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Poisoning leaves family asking questions
A Minneapolis family is looking for answers after their loved one passed away as the result of poisoning from a heavy metal known as Thallium – nicknamed the" poisoner's poison." FOX 9’s Maury Glover has the story.
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man suspected of poisoning his roommate with a toxic metal known as thallium has been charged with murder.
Family suspected poisoning
The backstory:
Back in June, FOX 9 spoke with a Minneapolis family, heartbroken after the death of 33-year-old Cody Ernst.
Making the death so much harder to accept, the family was told by doctors that high levels of a heavy metal known as thallium were found in his system. The levels were so high doctors said they must have been ingested.
"It's a very slow and painful death. And it's not OK to have to watch anybody you love die from that. This is not OK," Ernst's mother, Mary Dickison, explained.
Roommate charged with murder
The charges:
Through the course of an investigation, multiple agencies determined that an alleged 35-year-old roommate of Ernst intentionally poisoned him with thallium.
Stuart Hanmer, the accused roommate, is now facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with Ernst’s death. Hanmer made his first appearance in court on Friday morning, and a judge set his bail at $2 million with conditions or $4 million without conditions.
He remains in custody at Stearns County Jail.
Timeline of poisoning death
Dig deeper:
According to the criminal complaint, Ernst reported becoming ill on May 15 after drinking his morning coffee. He started feeling "off", and experienced symptoms including fainting, vomiting, dizziness, nausea, and the loss of feeling in his extremities.
He went to the emergency room on May 16, and after a series of hospital visits, he was transported to the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital. A metal screening on June 15 uncovered a lethal amount of thallium in his system. Ernst ultimately died from thallium poisoning on June 22, according to court records.
A pharmacist with poison control told investigators the level of thallium present in his body means it was likely ingested, and he was not exposed by environmental means.
What is thallium?:
Thallium was used to kill rodents until its use was banned in the U.S. in the 1970s because of safety concerns over accidental exposure to the toxic substance. It is still used in the manufacture of electronics, thermometers and specialized lenses, but it also has a notorious history of being used for murder.
Thallium searches and purchase history
The investigation:
In early May, Ernst started living at a St. Cloud residence with two other roommates. Hanmer reported while living with Ernst, they would often smoke marijuana and drink coffee together in the mornings.
Hanmer claimed he was at home when his roommate fell ill on May 15, but hadn’t heard of thallium poisoning until his death.
Investigators, however, found a series of internet searches on Hanmer's phone that suggested otherwise. The complaint alleges six searches from April 4–April 6 were related to thallium. The searches included phrases like "how much thallium nitrate is fatal" and "buy elemental thallium," according to the complaint.
The complaint also alleges three transactions for thallium metal and oil were made from various websites, totaling $162.55, which were delivered to a P.O. box registered in Hanmer's name.
Investigators reportedly found a further 15 internet searches on Hanmer's phone from May 14 and May 15, including "if you vomit after thallium ingestion will it stay in your system" and "how long does it take for thallium to kill you," charges read.
According to the complaint, investigators recovered evidence suggesting Hanmer watched a video on how to create thallium sulfate multiple times, including on May 14, the day before Ernst fell ill.
During a previous interview with authorities, Hanmer denied poisoning his roommate and attributed the internet search history to heavy methamphetamine use, stating he wouldn’t remember if he searched for thallium.
What we don't know:
The complaint did not contain a motive for the alleged poisoning.
The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and a Stearns County criminal complaint.