TUCSON, Ariz. (Court TV/Scripps News Tucson) — An Arizona woman has been sentenced to three years of probation for poisoning her husband’s coffee.
In April, Melody Felicano Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of adding poison or harmful substance to food in a plea agreement. She was arrested last year after her husband, who serves in the U.S. Air Force, accused her of poisoning his coffee on multiple occasions. Under the plea agreement, she faced up to two years in prison along with probation.
Melody Johnson appears in court after her sentencing May 10, 2024. (Court TV)
At sentencing, Melody’s attorney told the judge her client suffered from anxiety and depression and detailed a toxic marriage. She claimed Roby Johnson was abusive towards Melody and alleged instances of alcohol abuse.
In handing down his sentence, the judge said “the victim” asked the court to sentence Melody to probation and mental health treatment. Along with probation, the judge ordered Melody to not contact her husband unless pertaining to pending divorce proceedings.
Roby noticed his coffee tasting bad while stationed in Germany, reported Scripps News Tucson. In a statement, he said he started buying chemical testing strips, which showed traces of bleach.
The couple returned to the U.S. in June 2023 and settled at Tucson’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in July.
Roby collected multiple videos, including one on July 18th, which showed Melody taking bleach, pouring it into a container, then walking over to the coffee maker and pouring it inside.
After turning the videos over to the authorities, a search warrant was served on the home, where the liquid inside the coffee maker smelled like bleach. Authorities said they located a container inside Melody’s bedroom under her bathroom sink, which smelled like bleach. The container also had a small amount of liquid inside.
Both Roby and Melody had separate bedrooms and bathrooms inside of the home.
Documents said Roby believed she was trying to kill him to collect death benefits.
