Bernese poisoner remains behind bars While his wife struggles with death, he sends text messages to his lover

The Federal Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Bernese poisoner. The sentence of 18 years' imprisonment thus remains in place. The man murdered his wife with colchicine in 2021 because he wanted to build a new life with his lover.

The Federal Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by the Bernese poisoner. The sentence remains 18 years in prison. The man murdered his wife with colchicine in 2021 because he wanted to build a new life with his lover.

The convicted man had mixed a six-fold lethal dose of the substance into his wife's coffee. While his wife struggled with death in hospital, he sent messages to his lover and suggested a trip to Lugano. This is the result of a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court published on Monday.

In his appeal, the man only contested the sentence. However, the Federal Supreme Court clearly rejected all of his complaints. It held that the Bernese High Court had very carefully justified the sentencing and that it should be followed.

Mimicking a grieving widower

The Bernese court described the husband's crime as elimination murder. The perpetrator had wanted to separate from his wife, to whom he had been married for 25 years. However, a divorce was out of the question for him.

So he came up with the plan to murder his wife. He had researched the matter carefully and decided on the substance colchicine, even though he knew that poisoning with it would lead to severe pain. He had watched his wife's agony in silence and then played the grieving widower. (Judgement 6B_445/2024 of 11.9.2024)