Melody Felicano Johnson, a woman from Arizona, admitted to poisoning her Air Force husband by pouring bleach into his coffee. She pleaded guilty to two counts of poisoning food or drink for putting trace amounts of bleach into her husband’s coffee maker on two separate occasions in July 2023. While she initially faced multiple charges including attempted first-degree murder, she agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to a probation sentence that included mandatory mental health treatment and a prohibition on contacting her husband without a legal team present. Her husband, Roby Johnson, suspected that she was trying to kill him to collect death benefits.
The couple, who have a child together, were going through a divorce at the time of the poisoning incidents. Roby began to notice that his coffee tasted odd while the family was stationed in Germany in March 2023. After conducting tests, he found high levels of chlorine in his coffee, which he believed was due to Melody’s actions. He set up a camera to observe her behavior and caught her pouring bleach into the coffee machine. He then reported the incident to the Tucson Police Department and provided additional video evidence that led to her detainment.
Johnson’s actions were believed to be an attempt to poison her husband, but she avoided jail time and was sentenced to probation instead. Her husband expressed his belief that she was trying to kill him for financial gains. The court documents revealed that Melody was aware of his routine of prepping his coffee pot at night for the morning. Roby pretended to drink the poisoned coffee while stationed in Germany and waited until they returned to the U.S. to report his findings to the authorities. This led to the setup of cameras to capture her actions.
Roby’s efforts to gather evidence against his wife ultimately led to her detainment by the authorities. He filed a report with the Tucson Police Department and provided video footage that showed Melody pouring bleach into the coffee machine before brewing. The police initially did not follow up on the case, but additional evidence prompted a second visit to the police department. Melody was ultimately detained, and her actions were exposed to the public. Despite the seriousness of the charges initially brought against her, she received a probation sentence with mental health treatment.
The incident involving Melody Felicano Johnson poisoning her husband with bleach highlights the complexities of interpersonal relationships and the extreme measures that individuals may resort to during times of conflict. The case also sheds light on the importance of evidence gathering and legal processes in ensuring justice is served in cases of attempted harm or violence. The couple’s divorce and underlying tensions likely played a role in Melody’s actions, leading to a turbulent and dangerous situation that was ultimately resolved through legal intervention and the justice system.
