An Indiana man allegedly poisoned his roommate to death by spraying her drinkswith windshield washer fluid, after she disapproved of his binge drinking habits, authorities said.
Thomas Holifield, aged 59 years old, has been charged with the murder of Pamela Keltz, aged 60 years old, who died on 1 June 2021 for methanol poisoning, according to Michigan City Police and LaPorte County Coroner Lynn Swanson.
Holifield allegedly called the police to confess on May 30 while Keltz was being treated in the unit. intensive care at a local hospital, The (Northwest Indiana) Times reported Thursday, citing court documents.
Holifield told police that Keltz she was her “best friend” and that they had previously had a romantic relationship together.
She said that the two of them fought over her alcoholism, because she did not drink alcohol and said that her drinking became in “a point of contention between the two”, according to court documents.
He allegedly devised a plan to kill her, first by putting eye drops in a cup from which she regularly drank soda .
However, “Thomas noticed that the eye drops were not causing a serious enough illness. Pamela would have hallucinations and diarrhea, but then recover,” the file says.
Holifield later found a bottle of windshield washer fluid in Keltz’s room and saw that it contained the poisonous chemical methanol, they said. authorities.
He allegedly told police that he put some liquid in Keltz’s 2-liter soda bottles, causing her to get sick and go to the hospital.
After returning home, he said he started to put more and more poison into her soda in an attempt to kill her, court documents say.
After learning that Keltz was poisoned, doctors changed her treatment, but eventually they couldn’t save her.
She was declared brain dead and taken off life support on June 1, documents show.
A search warrant executed at Holifield’s home revealed a funnel and a nearly empty one-gallon bottle of Champion windshield washer fluid, which Holifield allegedly told police was nearly full when he began poisoning Keltz, The Times reported. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder. In October, a judge appointed a mental health professional to determine if he was fit to stand trial, according to The Times. He is scheduled to appear in court again on January 20.