Woman poisons boyfriend's drink then films his agony as organs shut down

Judy Church knew her boyfriend Leroy Fowler was seeing another woman, but she stayed with him in the belief that one day he’d pick her. Church and Leroy had been together for around 10 years. They’d met when Leroy’s marriage ended and he moved into Church’s home in Salisbury, Massachusetts, as a tenant. Church was a former teacher and the provider in the relationship. She’d often spoil Leroy with gifts, even buying him a motorcycle.

But for eight years, Leroy was also seeing Barbara Randall, a woman he had reconnected with on Facebook. They were “off and on” and Church wasn’t happy about the relationship. At one point she messaged Barbara to try and get her to end things, saying that Leroy “only loves himself”.

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“He’s playing us both with lies upon lies,” she wrote. “He’s a coward! Plain and simple and it’s time we both toss him out.” On 11 November, 2022, it was Leroy’s 55th birthday. Church made sure he had his favourite drink, a fruit-punch flavoured Powerade. At 8pm, she made a 911 call and said Leroy was seriously unwell.

Leroy Fowler, who was poisoned with anti-freeze

Leroy Fowler, who was poisoned with anti-freeze(Image: WCVB Channel 5 Boston)

“My boyfriend must have ingested something and he can’t stand. His nose is bleeding and he told me to call the ambulance,” she said, also saying he was manically pulling the place apart. When the paramedics arrived, they found Leroy extremely confused and in pain. He admitted he had taken the drug Percocet the night before but none that day.

At the hospital, doctors put Leroy on life support as his organs started shutting down. His family rushed to his side and were told by medical staff that they suspected Leroy’s state was caused by ingesting antifreeze. Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, a substance found in de-icing fluid and hydraulic brake fluid. It would explain his altered state and extreme kidney failure. It had done irreparable damage to his body and after two days, Leroy’s life support was turned off and he died.

By then, Leroy’s family had called the police and pointed the finger at Church. They explained that Leroy had been seeing Barbara and that Church was furious about it. Leroy’s stepson said Leroy had confessed before that he thought Church was poisoning him because he felt so unwell when he was around her and better when they were apart.

Crime scene footage from Leroy's murder

Crime scene footage from Leroy's murder(Image: COURT TV)

An autopsy confirmed there was antifreeze in Leroy’s body. At first, Church wouldn’t let the police into her property and they spoke outside. She denied Leroy had eaten or drunk anything before he’d fallen sick. Church’s adult son, who lived in the building, suggested it could have been carbon dioxide poisoning. The police returned with a search warrant and found the place “dirty and cluttered”. They found an empty de-icer bottle that had previously had orange liquid in.

They also found the fruit punch Powerade bottle, which should have had red liquid in but at the bottom there was orange liquid. Tests confirmed it had antifreeze in and Church’s DNA was on the bottle. Officers found a notebook that Church had written in when she was angry at Leroy. One entry said, “I hate being alone. I hate you for all the lies. You don’t love me; this is not love.”

Investigators seized Church’s phone and were horrified to discover she had made 13 videos of Leroy as he was writhing around in agony and begging for help before she called 911. At one point she can be heard cruelly mocking him by saying, “Are you having fun?”

For eight years, Leroy was also seeing Barbara Randall, a woman he had reconnected with on Facebook.

For eight years, Leroy was also seeing Barbara Randall, a woman he had reconnected with on Facebook.(Image: COURT TV)

They also found a staged photo of Leroy as he lay dying in hospital. Church had placed birthday gifts and a pastry she’d bought him on top of him in his hospital bed. It was chilling. Church was arrested and charged with Leroy’s murder. At the trial this year, the prosecution called the love triangle between Church, Leroy and Barbara “toxic and dysfunctional”. They said Church had used the antifreeze as a murder weapon and she was the only one who had access to add it.

Antifreeze has a sweet taste that would have been hidden by the Powerade, so Leroy wouldn’t have noticed when he drank it. The court heard that Church had waited at least 30 minutes to call 911 while Leroy was in agony as his organs were shutting down. Instead of getting him help, she had filmed him and enjoyed his pain.

The jury were horrified to watch him staggering and groaning in distress, while Church could be heard mocking him, saying, “Is it your birthday?” Leroy’s sister testified that he’d said before that he suspected she might have put something in a shake that she’d made for him, but he didn’t have any proof.

The voodoo doll

The voodoo doll(Image: COURT TV)

More disturbing evidence came in the form of a voodoo doll made from a sock that had “Barb” written on it. Leroy’s son testified that Church would stick pins in it and throw it around. When Barbara took the stand, she said Leroy would play her and Church off against each other. She said she had a nickname for Church, which was “Grandma” because she looked like one, but was starting to feel sorry for her as Church tried to buy Leroy’s affections.

Barbara said Church had bought Leroy a white motorcycle because she’d seen Barbara on the back of his black one and no longer wanted her to have that intimate spot. The defence said Leroy had taken the drug Percocet so it could have been an accidental overdose. They said that despite the other woman, Church and Leroy had a good relationship and were planning on moving to Florida together. They claimed she’d already “won”.

But the court heard that Church would make inappropriate jokes about harming Leroy and even told a family friend, “If he ever cheats on me, I’ll poison him.” In March this year, Church, 67, was found guilty of first-degree murder with premeditation and extreme atrocity and cruelty. A month later, the judge imposed the mandated sentence of life without parole. They said, “That is the exact sentence I would impose if I did have discretion.”

Judy Church, who poisoned her boyfriend with antifreeze

Judy Church, who poisoned her boyfriend with antifreeze(Image: WCVB Channel 5 Boston)

Barbara gave a statement saying her relationship with Leroy wasn’t a conventional love story, but it was theirs. “No one deserves to suffer like that. No one deserves to have their life ended in fear and pain at the hands of someone he thought he could trust,” she said. Leroy’s sister Tammy said, “Losing a loved one is painful no matter what, but when it happens at the hands of someone else it brings a pain like you’ve never felt before.”