The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A University of Wisconsin–Madison laboratory worker reportedly noticed a strange odor and taste coming from a personal water bottle, leading to an investigation that authorities later said involved an alleged poisoning attempt by a co-worker.
According to a criminal complaint, the affected employee told the authorities that the bottle had an unusual smell and tasted off when he drank from it. He also reportedly noticed that his shoes carried a strong chemical odor. The situation was reported, prompting a response from campus authorities.
Investigators later alleged that a fellow employee had introduced laboratory chemicals into the victim’s belongings. The substances were believed to include paraformaldehyde, chloroform, and Trizol. Testing of the water bottle reportedly showed extremely high levels of chloroform, with officials noting the readings were too high to measure accurately. Authorities stated that such exposure could pose serious health risks.