Roxanne Doucette speaks to a reporter from ABC affiliate WCVB on Jan. 9, 2024. Doucette, of Townsend, Massachusetts, is facing charges after she allegedly poisoned her husband at the behest of a person whom she thought was a soap opera star Thorsten Kaye. (WCVB)
The Massachusetts woman who allegedly poisoned her husband’s soup at the behest of a person she thought was a handsome soap opera star has pleaded guilty to lesser charges, court records show.
A judge sentenced Roxanne Doucette to one year of probation. Townsend police originally arrested her on charges of attempted murder, intimidation of a witness, juror, police or court official, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a police officer. She then was charged with violating an abuse protection order after she contacted her husband following her arrest.
On Tuesday, she pleaded guilty to violating the protection order while all other charges were dismissed. It doesn’t appear she was ever formally charged with attempted murder.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Townsend police officers were called to Nashoba Valley Medical Center after Doucette’s daughter told authorities she suspected her mother had poisoned her father after she found disturbing messages. Detectives later learned Doucette was messaging a person she thought was Thorsten Kaye of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” court documents obtained by media outlets said.
One of the messages on Dec. 1 reportedly said “You have to get rid of your husband honey. I need you so much,” to which Doucette responded she needed to “do some thinking.” She texted later that day she was making soup with a “special potion.” She then said her husband had eaten the soup and was “not feeling well.”
“Maybe I can collect life insurance,” Doucette allegedly said. “Thorsten” wanted to know when Doucette may be getting the money, but she said she wasn’t sure.
Police responded shortly after 5 p.m. on Dec. 1 to find Doucette’s 73-year-old husband barely responsive. He was dizzy, “mumbling, not making sense.” Paramedics took him to the hospital. The daughter later asked what happened, and he told her he started feeling unwell after he ate soup his wife made that “wasn’t very good” and “tasted bitter.”
Doucette denied poisoning her husband but said she believed she was a victim of a scammer. She lost $8,000, she allegedly told detectives. Her husband may have had a stroke, she told authorities.
Doctors reportedly tested Doucette’s husband for opioids, cocaine and alcohol, but not for anything else. It’s not clear if further tests were completed. Detectives seized Doucette’s phone and iPad as evidence. Doucette allegedly assaulted a police officer as he tried to take her into custody.
In an interview with local ABC affiliate WCVB, Doucette again denied poisoning her husband.
“What they say is wrong. Because I’m a wonderful cook. My son’s gone to culinary school. I learned from the best — my mom,” she told WCVB. “And I did not try to poison my husband.”
She also said she cut off all contact with the person claiming to be Kaye.
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