Amanda Alicia Chapin, a 51-year-old woman from Wisconsin, faces more than a decade in prison for poisoning her 71-year-old veterinarian husband, Gary Chapin, by spiking his coffee with animal euthanasia drugs shortly after their wedding. According to police, Chapin pleaded no contest to a charge of felony first-degree reckless endangerment in a plea deal with prosecutors, after initially being charged with first-degree attempted homicide. The criminal complaint states that Chapin put barbiturates stolen from her husband in his coffee three times between July and August of 2022, forging one of his children’s signatures on a power of attorney document and insisting on amending the deed of his house to make her the sole homeowner in the event of his death.
Chapin and Gary Chapin met online and had a stormy relationship from the beginning, with suspicions from his family that she was just after his money. After the deed to his house was amended, Chapin allegedly began drugging her husband’s coffee, ultimately causing him to fall into a coma after the third and final dose. His blood work revealed the presence of the same drugs used to euthanize animals. Despite this, Chapin waited three hours to call 911 when he would not wake up, and then proceeded to log into his email and forward conversations with his attorney and children to herself. Gary Chapin’s son filed a restraining order against Amanda, suspecting her involvement in his father’s medical emergency.
In September of 2022, Amanda Chapin violated the restraining order by sending her husband a suicide note, claiming that she was going to kill herself because his children were trying to destroy her. Paramedics responded to her house and took her to a local hospital, while Gary Chapin filed for divorce the following day. A presentencing investigation was ordered by Lafayette County Circuit Court Judge Barbara W. McCoy, with Chapin’s sentencing hearing scheduled for July 15. She faces a maximum of 12.5 years in a state correctional facility for her actions.
The case of Amanda Chapin poisoning her husband has shocked the community and raised questions about the motives behind her actions. The manipulation and deceit involved in forging documents and amending the deed to the house highlight a calculated plan to ensure that she would benefit financially from her husband’s death. Chapin’s behavior in not seeking help for her husband in a timely manner and instead focusing on forwarding herself email conversations after he fell into a coma raises further concerns about her lack of remorse or empathy towards the situation.
The court proceedings and legal actions taken against Amanda Chapin shed light on the severity of the crime committed and the potential consequences she faces for her actions. The plea deal reached with prosecutors and the downgrade of the charge from attempted homicide to reckless endangerment suggest a complex legal case with multiple factors at play. The involvement of law enforcement and the legal system in uncovering the truth behind the poisoning of Gary Chapin underscores the importance of holding individuals accountable for their criminal actions.
Amanda Chapin’s sentencing hearing will likely bring closure to this disturbing case and provide justice for the victim and his family. The maximum sentence of 12.5 years in a state correctional facility reflects the serious nature of the crime committed and the impact it has had on the victim and those close to him. The emotional toll of the events leading to the poisoning, as well as the subsequent legal proceedings, will have lasting effects on all involved. The outcome of Chapin’s sentencing will serve as a reminder of the consequences of unethical and criminal behavior, particularly within intimate relationships where trust and loyalty are essential.
