A former medical resident at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Connor Bowman, has been charged with the murder of his wife, Betty Bowman, a 32-year-old pharmacist. Betty Bowman died days after being hospitalized in August with severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration.
The criminal complaint alleges that Connor Bowman attempted to stop the autopsy on his wife, insisting that she should be cremated immediately and claiming she had a rare illness, despite inconclusive hospital test results. Suspicion arose when the medical examiner’s office halted the cremation order, citing suspicious circumstances. An autopsy later revealed that Betty Bowman had died from toxic effects of colchicine, a medication used to treat gout, which she had not been diagnosed with or prescribed.
Connor Bowman’s actions raised further suspicions as he had been researching colchicine before his wife’s death. Investigators found that he had conducted calculations matching the lethal dosage rate for colchicine and had searched for information on purchasing liquid colchicine online.
Medical records indicate that Betty Bowman was a healthy individual, and friends reported that her marriage was in trouble due to infidelity and other issues, with divorce on the horizon. There were also indications of financial motives, as Connor Bowman had separate bank accounts due to debts and reportedly stood to collect $500,000 in life insurance. A $450,000 bank deposit receipt was found in his home.
Connor Bowman, who worked as a poison specialist, was taken into custody and has been charged with second-degree murder. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 1.
Mayo Clinic confirmed that Connor Bowman had recently completed his residency there, while Betty Bowman was also employed as a pharmacist at the clinic. The clinic expressed its condolences to the victims’ families.
