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In Wisconsin, a couple has been charged for allegedly plotting to kill two women using cyanide. Investigators involved in the case have also been hospitalized after exposure to the poison, according to court documents and news reports.
Paul VanDuyne and Andrea Whitaker are accused of concocting poisons as part of a complicated scheme to murder two of VanDuyne’s ex-girlfriends, as stated by the Wisconsin Justice Department.
Prosecutors claim that VanDuyne broke into a woman’s car at a Costco in Middleton last month and poisoned her water bottle with cyanide. Although she was initially unaware of any issues, she was later approached by bystanders who alerted her to the tampering. Upon tasting the water, she thought something was off, according to Fox 47.
Paul VanDuyne and Andrea Whitaker (Dane County Sheriff’s Office)
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Two weeks later, it is alleged that the same incident occurred again. This time, the woman took the bottle to law enforcement, who confirmed that it contained cyanide.
At roughly the same period, another woman from Rock County became ill after consuming water laced with cyanide that she found in her car following a gym session.
Prosecutors noted that both women had briefly dated VanDuyne.
A Wisconsin Department of Justice vehicle at an active incident at Molson Coors in Milwaukee. (Mike de Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
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VanDuyne was apprehended on Sunday amidst ongoing hazmat investigations after he reportedly tried to destroy evidence.
Authorities had been keeping a close watch on him but had to act swiftly when he attempted to contact the Rock County woman last weekend. He was subsequently arrested.
While he was in custody, prosecutors said VanDuyne attempted to reach out to Whitaker, asking her to gather items from his residence.
Law enforcement caught Whitaker leaving with the items and found several messages on her phone between the couple discussing various poisons. It is believed they were plotting the murders of VanDuyne’s ex-girlfriends using these toxins.
Reports indicate that at least seven investigators connected to the case have been hospitalized due to potential exposure to the poison, as noted by WISN.com.
A Wisconsin couple has been charged in a plan to allegedly murder two women using cyanide. Several investigators have been hospitalized after exposure to the poison during the investigation. (iStock)
According to the outlet, Assistant District Attorney William Brown revealed that Whitaker’s internet search history included queries such as “Does potassium cyanide cloud water?” and “Sodium cyanide odor, sodium cyanide.”
Her searches also raised concerns, including “What does cyanide look like?” and “Cyanide lethal,” Brown pointed out.
Both VanDuyne and Whitaker face charges in Rock County, including attempted homicide, aggravated battery, reckless endangerment, and stalking, all involving a lethal weapon.
In Dane County, VanDuyne has additional charges for attempted homicide and stalking, with Whitaker accused of assisting him and attempting to conceal their actions.
The investigation involved seven different agencies, 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.
