A woman from Arizona has been taken into custody after allegedly attempting to poison her husband, who serves as a U.S. Army airman. Melody Felicano Johnson, 39, faces charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and adding harmful substances to food, drink, or medicine. The incident occurred amidst a divorce between Johnson and her husband, Roby, with whom she shares a child.
Roby Johnson noticed an unusual taste in his coffee while stationed in Germany, where the family was temporarily based. Over the course of two to three weeks, he consumed the coffee before deciding to investigate the cause. Testing the tap water first, which showed no abnormalities, he then tested his coffee and found it contained significant amounts of chlorine. Rather than reporting his findings in Europe, Roby waited until the family returned to Tucson, Arizona, to alert the authorities.
Upon their return to the United States, Roby set up a hidden camera in their temporary housing near Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The footage allegedly captured Melody Johnson pouring bleach into his coffee. Although Roby initially reported the incident to the Tucson Police Department, they did not take immediate action due to the unclear nature of the liquid in the video. Determined to gather more evidence, Roby installed a second camera disguised as a fire alarm. When he returned to the police department with additional footage, it clearly showed his wife pouring bleach into the coffee machine before brewing.
During a search of their home, law enforcement officers detected a bleach odor emanating from the coffee machine. They also found a small container in Melody Johnson’s personal bathroom that could have contained bleach. Court documents revealed that the couple had separate bedrooms and bathrooms. Melody Johnson is currently being held on a $250,000 bond. The substantial bail amount was requested due to her recent purchase of a home in the Philippines, where her family resides. Roby believes that his wife attempted to kill him in order to collect benefits.