Minnesota Poison Specialist Accused of Fatally Poisoning Wife

Rochester, Minnesota United States of America
    Chao was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held in the Olmsted County Jail.
    Dr. Hengjun Chao, a former medical resident and poison specialist, is accused of fatally poisoning his wife, Margaret Joosten, with colchicine, a medication used to treat gout.

    Dr. Hengjun Chao, a former medical resident and poison specialist, has been accused of fatally poisoning his wife, Margaret Joosten, in their Minnesota home. The incident occurred on June 17, 2021, when Joosten was found unresponsive in their home. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy revealed high levels of colchicine, a medication used to treat gout, in her system. The levels were significantly higher than what would be prescribed for gout treatment, leading to the conclusion that she died of colchicine toxicity.

    Chao, who had previously worked as a medical resident at the Mayo Clinic and was a poison specialist, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He is currently being held in the Olmsted County Jail. The police report indicates that Chao attempted to cremate his wife's body after her death. The police were alerted to the situation by a funeral home employee who became suspicious when Chao insisted on immediate cremation.

    The investigation is ongoing, and further details are yet to be released. Chao's attorney has not yet made a public statement regarding the charges.


    Confidence

    95%

    Doubts
    • The investigation is ongoing and further details are yet to be released. The defense attorney has not yet made a public statement regarding the charges.

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      None Found At Time Of Publication
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      None Found At Time Of Publication
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      96%

      • Unique Points
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      • Accuracy
        No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
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        None Found At Time Of Publication
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        None Found At Time Of Publication
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        94%

        • Unique Points
          • The article provides more details about the alleged attempt to cremate the victim, which is not as thoroughly covered in the other articles.
        • Accuracy
          No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
        • Deception (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Fallacies (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Bias (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (80%)
          • Fox News is owned by Fox Corporation, which has been known to have a conservative bias. However, this does not appear to influence the content of the news articles.
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