Fact Check: "Victim hospitalized with lethal thallium poisoning after dating VanDuyne."
What We Know
Recent reports indicate that Paul VanDuyne Jr. and Andrea Whitaker have been charged with attempted murder in connection with a plot to poison two women he previously dated. One of the victims, identified in court documents, was hospitalized with thallium poisoning. The Wisconsin Poison Center alerted authorities after the victim was admitted to the hospital with thallium in her system, which is a highly toxic substance that has been banned for household use since the 1960s due to its lethality (NBC News, WKOW).
The Rock County victim reported feeling ill after an outing with her sister, leading to the discovery of thallium in her system. Prosecutors have stated that the only plausible explanation for such a high level of thallium would be intentional poisoning, as the victim had no history of suicidal tendencies and could not think of anyone who would want to harm her (WISN Channel 12, NBC News).
Analysis
The evidence presented in court documents paints a disturbing picture of a premeditated attempt to poison the victims. The use of thallium, along with other poisons like cyanide and abrin, suggests a calculated effort to harm the victims (NBC News, WMTV). The credibility of the sources reporting this information is high, as they include established news organizations and official court documents.
The timeline of events indicates that the Rock County victim was hospitalized on May 12, 2025, after experiencing severe symptoms, and the investigation quickly linked her condition to VanDuyne after she recalled receiving threatening messages from him (WKOW). The fact that the victim required an antidote flown in from California further underscores the severity of her condition and the lethal potential of thallium poisoning (NBC News).
Conclusion
The claim that a victim was hospitalized with lethal thallium poisoning after dating Paul VanDuyne is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that the victim was indeed poisoned with thallium, leading to her hospitalization. The actions of VanDuyne and Whitaker demonstrate a clear intent to harm, substantiated by the details of the investigation and the medical findings.
Sources
- Wisconsin pair charged in alleged plot to stalk, poison, and kill ... - NBC News
- Madison couple accused of murder plot using poison - WISN Channel 12
- Complaint: Suspects tried to poison young women using cyanide, thallium ... - WKOW
- 'Elaborate poisons' used multiple times in Wisconsin ... - WMTV
