Last year, Therese Kozlowski began feeling tired, nauseous, and experiencing blurred vision, but, she noticed the symptoms only appeared on the days when her then-husband Brian Kozlowski prepared it for her.
She became suspicious, and installed several cameras inside her kitchen in order to record her husband as he prepared her coffee. When she viewed the footage, she was shocked. The cameras captured video of Brian pouring diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in over-the-counter medication such as Benadryl or sleeping pills). She immediately called a divorce attorney and moved out of the home. According to court documents, the last cup of coffee her husband had served her contained the equivalent of eight sleeping pills.
"I felt a horrible coldness in the air, but in this nightmare the predator was Brian," she said in court. "I fell to my knees and cried. I could barely move."
Court documents also contained allegations that her husband had been urinating in his ex-wife's shampoo and conditioner. Kozlowski, 46, pleaded "no contest" to charges of poisoning a drink earlier this year in June.
"Brian was trying to kill me to keep his comfortable life from slipping away" Therese Kozlowski testified in court.
Therese told the court she had been "hunted by a dangerous predator, but in this nightmare the predator was Brian."
"I believe this was attempted murder. Once Brian realized he lost me and there was no getting me to stay in this unhealthy marriage, his goal was to eliminate me," Therese said.
Prosecutors weren't happy at the relatively light sentence Brian received for the crime. He was sentenced to a mere 60-days in jail, which he would have to serve on weekends. He was also give five years of probation.
Brian's sentence for poisoning his wife's coffee is far below the sentencing guidelines, which is a 15-year felony,
"You shouldn't be able to commit at 15 year-felony by poisoning someone and only have to serve weekends," Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said. "It's unbelievable to me."
“This defendant’s actions were despicable,” Smith said in a statement. “We are all thankful this sneak attack didn’t cause the victim to fall asleep behind the wheel on her way to work killing herself and/or innocent drivers.
“This defendant deserves nothing less than a prison cell for his actions and that is what we will be stressing to Judge Viviano Thursday morning or we will be appealing the sentence, plain and simple.”
According to Smith, the criminal guidelines should have Brian Kozlowski do the minimum of 19 to 38 months in prison.