ROCHESTER, MN – A former medical resident at Mayo Clinic, Connor Bowman, has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly poisoning his wife, Betty Bowman, a 32-year-old pharmacist. She passed away in August after being hospitalized for severe gastrointestinal distress and dehydration. Authorities assert that Connor Bowman attempted to halt his wife’s autopsy, insisting on immediate cremation and claiming she had a rare illness, which hospital tests did not confirm.
The medical examiner’s office intervened due to suspicious circumstances, and an autopsy revealed that Betty Bowman died from the toxic effects of colchicine. This medication is typically used to treat gout. However, Betty Bowman had not been diagnosed with gout or prescribed the medicine.
Suspicion arose as Connor Bowman had been researching the drug before her death and had calculated a lethal dosage rate for colchicine. Additionally, he informed others that she died from a rare illness, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, which was inconclusive in hospital tests.
Betty Bowman’s friend revealed that her marriage was troubled due to infidelity and other issues, with divorce looming. She disclosed that the couple maintained separate bank accounts due to Connor’s debts, and he mentioned expecting a $500,000 life insurance payout, supported by a $450,000 bank deposit receipt found in his home.
Connor Bowman, a poison specialist, had researched colchicine despite no related work calls, and investigators discovered internet searches related to evidence and colchicine purchases. The Minnesota Department of Health detected colchicine in Betty Bowman’s samples, confirming the cause of death as colchicine toxicity.
Connor Bowman is scheduled to appear in court on November 1, and his training at Mayo Clinic ended recently. Betty Bowman was also employed as a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic prior to her death.