A woman from Arizona has been arrested for allegedly trying to murder her husband by poisoning his daily coffee for months. Melody Felicano Johnson of Tucson was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree attempted murder (domestic violence), attempting to commit aggravated assault, and poisoning food or drink, CNN reported. According to court documents obtained by the media outlet, the suspect’s husband, Roby Johnson, began noticing a foul taste in his coffee in March when they were stationed in Germany with the US Air Force. He used pool testing strips to discover that his coffee had alarmingly high chlorine levels. He waited to file a report until the couple returned to the US and moved into temporary housing near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in June. He set up multiple hidden cameras that allegedly captured footage of his wife putting bleach in the coffee maker.
Upon capturing the footage, Roby Johnson turned it over to the police. He told investigators his wife wanted to kill him and collect his death benefits. During her arraignment on Friday, Melody Johnson pleaded not guilty. A public defender has been assigned to her case.
She is held in the Pima County Jail on a $250,000 bond. Prosecutors have requested a high bond citing that she recently purchased a home in the Philippines near her family and may attempt to flee the country.
This isn’t the only time a US wife has been accused of poisoning her husband’s coffee. In 2023, a Florida woman was charged with trying to kill her husband by dumping boric acid into his cup of joe. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the attempted murder.
Despite the saga, Roby Johnson decided to forgo a divorce in Germany and continued living with his wife and their child. He told investigators that he believed the plot against him was a “revenge scheme” since he refused to sign a prenuptial agreement.
In a bid to capture his wife in the act, he used the hidden cameras he had set up to catch her allegedly adding the chemical to his coffee on multiple occasions. He says the alleged act began in March and continued until they moved back to the US in June.
At a felony arraignment on Friday, he showed up with the video footage to present to prosecutors. The prosecutor argued for a high bond because Melody Johnson was in the process of divorcing her husband and had just purchased a home in the Philippines near her relatives, making her a flight risk. Melody Johnson is being held at the Pima County Jail until her next appearance on September 6. At that point, a judge will decide whether to lower her bond. She is still facing a possible death penalty if convicted of the charges. She is being represented by a public defender who has not commented on the case.