An Arizona woman who was originally accused of going to extreme lengths to off her husband has skirted jail time, instead receiving a sentence to probation. Melody Felicano Johnson, the wife in question, was handed down three years probation after she entered a guilty plea to charges of spiking her hubby's coffee with a toxic substance, court records confirm.
On what appears to be a tale of matrimonial treachery taken to a near-deadly level, Johnson had been staring down the possibility of prison for attempted first-degree murder. Instead, the court doled out probation following her guilty plea to two lesser felony counts of adding poison or harmful substance to food or drink, as per the minutes from Pima County Superior Court.
Details emerged from the case when Roby Johnson, the target of the poisoned java, laid out his side to investigators. He became wise to the tainted brew's foul taste in March 2023 – while serving as an airman over in Germany, according to the criminal report obtained by ABC15. The couple were still sharing a home and a child, despite their ongoing divorce proceedings.
The evidence that something was afoot came in part thanks to pool testing strips – not your standard coffee accessory. Roby Johnson used them to detect "high levels of chlorine" in his coffee pot, a revelation that spurred him to install hidden cameras. The footage reportedly caught Melody in the act, dousing the coffee maker with a bleach mixture, investigators said. Following these chilling discoveries, Roby maintained the facade of consuming the coffee to wait until their return stateside to Davis Monthan Air Force Base before reporting the incident, he told authorities.
Alongside the mandated no-contact order with her husband, Melody Johnson's sentence also requires participation in a mental health evaluation and adherence to any ensuing treatment recommendations, plus a stipulation to steer clear of any alcohol, per the details shared by 12 News. Originally facing more severe charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault, her current sentence stands as a stark contrast to the life-altering penalties she could have incurred.
