Wisconsin man, girlfriend accused of trying to poison two of his exes

Wisconsin state prosecutors have charged a man and his girlfriend with attempted murder, accusing the pair of trying to poison two of the man’s ex-girlfriends.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation accuses Paul VanDuyne Jr., 43, and Andrea Whitaker, 41, of gathering and creating poisons and then trying to use them to murder two women, one in Rock County and the other in Dane County, according to a post on social media from the Middleton Police Department.

Prosecutors have not named either of the victims.

In court documents, prosecutors allege that the pair stalked the Rock County victim and broke into her car three times. On April 26, they are alleged to have spiked the victim’s water bottle with thallium and cyanide, on May 4 they are accused of putting a plastic tote containing hydrogen sulfide in the car, and on May 7 they purportedly put homemade abrin into the car’s ventilation.

The Rock County victim’s sister, a minor, was also affected in the May 4 incident. Mr. VanDuyne and Ms. Whitaker are accused of using cyanide and thallium again on May 15, targeting the water bottle of the Dane County victim, according to court documents.

In Rock County, the two are charged with three counts of first degree attempted murder, one count of aggravated battery, one count of first degree reckless endangerment and one count of stalking resulting in bodily harm.

In Dane County, Mr. VanDuyne is charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder, and one count of stalking, while Ms. Whitaker is charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder as a party to a crime and one count of harboring or aiding a felon, the police said.