07 August 2023 , 07:26
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A wife has been accused of trying to poison her husband's coffee with bleach - leading to him setting up secret cameras throughout their home.
Melody Felicano Johnson, from Arizona, has been charged with pouring a toxic substance in hubby Roby Johnson's morning coffee on multiple occasions. Mr Johnson, a US Air Force worker, has said he believes she was trying to collect his death benefits.
She was charged with first-degree attempted murder, attempting to commit aggravated assault and poisoning food or drink.
Mr Johnson was stationed in Germany for his work with the Air Force in March 2023 when he began to think his coffee was tasting "very bad." It was his wife who would prepare his coffee the night before so he bought himself pool testing strips to settle his suspicions.
When dipped in the morning cuppa it showed "high levels of chlorine," police charges say. He set up a camera that allegedly showed his wife Melody pouring something into the coffee pot.
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According to a police report, Mr Johnson pretended to carry on drinking the coffee and didn't file a police report until he arrived back at the Davis Monthan Air Force Base in the US in July.
He also set up cameras in their stateside home - over the coffee machine, in the laundry room where the bleach was stored and another on the route from the laundry to the coffee making station. After collecting more footage, he went back to the police and showed them his evidence.
Ms Johnson was arrested and a search warrant reported that the coffee pot smelt like bleach. Court documents also revealed the husband thought she was trying to kill him "to collect death benefits."
At the time the two were still living together with their child but were going through a divorce. At a court appearance on Friday, Melody Johnson pleaded not guilty.
She is being held in the Pima County Jail on a bond of $250,000. Ms Johnson had just bought a house in the Philippines so authorities assessed her as a flight risk. She is set to appear in court on September 6.