A Minnesota man who allegedly had many questions for the Internet about a banned poisonous substance has been charged with murder after his roommate died from poisoning.
Stuart Hanmer, 35, was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into the death of Cody Ernst, 33, on June 22. According to a criminal complaint obtained by local news outlet St. Cloud Live, Hanmer and Ernst were roommates at a sober living facility. Ernst had been there for several months before Hanmer arrived in May.
According to police, Ernst began experiencing strange, painful symptoms the month Hanmer arrived and was hospitalized several times in the following weeks.
Ernst’s former fiancee, Cat Williams, told local news site Inforum.com that his condition had deteriorated to the point where he was paralyzed and on life support when he died on June 22. She described his death as the “most horrific, awful way anybody could pass, just complete utter cruelty.”
When Ernst arrived at the University of Minnesota Medical Center on June 20, St. Cloud Police reported that doctors found “an extremely high and lethal level of the heavy metal thallium in his system.”
Thallium was used as a rodent poison and insecticide until it was banned in the United States several decades ago. Minnesota Public Radio reported that it is still used in electronics manufacturing.
According to the criminal complaint, Hanmer was very interested in it.
According to the criminal complaint, after Ernst’s death, investigators began looking into Hanmer and discovered several Google searches for information about thallium. The search terms allegedly included: “How long does it take if thallium poisons you,” “How much thallium nitrate is fatal,” “Is thallium the most toxic,” etc. “Is thallium metal in elemental form toxic.”
Hanmer also reportedly looked up how to buy thallium, which investigators confirmed he did — Hanmer allegedly spent $162.56 in three online transactions for 25 grams of thallium metal. According to the criminal complaint, Hanmer signed for a package at the sober living facility on May 14, two days before Ernst was admitted to the hospital for the first time after experiencing a “episode of vomiting and seizure-like activity.”
The criminal complaint stated that the searches and purchases occurred in April. Hanmer allegedly did more research on thallium in May. According to police, Hanmer watched a YouTube video on his phone about how to make thallium sulfate in April and again in May.
When investigators spoke with Hanmer on July 7, following Ernst’s death, he reportedly told them that he and Ernst would “smoke marijuana and drink coffee together.” He told investigators that he had never heard of thallium poisoning until Ernst died.
Hanmer was arrested on Wednesday following a joint investigation by local law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was charged with second-degree intentional murder and booked into Stearns County Jail, where he is being held on a $4 million bond with no conditions or $2 million with conditions. His next court date is scheduled for September 19.
