“Just wanted to make him sick as payback” 33-year-old woman who spiked her 34-year-old estranged husband’s drink with antifreeze while in a heated custody and property battle, was arrested
Connecticut – In a shocking incident in Connecticut, a 33‑year‑old woman, identified as Kristen H. stands accused of attempted murder in what investigators call a chilling scheme to poison her estranged husband. The charges stem from allegations that Kristen laced his drink with antifreeze while involved in a heated custody and property battle. Kristen was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of interfering with an officer, based on evidence pointing to intentional use of ethylene glycol (a toxic ingredient in antifreeze) in her estranged husband’s drinks.
Authorities allege Kristen sought not only to retaliate against “mental abuse” she claimed to have endured but also hoped to gain full ownership of their shared home and full custody of their child in the event of his death. The victim later told police he suspected this motive—believing that if he died, she would acquire both the house and sole custody. In her statements to investigators, Kristen admitted she “never wanted to kill him but just wanted to make him sick as payback for being mentally abusive.”
In early August, the estranged couple’s conflict escalated. On the evening of August 5, the victim hosted a dinner at his home. A dinner guest brought a bottle of wine; some of it was consumed that evening, and the rest corked and stored in the refrigerator. On August 7, the victim went to court as part of ongoing legal proceedings, but Kristen did not appear. While he waited, he received a notification that Kristen’s phone had uploaded data to the home Wi-Fi network, suggesting she had accessed the house.
Three days later—on August 10—the victim drank a small amount of the wine from the refrigerator. During the night, he awoke repeatedly, increasingly ill, and at dawn began vomiting. His mother arrived at his home and found him “slurring his words, staggering, and vomiting.” First responders rushed him to hospital. Initially, doctors thought he might be having a stroke, but soon recognized signs of ethylene glycol poisoning. He was admitted to the ICU and placed on dialysis due to renal failure. Investigators seized the wine from his home, submitting it to the Connecticut Forensic Laboratory. The test confirmed the presence of ethylene glycol. The victim’s theory that Kristen had poisoned the drink gained weight, as investigators noted that none of the other guests who drank that wine earlier had suffered similar symptoms.
A search of Kristen’s phone revealed disturbing internet queries, including “potassium cyanide,” “monoethylene glycol,” and searches like “how much … would kill you.” When questioned by detectives, Kristen initially denied involvement. Later, she claimed she had purchased monoethylene glycol on Amazon under the guise of cleaning a carpet and insisted the chemical never left her parents’ home. But her denial unravelled further when she admitted placing the chemical into both the wine bottle and, on a separate occasion, into the victim’s iced tea. She maintained she had no intent to kill. Detectives raised the possibility that the child might have ingested some of the poison, but Kristen denied that possibility.
On October 3, 2025, authorities arrested Kristen. She was arraigned on two counts of attempted murder and one count of interfering with an officer. At her arraignment, prosecutors described her actions as “duplicitous in nature,” calling them a planned attack that put the victim in grave danger. The judge set bond at $1 million, which Kristen posted (10 % in cash). As conditions of her release, she must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, submit to home confinement at her grandparents’ residence in Massachusetts, and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. She also faces protective orders preventing contact with the victim and others. Her next court date is scheduled for December 2, 2025.
Though no final verdict has been reached, Kristen now faces the weight of serious criminal exposure. If convicted of the attempted murder charges, she could see a lengthy prison sentence, especially given the deliberate nature of the alleged poisoning. This case paints a harrowing picture of domestic conflict spiraling into deadly intent. A custody battle and property dispute are said to have driven a woman to tamper with her estranged husband’s drinks—purportedly not to kill but “to make him sick as payback.” The legal journey ahead will decide whether her claim is accepted or if the evidence will lead to a conviction.
