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Teacher's Deadly Revenge: Antifreeze Murder Trial
3 May
Summary
- Judy Church murdered boyfriend Leroy Fowler with antifreeze.
- Church filmed her dying boyfriend instead of calling 911.
- A motive was a love triangle and Church's jealousy.
Judy Church, 67, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the November 2022 death of her boyfriend, Leroy Fowler, 55. The conviction cited premeditation and extreme atrocity, stemming from a decade-long, tumultuous relationship. Church harbored jealousy over Fowler's ongoing affair with another woman, Barbara Randall.
On November 11, 2022, Fowler's birthday, Church administered antifreeze, which was mixed with his favorite drink, Powerade. She then delayed calling 911 for over 30 minutes, instead filming Fowler's agonizing struggle and cruelly mocking his distress.
Fowler was hospitalized and tragically died two days later after life support was turned off. An autopsy confirmed antifreeze in his system. Evidence presented at trial included Church's notebook, videos of Fowler suffering, and a voodoo doll made by Church targeting 'Barb'.
Church's defense argued Fowler's death could have been an accidental overdose from Percocet. However, evidence of her prior statements about poisoning him if he cheated, coupled with her actions, led to the guilty verdict. She was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
