Ex-doctor labeled himself 'widow' on Bumble before wife's death
Former Mayo Clinic resident Connor Bowman has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Betty Bowman. Investigations have revealed that Bowman referred to himself as a "widow" online before Betty's death and was active on the dating app Bumble, engaging with multiple women and indicating a status change to widower. Court documents disclose that Bowman's search history included queries about lethal doses of drugs and the gender neutrality of the term "widow" just days prior to his wife's demise.
Betty Bowman died on August 20, 2023, after a sudden illness, with a toxicology screening later revealing the presence of colchicine, a drug typically used for treating gout, which Betty did not suffer from. Witnesses and women who interacted with Bowman on Bumble reported conflicting accounts regarding Betty's death, and one woman mentioned that Bowman spoke of a large life insurance payout. Additional search warrants request Bumble to disclose information regarding Bowman's account activity and communications.
Dr. Bowman had access to lethal drug databases from his time working at the University of Kansas and had been searching for poisons online. Despite his requests to forgo an autopsy and to cremate Betty immediately, a medical examiner detected colchicine in her system. Connor Bowman is being held on a $2 million bond at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center and is scheduled for an omnibus court hearing on June 11.
