CONNECTICUT – A 33-year-old Connecticut mother is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly poisoning a bottle of wine with antifreeze in a calculated plot to make her child’s father severely ill.
Kristen Hogan appeared in court Thursday after being arrested on two counts of attempted murder and one count of interference with an officer. Her bail was set at $1 million.
The 34-year-old male victim, who shares a child with Hogan, was hospitalized in early August after drinking wine that had been poisoned with ethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient found in antifreeze.
According to a Connecticut State Police affidavit, the incident began when Hogan brought an unopened bottle of wine to a family dinner. Five days later, on August 10, the victim drank from the previously opened bottle and became violently ill.
The victim experienced severe symptoms including repeated vomiting, slurred speech, and staggering. He woke up multiple times during the night as his body reacted to the poison. A blood test at the hospital revealed ethylene glycol in his system, confirming he had ingested antifreeze.
Investigators discovered several pieces of damning evidence linking Hogan to the poisoning. Her phone had uploaded data to the victim’s Wi-Fi router shortly before the incident, proving she had been in his residence. She was the last person known to have access to his home before he consumed the tainted wine.
Most troubling, police found internet searches on Hogan’s phone inquiring about “lethal amounts of poisons,” suggesting premeditation and research into how to cause serious harm or death.
When confronted by investigators, Hogan made a partial admission but claimed her intent was not to kill the victim. According to the affidavit, she stated she “never intended to kill him, but just wanted to make him sick as payback for being mentally abusive.”
Prosecutors are treating the case as attempted murder despite Hogan’s claim that she only wanted to sicken rather than kill the victim. Ethylene glycol poisoning can be fatal, and even non-lethal doses can cause permanent kidney damage and other serious health complications.
The case highlights the dangers of domestic disputes escalating into violence, particularly when children are involved in custody arrangements. Legal experts note that Hogan’s own admission of intentionally poisoning the victim with a known toxic substance undermines any claim that she didn’t intend serious harm.
The victim has recovered from the poisoning but may face long-term health consequences depending on the amount of antifreeze he ingested and how quickly he received treatment.
Hogan is scheduled for additional court appearances as the case proceeds through the criminal justice system. If convicted on both attempted murder counts, she could face decades in prison.
