Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Poisoning Husband's Coffee

Cream, sugar or... poison? Melody Felicano Johnson, an Arizona woman, faced accusations of trying to end her husband's life by poisoning his coffee. Initially charged with attempted first-degree murder, she ultimately pleaded guilty in April to two counts of the felony charge of adding poison or a harmful substance to food or drink.

The Crime

Roby Johnson, the defendant's husband, told police he thought his wife wanted to kill him in an attempt to collect death benefits, according to police reports. Roby Johnson, a U.S. Air Force airman, first noticed a strange taste in coffee while stationed in Germany. His wife's attorney said the couple was in the midst of divorcing but still living together at the time with their child. Upon becoming suspicious, Roby told police he used pool testing strips to discover elevated chlorine levels in his coffee pot. He mentioned his wife knew he typically prepared his coffee pot the night before so that it would be ready in the morning. After first testing tap water, which showed normal results, he tested his coffee and discovered it contained high levels of chlorine.

Gathering Evidence

While still stationed in Germany, Roby pretended to drink the coffee and waited until the family returned to Tucson, Arizona last summer before notifying authorities. Upon their return to the U.S. in late June, Roby Johnson installed a camera in their temporary housing near Davis Monthan Air Force Base to monitor Melody Johnson's actions. Allegedly, hidden cameras he had installed captured Melody pouring bleach into a container and subsequently adding the contents to the coffee maker, police records said. After initially reporting the incident to Tucson police July 6, they did not pursue the case further because the first video did not definitively reveal what substance his wife was adding to his drink. This prompted Roby to install a second camera disguised as a fire alarm.

Caught on Camera

Roby revisited the police department on July 18 with the new footage, which showed his wife allegedly pouring bleach into the coffee machine just before brewing. Following this evidence, Melody was taken into custody.

The Sentence

Initially facing charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and adding harmful substances to food, drink, or medicine, Melody Johnson opted to accept a plea deal instead. She received a probationary sentence including mandatory immediate mental health treatment. The sentence terms prevent her from contacting her husband unless in the presence of legal representation. Judge Javier Chon-Lopez acknowledged that even Roby expressed to the court his wish that his wife not be incarcerated. Her attorney sought a time-served ruling, highlighting that she had spent almost a year in custody since she could not post a $250,000 bond.

As of May 2024, the couple's divorce was still in progress.

References: Arizona Woman Accused of Trying to Kill Her Husband With Poisoned Coffee Sentenced to Probation | Arizona Woman Who Poisoned Air Force Husband's Coffee With Bleach Dodges Jail