Ex-Mayo doctor poisoned wife, wanted autopsy halted and her body cremated immediately, charges say

A onetime Mayo Clinic physician with a troubled marriage fatally poisoned his wife and soon afterward told a woman that he was expecting a huge life insurance payout, according to a criminal complaint.

Connor F. Bowman, 30, of Rochester, was arrested Friday and charged Monday in Olmsted County District Court with second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of 32-year-old Betty Jo Bowman on Aug. 20.

Bowman appeared in court Monday and remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail ahead of a second court appearance on Nov. 1. His attorney, Michael Schatz, declined Tuesday to respond to the allegations leveled against his client.

The Southeast Medical Examiner's Office determined that Betty Bowman was poisoned with colchicine, a drug used to treat gout and not one she was prescribed.

Connor Bowman was also working for the University of Kansas in early August, fielding calls as a poison specialist, the complaint read. During that time, he used university-issued devices to search for the drug, but did not field any calls related to colchicine, the complaint continued.

As his wife was being treated at the hospital, Connor Bowman suggested that she was suffering from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare illness that attacks the body's immune system, the complaint read. Tests for HLH were inconclusive.

He then told the Medical Examiner's Office after her death that the autopsy should be halted and the body cremated immediately, according to the allegations. Neither request was granted.

Mayo spokeswoman Amanda Dyslin said Bowman's residency training at the clinic ended "earlier this month." She declined to be more specific.

Minnesota Board of Medical Practice records show that Bowman earned his medical degree in May 2021 from the University of Kansas. He received his license to practice medicine in Minnesota in July 2022, and it remains active as of Tuesday.

Betty Bowman was a Mayo pharmacist at the time of her death, the clinic spokeswoman said.

"Betty will be dearly missed by her pharmacy family at Mayo," read one note of condolence on her online obituary. "She brought a positive, upbeat attitude into every situation, and her kind heart was always open to helping others."

An online fundraising effort started on the same day that Connor Bowman was charged made clear that "100% of donations will be given directly to Betty's mom" and not to any of her other survivors.

A woman told police that Connor Bowman revealed to her that he was anticipating a $500,000 life insurance payment because of Betty Bowman's death, the complaint read. A law enforcement search of his home turned up a $450,000 bank deposit, the court document added.

According to the complaint:

A man informed police that Betty Bowman told him on Aug. 14 that she had a few days off and was looking forward to spending time with him. On Aug. 15, she told him that she was home drinking with her husband.

The next morning, she texted the man that she didn't sleep the previous night and felt ill. She added that "she thought it was a drink she had received that caused her illness because it was mixed in a large smoothie."

Betty Bowman was admitted to the hospital on Aug. 16 with severe gastrointestinal problems and dehydration, leading to her health rapidly deteriorating. She died in the hospital four days later.

The next day, the Medical Examiner's Office alerted police that her death appeared suspicious to the point that the office halted plans for the body to be cremated.

Also, a caller told the examiner's office that the Bowmans "were talking about divorce following infidelity and a deteriorating relationship," the complaint read.

Betty Bowman's initial symptoms were similar to food poisoning and she received treatment based on that diagnosis, but her condition only worsened, the examiner's office noted. She was having cardiac difficulties, with fluid building in her lungs and "eventually organ failure," the complaint continued.