A couple in Wisconsin is facing charges for an alleged plot to kill two women using cyanide. The prosecutors and reports indicate that several investigators who were tracking the couple ended up hospitalized after coming into contact with the poison.
The accused individuals, Paul VanDuyne and Andrea Whitaker, are said to have created poisons and used them in an elaborate scheme to murder two women who were former girlfriends of VanDuyne, according to the Wisconsin Justice Department.
Prosecutors claim that VanDuyne broke into a woman’s car in a Middleton Costco parking lot and contaminated her water bottle with cyanide last month.
Although the woman initially did not notice anything wrong, she later found people outside her car informing her of tampering. She noticed that the water tasted strange, as reported by Fox 47.
The same incident allegedly occurred again two weeks later, prompting the woman to bring the bottle to the police for testing. It was confirmed to contain cyanide.
Meanwhile, another woman in Rock County was hospitalized after consuming cyanide-laced water found in her car after a gym visit. Both alleged victims had brief relationships with VanDuyne, according to prosecutors.
VanDuyne was arrested following hazmat-related investigations, as authorities caught him attempting to cover up evidence. He was apprehended after trying to contact the Rock County woman over the weekend.
While in custody, VanDuyne reportedly contacted Whitaker, instructing her to remove items from his residence. Agents intercepted her leaving with her belongings and discovered incriminating messages on her phone regarding different poisons.
It is believed that the couple was planning to use poison to murder VanDuyne’s ex-girlfriends, according to prosecutors.
Reports indicate that at least seven state investigators involved in the case have been hospitalized due to potential exposure to the poison, as mentioned by WISN.com.
The online search history of Whitaker revealed queries related to cyanide, such as “Does potassium cyanide cloud water?” and “Sodium cyanide odor, sodium cyanide,” according to Dane County Assistant District Attorney William Brown.
Other searches included “What does cyanide look like?” and “Cyanide lethal,” indicating a concerning pattern.
VanDuyne and Whitaker are facing charges in Rock County for attempted homicide, aggravated battery, reckless endangerment, and stalking involving a dangerous weapon.
In Dane County, VanDuyne faces additional charges for attempted homicide and stalking, while Whitaker is accused of aiding him and attempting to conceal the crime.
Multiple agencies participated in the investigation, including the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratories, and the FBI.
