A woman in Arizona has been arrested after allegedly attempting to kill her military husband slowly by pouring bleach in his coffee for months.
Melody Johnson, of Tucson, was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree attempted murder, attempting to commit aggravated assault, and poisoning food or drink, according to CNN. The 39-year-old woman was reportedly living with her husband, but they were going through a divorce.
JUST IN: This is the Tucson woman charged with attempted first degree murder for pouring bleach into her husband's coffee pot for months to poison him…
— Briana Whitney (@BrianaWhitney) August 4, 2023
Melody Johnson's husband, a military Airman, set up surveillance cameras in their home after noticing his coffee tasted weird… pic.twitter.com/yk94OC9FTt
The defendant’s husband, Roby Johnson, is a member of the Air Force, police said. The two also have a child together.
Roby Johnson’s suspicions began when the couple was stationed in Germany, and he thought his coffee tasted strange, court documents showed.
He drank the coffee for two to three weeks more before purchasing pool testing strips to determine what was wrong with it. He soon noticed the coffee contained high levels of chlorine, per Fox News.
Roby Johnson then reportedly pretended to continue drinking the coffee until they returned to Arizona, so he could contact authorities stateside. It was there that he set up a camera that allegedly captured Melody Johnson taking bleach from the laundry room and pouring it into his coffee. She was arrested on July 18.
Investigators said Roby Johnson believes his wife was “trying to kill him to collect death benefits.” Police, upon searching the home, reportedly observed that the coffee machine smelled like bleach.
Melody Johnson pleaded not guilty on Friday and is in jail on a $250,000 bond.
