Additional Coverage:
- Connecticut woman charged with poisoning estranged husband’s wine with antifreeze chemical (nbcnews.com)
Connecticut Woman Arrested, Charged with Attempted Murder After Allegedly Poisoning Estranged Husband’s Wine
A Connecticut woman faces attempted murder charges after allegedly admitting to poisoning her estranged husband’s wine with a chemical found in automobile antifreeze, authorities said. Kristen Hogan, 33, was arrested Friday following an investigation by state police.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Connecticut Superior Court, Hogan told police she poured an unspecified amount of ethylene glycol into her estranged husband’s wine bottle. He reportedly consumed the wine on August 10 and became critically ill that night.
Hogan’s attorney, Mark Sherman, stated Monday that his client plans to enter a plea of not guilty. “While it is premature to comment on case specifics, the charges are wildly inconsistent with Kristen’s reputation as a loving and caring mother,” Sherman said. “These are just accusations and we will take the time needed to diligently investigate and defend Kristen against these claims.”
The victim, whose name has not been released by police, told Connecticut State Police on September 12 that the incident began after a family dinner on August 5. He received an unopened bottle of wine from his stepmother, and after some was consumed, the remainder was corked and refrigerated.
Days later, on August 7, the victim attended Danbury Superior Court in response to a complaint filed by Hogan, who did not appear. While waiting, the victim received a phone notification indicating Hogan’s cell phone was uploading data to his home Wi-Fi router, which she had access to. Upon returning home, Hogan was not there.
On August 10, the victim drank a small portion of the leftover wine and subsequently became increasingly ill throughout the night. He contacted his mother, who found him slurring his words, staggering, and vomiting. She transported him to the hospital, where doctors determined his symptoms were consistent with ethylene glycol poisoning.
The victim told detectives he suspected Hogan, proposing a potential motive that Hogan sought to gain full ownership of their residence and full-time custody of their child.
Investigators later discovered alleged searches on Hogan’s cellphone from July 28, including “how much monoethylene glycol would kill you,” according to the affidavit. When confronted with these findings on Thursday, Hogan reportedly confessed to dumping ethylene glycol into the wine. She allegedly stated she “never intended to kill him, but just wanted to make him sick as payback for him being mentally abusive.”
Hogan was taken into custody the following day and is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
The victim also informed police of other suspicious behaviors, noting Hogan had been visiting his primary residence more frequently and “offered to cook him dinner which is highly odd.” He added that Hogan had been bringing their child over more often, and that “the interior cameras that were re-installed within the residence recently went missing.”