A couple from Wisconsin has been arrested for allegedly trying to poison women who dated the man.
Paul Van Duyne Jr., 43, and his partner Andrea Whitaker, 41, are facing serious charges, including accusations of attempting to poison at least two women, with one victim reportedly targeted three times. According to authorities, the couple planned these acts soon after beginning their relationship.
One of the alleged victims learned from bystanders that her car had been broken into at a Costco about a month earlier. When she drank water from her vehicle, she noticed it had an unusual taste and spat it out. Shortly after, she contacted emergency services when she noticed a strange smell coming from the water bottle, which turned out to contain cyanide.
In another incident, a woman in nearby Rock County reported three occasions of suspected poisoning. In April, her gym water bottle was allegedly contaminated after her car was also broken into. Following another break-in, she and her sister opted to use a different car to go out, and her sister later fell ill.
Authorities have determined that Van Duyne and Whitaker are facing three counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, among other serious charges. Both have not yet entered pleas regarding the accusations.
Van Duyne, who studied at Princeton and worked as a mechanical engineer, started dating after a recent divorce. Whitaker is pursuing studies in pharmacology.
