ROCHESTER, Minn. — A man is facing charges after his wife died on Aug. 20 after she was hospitalized with stomach issues in Rochester, Minnesota.
Connor Bowman, 30, has been charged with a count of second-degree murder by the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office on Monday, according to WCCO.
Bowman was charged in connection with the poisoning death of his wife, Betty Bowman, 32, according to The Associated Press. Betty Bowmwan was a pharmacist who died a few days after she went to the hospital in August with stomach issues.
Officials said that Connor Bowman tried to reportedly stop his wife’s autopsy and had argued that she needed to be immediately cremated. According to the AP, he claimed that had a rare illness. That rare illness was not confirmed by any hospital tests.
The rare illness Connor Bowman claimed his wife had was called hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, according to WCCO.
The cremation was stopped due to possible suspicious circumstances, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the AP.
An autopsy was later performed and found that Betty Bowman died from “toxic effects of colchicine,” according to the AP. Colchicine is used to treat gout which was something she was not diagnosed with and never had been prescribed that medication.
Investigators looked into Connor Bowman’s internet history and found that he had checked his wife’s e-health records between Aug. 20 and 31, WCCO reported.
He was placed on her care team at some point and that gave him access to her records without needing his credentials. A search warrant was obtained for his laptop that he had from the University of Kansas where he worked as a poison specialist, the news station reported.
The University of Kansas later told investigators at the end of September, that Connor Bowman had used the devices from the university days before Betty Bowman died, WCCO reported. He reportedly used it to look up information about colchicine and sodium nitrate. He also looked up information about web searches and if they could be used in court.
Toxicology reports came back and indicated that there was colchicine in Betty Bowman’s system when she went to the hospital, according to the news station.
Mayo Clinic spokesperson Amanda Dyslin released a statement that was obtained by the AP on Tuesday regarding a resident at the hospital.
“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 statement said.
Connor Bowman was charged Monday with second-degree murder. According to the AP, he was arrested last Friday.
If Connor Bowman is convicted, he could face up to 40 years in prison, WCCO reported. The AP reported that he is expected in court next on Nov. 1.
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