Woman scammed by fake soap opera star is accused of trying to poison husband's soup
TOWNSEND, Mass. - A Massachusetts woman is accused of trying to poison her husband with soup, and police say somebody pretending to be a soap opera star convinced her to do it. Roxanne Doucette of Townsend is now charged with attempted murder. She told WBZ-TV it is one big misunderstanding.
"I didn't poison him," Doucette said Monday. As she stood in the doorway of the house where she's under investigation for feeding her husband poisoned soup in early December, Doucette tearfully denied it.
"I've never ever tried to poison him in any way whatsoever," Doucette said. "I love him very, very much and I would never try to kill anyone."
She claims the soup was simply old. But things took a bizarre turn hours later when she called 911 and her 73-year-old husband Paul was rushed to the hospital.
That's where the couple was met by their daughter, who was suspicious and began to examine her mom's phone.
According to court documents, there are messages on that phone from a scammer claiming to be a soap opera star who wanted to hook up with her. One message from the person said, "you have to get rid of your husband honey -- I need you so much."
"It was a scam," Doucette told WBZ.
But court documents say she eventually wrote back, "making an amazing soup. Special potion. Maybe I could collect life insurance."
Her 73-year-old husband was barely conscious when first taken to the hospital, but survived. While acknowledging it's the talk of the town, the Townsend Police Chief is urging against any rush to judgment.
"I just tell everybody to just kind of take a step back, take a deep breath. Think things through before you spread things, or before you think you know what's going on," Police Chief James Sartell said. "Sometimes it's a little more complex than it seems."
A limited toxicology test on Paul Doucette came back negative, but Roxanne is now under court order to stay away from him.
"I just want him to come home," Doucette said. "I just love him so much."
When police tried to take her phone as evidence, Roxanne Doucette allegedly fought and kicked them. For that, she's charged with resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.
