Connecticut Mother Accused of Poisoning Estranged Husband with Antifreeze

A woman from Connecticut faces serious charges after allegedly poisoning her estranged husband’s drinks during a legal dispute over custody of their children. Kristen Hogan, 33, was taken into custody in Ridgefield on Friday and charged with two counts of attempted murder and interfering with an officer.

Prosecutors say Hogan contaminated wine and iced tea with ethylene glycol, the toxic chemical found in antifreeze, at her husband’s home. The tainted wine had been opened five days earlier during a dinner gathering, then resealed and stored in the refrigerator. The husband, whose name remains undisclosed, drank from this bottle on August 10, and quickly began feeling unwell, experiencing nausea and repeated awakenings due to illness overnight.

He sought help after continuing to vomit the following day, with his mother rushing him to the hospital upon finding him disoriented and vomiting. Doctors initially suspected a stroke but soon identified signs of ethylene glycol poisoning, leading to his transfer to ICU and dialysis for kidney failure. He later confirmed he drank the wine that may have been poisoned.

Investigations revealed Hogan’s cellphone contained searches for cyanide, monoethylene glycol, and related questions about their lethality. She claimed confusion about the chemicals and said she recognized “cyanide” from a TV show. Although she admitted purchasing monoethylene glycol in late July, she claimed it was for cleaning her mother’s carpet and denied poisoning her husband.

Eventually, Hogan confessed to adding the toxic liquid to her husband’s wine, claiming she did not intend to kill him, but wanted only to make him sick as retaliation for perceived mental abuse. She admitted to pouring a small amount into the drink without knowing the exact quantity.

Authorities also found her searched for potential poison ingestion risks, and she denied any involvement early on. Upon further questioning, she admitted to tampering with the wine, motivated by a desire for revenge relating to custody and property issues. Hogan is detained on a $1 million bond as the investigation continues.