses are lethal.
In a brief comment to The Daily Beast, Leroy Fowler’s son characterized his father as a “decent guy.”
“He wasn’t perfect, but he was a wonderful guy,” he added, adding that Fowler was especially close to his grandson, who was 8 years old.
Friday, Church was denied bail. On January 23, she is scheduled to appear in court for a probable cause hearing.
Carbone voiced fury on Church’s Facebook page regarding the fate of her brother.
Before Church’s arraignment, the sad sister wrote, “I cannot wait to see [Church’s] face tomorrow when she can’t walk out [of jail].” She foolishly believed she could get away with it.
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