A Connecticut woman embroiled in a bitter custody dispute is accused of attempting to kill her estranged husband by poisoning his wine and iced tea with a chemical found in antifreeze. Kristen Hogan, 33, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of interfering with an officer after investigators say she mixed ethylene glycol—a toxic substance used in antifreeze—into her husband’s drinks.
According to Connecticut State Police documents, the victim, whose name was redacted, became gravely ill after consuming the tainted wine. The incident unfolded on August 10, when the man drank “a small amount” of wine he had opened five days earlier and stored in the refrigerator. By that night, he began waking up repeatedly and feeling severely ill.
By morning, he was vomiting and could barely stand. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where doctors initially suspected a stroke. That diagnosis was ruled out when physicians determined he showed symptoms of ethylene glycol poisoning and placed him on dialysis, according to the KGNS.
The victim immediately accused Hogan, telling police she was the only person besides him who had access to the home. He suspected she had poisoned the wine on August 7—the day they were due in court for a custody hearing. While he attended the hearing, he received an alert showing Hogan’s phone connecting to his home Wi-Fi, suggesting she had entered the residence.
When questioned, Hogan initially denied any wrongdoing. However, investigators later uncovered disturbing online searches on her phone for “potassium cyanide,” “monoethylene glycol,” and “how much of these substances would kill you.” She eventually confessed, admitting she mixed the poison into the wine. “She did not know how much ethylene glycol she put into his drink,” the affidavit states, “but stated it was not much—she just poured it in.”
Tests confirmed that both the wine and a bottle of iced tea also contained ethylene glycol. Investigators say Hogan poisoned the iced tea on a separate occasion. Shockingly, the couple’s child was hospitalized in late September with similar symptoms after reportedly drinking from the same contaminated bottle.
Police allege Hogan’s motive was to gain full ownership of their home and full custody of their child. Hogan told investigators she “never wanted to kill” her husband but admitted she wanted to make him sick as “payback for him being mentally abusive.” Hogan remains in custody as the investigation continues.