Wife accused of trying to kill Airman husband by poisoning his coffee

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD/Gray News) - A woman is facing an attempted murder charge after she was accused of trying to kill her husband by poisoning his coffee with bleach.

Melody Felicano Johnson, 39, was arrested in Tucson on charges of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and adding harmful substances to food, drink or medicine.

Johnson, who is being held on a $250,000 bond, was set to be arraigned Friday and a not guilty plea was expected to be entered for her.

According to court documents, Johnson and her husband have a child together and are going through a divorce.

Johnson’s husband is in the Air Force and was stationed in Germany until recently moving back to Davis-Monthan in Tucson.

Johnson’s husband said he noticed his coffee was tasting bad starting in Germany in March 2023.

He said he continued to drink the coffee for two or three weeks before he decided to check his water supply with pool testing strips.

The man, who has not been identified, said he tested the faucet water and everything was normal. The interim complaint shows when he tested the coffee pot, it revealed high levels of chlorine.

In May, the man said he set up a camera in their home in Germany and caught his wife putting something in the coffee pot.

He told investigators he stopped drinking the coffee but pretended to do so. He said he didn’t say anything to law enforcement because he didn’t want to make a report about it while still in Germany.

On June 28, the Johnson family returned to Tucson and were put in temporary housing at a hotel on the base.

The document states the man set up another camera and again caught his wife pouring something into the coffee pot.

On July 6, he filed a report with the Tucson Police Department. Police said because the video was not clear and you couldn’t tell what she was doing, a report was taken but not followed up on.

The man then bought another camera, one that looked like a fire alarm, and attached it to the ceiling.

On July 7, the family was moved into permanent housing so the man installed the cameras there.

On July 18, the man took multiple videos to police, which the complaint states showed Johnson putting bleach into the coffee machine.

When Johnson was detained, she immediately invoked her right to an attorney and was not questioned.

Police said the coffee maker smelled like bleach, and a small container with possibly bleach in it was found under Johnson’s bathroom sink. Johnson and her husband had separate bedrooms and bathrooms.

A high bond was requested for Johnson because her family is in the Philippines and she recently purchased a home there.

The man told investigators he thinks his wife was trying to kill him to collect his benefits.