18 January 2024 , 10:40
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A doctor who allegedly poisoned his wife was "infatuated" with another woman and flaunted their romance after her death, according to her best friend.
Connor Bowman, 30, has been charged with first-degree murder after his wife Betty Brown, 32, was allegedly poisoned with gout medication Colchicine after sipping her smoothie on August 20, 2023. The husband and wife were in an open marriage but pharmacist Connie had been concerned that Connor was becoming increasingly obsessed with a woman who he had invited to sleep in their home, according to friend Sarah Lesser.
Betty was dating two people at the time of her death, a man and a woman, but she had met Connor's new lover and was concerned at the closeness of the pair.
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The pharmacist was found dead after drinking a poisoned smoothie (Facebook)"Betty didn't understand why he was so infatuated," Sarah told the Daily Mail. "They both saw different people. But there was something different about this girl. It was more like obsession." Sarah claims Connor and his love interest "broke up" and made him "super depressed" as he wanted to be with her all the time.
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The husband often lied about his whereabouts and would tell Betty he was at work when he was out on a date, Sarah claimed. "It was the lying and keeping secrets that became a problem", she said. However, there were also problems in their marriage as Connor wanted to start a family but Betty wasn't ready. "Betty wasn't ready, Connor was," Sarah said. "That was part of the discussion close to the end."
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The married couple were in an open relationship (Facebook)Despite debating whether their marriage could be saved, Sarah said she had no concerns over whether Connor might harm Betty.
The pharmacist ended up in hospital after suffering from a rare disease called Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), which causes organs to shut down. However, Sarah's concerns grew when she found Connor openly talking about collecting her $500,000 (£400,000) life insurance.
Connor and his lover were also seen smiling, kissing and hugging just days after Betty's death, which is when Sarah, and detectives, grew suspicious and started to question everything before and after her death. Cops cited Sarah using her initials, SEL, in an arrest affidavit after allegations against Connor who was accused of researching how much gout medicine it would take to kill a woman of her size.
Betty was healthy until she started complaining of issues (Facebook)"SEL reported that she had received a text message from victim on August 16, 2023, stating that victim was very ill, went to the hospital, and things were going downhill,' the affidavit states. "SEL reported victim was a healthy person. Victim had told others that Bowman had debt, so they kept separate bank accounts,' it continues. "Bowman told SEL that he was going to get $500,000 in life insurance as a result of victim's death. Bowman also told SEL early on that victim was suffering from HLH."
Connor was first arrested in October and charged with second-degree murder before his charges were upgraded to first-degree murder last week. It carries a life sentence if convicted. The doctor is due in court on Tuesday.