Connecticut mom accused of poisoning estranged husband amid bitter custody battle

A mother from Connecticut faces serious charges after allegedly poisoning her estranged husband with antifreeze during an intense custody dispute over their children.

Kristen Hogan, aged 33, was taken into custody in Ridgefield and now faces two counts of attempted murder along with one count of obstructing an officer, as reported in documents released by the Connecticut State Police.

Hogan is accused of tainting her husband’s wine and iced tea with ethylene glycol, a toxic substance found in antifreeze.

The victim, whose name has not been disclosed in court filings, consumed a “small amount” of the wine from his refrigerator on August 10. He became ill throughout the night, waking up repeatedly to sickness.

The following day, he called his father after continuing to feel unwell, who then arranged for his mother to check on him.

Upon her arrival, she found him “slurring his words, staggering, and vomiting,” leading to an immediate trip to the hospital.

Doctors initially suspected he might have suffered a stroke; however, they later recognized signs of ethylene glycol poisoning after monitoring his symptoms more closely.

He was subsequently moved to the ICU for renal failure and began undergoing dialysis, where he revealed to the medical team that he had consumed the contaminated wine.

<pThe wine had been opened five days prior to his illness during a dinner party, then corked and stored in the fridge afterwards.

<pDuring a meeting with Ridgefield Police detectives, the husband expressed his belief that Hogan had poisoned the wine on August 7, coinciding with the day she was due to appear in court, but failed to show up.

While he was at the courthouse, he received a notification that Hogan’s cellphone had connected to his Wi-Fi and uploaded data.

He explained that Hogan had full, unrestricted access to his home as they share a child together.

The husband also stated that she was the last person, aside from himself, to be in the residence before he consumed the wine.

Initially, Hogan denied any involvement when confronted by authorities.

Police collected the wine and sent it to the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory, where tests confirmed the presence of ethylene glycol.

Investigators discovered that Hogan’s cellphone contained internet searches for various toxins, including “potassium cyanide” and “monoethylene glycol,” along with queries about lethal doses.

When questioned, she claimed confusion regarding the substances and referenced having heard about cyanide from the television show ‘Psych,’ as detailed in the arrest affidavit.

Hogan also admitted to purchasing monoethylene glycol in late July, but asserted it was used for cleaning carpets at her mother’s house.

During further inquiries about the wine and her husband’s ethylene glycol positive test, she again denied any intent to poison him.

Ultimately, she admitted to adding the toxic substance to her estranged husband’s wine, asserting that she “never wanted to kill him, just sought to make him ill as retribution for perceived mental abuse.”

“Hogan indicated uncertainty regarding the quantity of ethylene glycol she added, stating it was a small amount that she simply poured in,” the affidavit noted.

Detectives warned Hogan that their child, whom she has with her estranged spouse, might have ingested some of the poison, which she “strongly denied” as a possibility.

However, in late September, their child was hospitalized exhibiting symptoms comparable to those of the father.

“Hogan stated that only the wine and iced tea had been tampered with, insisting no one else was aware of her actions concerning [the victim’s] beverages,” according to the arrest affidavit.

The estranged husband informed authorities that he believed Hogan’s motive for the poisoning was her desire to assume ownership of their home and obtain full custody of their child.

Hogan is currently held on a bond of $1 million.