Doctor accused of poisoning wife may have been calling himself a 'widower' before her death, police say

A Minnesota doctor, accused of poisoning his wife to death, was likely already calling himself a widower before she died, according to newly unsealed court documents.

Dr. Connor Bowman, 31, was arrested in October and charged with second-degree murder linked to the death of Betty Bowman, a Mayo Clinic pharmacist who died on Aug. 20 last year, only four days after she was hospitalized.

An Aug. 18 Google search by Dr. Bowman showed he wanted to know if the word "widow" is "gender neutral," according to a search warrant affidavit by Rochester police Detective Alex Kendrick.

"These searches, and other conversations identified so far appeared consistent with the statements provided by witnesses during the investigation, that Connor was identifying himself as a widower, even before Betty died," Kendrick wrote.

At least two women communicated with Dr. Bowman, via the dating app Bumble, on Aug. 29 and Sept. 5 of last year — within days of Betty Bowman's passing — the search warrant affidavit said.

In the first chat, the woman said she "thought it was strange" that Bowman "brought up the large life insurance payout he received, using it to pay off student loan debt," according to Kendrick.

In the Sept. 5 communication, the suspect allegedly said his late wife would have wanted him back out on the dating circuit.

"She later asked when Betty died, and Connor replied that Betty died earlier in the summer, and that she confronted him later when she learned it had only been 2 and a half weeks since Betty’s death," the affidavit said.

Friend Sarah Leeser said the suspect didn't seem too upset shortly after his wife's passing.

"Sarah advised that another red flag for her in this situation was that Connor had not shown any grief after Betty’s death," the friend told police. "Connor even invited her and some other friends out for drinks ... two days after Betty’s death and appeared to be happy or at least indifferent to Betty’s death."

Betty Bowman succumbed to colchicine toxicity, and a medical examiner ruled her death a homicide. The suspect had previously worked in a "poison control center for an extended period of time prior to his residency," according to the search warrant affidavit.

Dr. Bowman's criminal defense attorney could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.