A Massachusetts woman has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after poisoning her boyfriend's drink with antifreeze on his 55th birthday, then filming his agonizing final hours instead of seeking immediate medical help.
The Toxic Love Triangle
Judy Church, 67, and Leroy Fowler, 55, had been in a relationship for approximately a decade. They met after Fowler's marriage ended and he moved into Church's home in Salisbury, Massachusetts, as a tenant. Church, a former teacher, was the primary breadwinner and often lavished Fowler with gifts, including a motorcycle. However, for eight years, Fowler was also involved with Barbara Randall, a woman he had reconnected with on Facebook. Church was deeply unhappy about this relationship and even messaged Randall, urging her to end it, stating that Fowler "only loves himself."
In one message, Church wrote: "He's playing us both with lies upon lies. He's a coward! Plain and simple and it's time we both toss him out."
The Fatal Birthday Drink
On November 11, 2022, Fowler's 55th birthday, Church prepared his favorite beverage—a fruit-punch flavored Powerade—laced with antifreeze. Ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze, has a sweet taste that was masked by the drink. At 8 p.m., Church called 911, reporting that Fowler was seriously ill. Paramedics found him extremely confused and in pain. He admitted to taking the prescription drug Percocet the night before but none that day.
At the hospital, doctors placed Fowler on life support as his organs began shutting down. Medical staff suspected antifreeze poisoning, which explained his altered mental state and acute kidney failure. After two days, life support was withdrawn, and Fowler died.
Disturbing Evidence
Fowler's family immediately suspected Church and alerted police. An autopsy confirmed the presence of antifreeze in Fowler's system. Initially, Church refused police entry to her home, but a search warrant revealed a dirty, cluttered residence. Officers found an empty de-icer bottle and the Powerade bottle, which contained orange liquid at the bottom instead of red. Tests confirmed antifreeze in the bottle, and Church's DNA was on it. A notebook contained angry entries about Fowler, including: "I hate being alone. I hate you for all the lies. You don't love me; this is not love."
More chillingly, investigators discovered 13 videos on Church's phone showing Fowler writhing in agony and begging for help before she called 911. In one video, she cruelly mocked him, asking, "Are you having fun?" She also staged a photo of him in the hospital, placing birthday gifts and a pastry on his dying body.
The Trial and Sentence
During the trial, prosecutors described the love triangle as "toxic and dysfunctional." They argued that Church used antifreeze as a murder weapon and was the only person with access to it. The court heard that Church waited at least 30 minutes to call for help while Fowler suffered, choosing instead to film his agony. Additional evidence included a voodoo doll made from a sock with "Barb" written on it, which Church would stick pins into.
Randall testified that Fowler played both women against each other. She said she felt sorry for Church, who tried to buy Fowler's affections, even buying him a white motorcycle after seeing Randall on the back of his black one. The defense argued that Fowler's death could have been an accidental overdose from Percocet, but the jury was unconvinced.
In March 2024, Church was found guilty of first-degree murder with premeditation and extreme atrocity and cruelty. The judge imposed the mandatory sentence of life without parole, stating, "That is the exact sentence I would impose if I did have discretion."
Victim Impact Statements
Randall said her relationship with Fowler was unconventional but theirs. "No one deserves to suffer like that. No one deserves to have their life ended in fear and pain at the hands of someone he thought he could trust," she said. Fowler's sister Tammy added, "Losing a loved one is painful no matter what, but when it happens at the hands of someone else it brings a pain like you've never felt before."
