(WHDH) — A woman and a family friend are facing murder charges after investigators said they poisoned her husband with deadly mushrooms and dumped his body in a ditch earlier this year.
Katrina Fouts, 54, and Terry Hopkins, 65, both of Indiana, were arrested last week on charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and failure to report a corpse, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
David Fouts, 50, was found dead in a ditch along a stretch of road in Noblesville on April 24, the sheriff’s said. KOKI-TV reported that David had not been heard from for at least five days prior to him being discovered by a woman walking her dog.
He was found barefoot with a bloodstained shirt wrapped around his wrists, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the news outlet. There was also duct tape residue on his wrists and ankles.
The Hamilton County Coroner later discovered 14 “fairly intact” chunks of mushroom in David’s stomach, the Indianapolis Star reported.
The mushroom chunks were identified as Lyophyllum connatum, which can cause heart failure and respiratory distress if ingested.
With the help of various forensic laboratories, authorities said they were able to link Katrina and Hopkins to David’s death.
Both suspects are being held behind bars pending a court appearance next week.
Anyone with information on the death investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS.
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