A Wisconsin man who believed his wife was poisoning him with medication intended for their cats has been sentenced to 32 years in prison after admitting to killing her inside their home.
Chad Haworth, 56, pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional homicide in connection with the death of his wife, Carmen Haworth, 54. He was also sentenced to eight years of extended supervision following his prison term, according to court records reported on October 27, 2026. <Cite refs={[“turn955856search0″,”turn955856search3”]}/>
The case began on March 6, 2025, when police in Hudson, Wisconsin, responded to a welfare check at the couple’s residence. What officers encountered was a tense, hourslong standoff that ended with Haworth surrendering and his wife’s body being discovered inside the home.
Investigators later learned that Haworth had contacted police earlier that day with suspicions about his wife’s behavior, including an allegation that she might be poisoning him. He acknowledged that he had no evidence to support that belief.
Suspicion Escalated Before Police Arrived
According to the criminal complaint, Haworth contacted police at around 11 a.m. and reported that he thought Carmen might be using their cats’ medication to poison him. He also claimed he had developed thyroid problems and intended to seek medical attention.
Later that afternoon, officers were dispatched to the home at approximately 3:09 p.m. for a welfare check.
During a telephone conversation with police, Haworth was reportedly crying and shouting. He complained that his wife’s boyfriend had deleted recordings from his iPhone, adding another layer to the conflict he described to officers.
When police continued speaking with him, Haworth made a disturbing admission about Carmen’s condition.
He told officers that his wife was no longer alive.
According to investigators, Haworth said he had become enraged after Carmen laughed at him during a confrontation. He then described using a knife to cut her neck.
The allegations revealed a deadly escalation from suspicions that Haworth himself had acknowledged were unsupported by evidence.
Hourslong Standoff Delayed Officers’ Entry
After learning that Carmen might be dead, officers attempted to get Haworth to leave the residence and allow them to check on her.
Instead, the situation grew more dangerous.
Police said Haworth began threatening to harm himself and suggested that officers would have to shoot him. Officers also heard sounds consistent with a firearm being operated inside the home and believed it was a pump-action shotgun.
They ordered Haworth to put down the weapon, but he refused to allow officers inside.
According to the complaint, he told police that Carmen had already been dead for approximately half an hour.
As the standoff continued, the St. Croix County Emergency Response Unit deployed tear gas into the home in an effort to bring the situation to an end.
Haworth eventually emerged from the residence at approximately 6:20 p.m. and was taken into custody.
Once officers secured the home, they entered and found Carmen dead, with knife wounds to her face and neck, according to police.
The hours between the initial welfare check and Haworth’s surrender were marked by negotiations as officers tried to resolve the situation safely while determining what had happened inside.
The Investigation and Criminal Charges
Following his arrest, Haworth was initially charged with first-degree intentional homicide, felony mayhem and felony aggravated battery, with deadly-weapon enhancements attached to the charges.
He later pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional homicide on July 22, 2026.
The guilty plea resolved the central question of his criminal responsibility for Carmen’s death without requiring a trial on the original first-degree homicide charge.
Under Wisconsin law, second-degree intentional homicide is a Class B felony. The offense involves causing another person’s death with the intent to kill, with the legal distinction from first-degree intentional homicide involving circumstances specified in state law. <Cite refs={[“turn955856search1″,”turn955856search2”]}/>
The sentence imposed in Haworth’s case includes 32 years of initial confinement in prison, followed by eight years of extended supervision.
That means the sentence totals 40 years, although the prison portion and the period of supervision are served under different conditions.
Why the Case Has Drawn Attention
The circumstances surrounding Carmen’s death highlight how dangerous an unsupported belief about a spouse can become when suspicion escalates into violence.
Haworth reportedly told police that he believed he was being poisoned, but he admitted that he had no evidence to substantiate the claim. Investigators also documented his concerns about the alleged deletion of recordings from his phone and his anger during the confrontation with Carmen.
Those details provide context for the events leading up to the killing, but they do not establish that Carmen had poisoned him.
The case also illustrates the challenges police face when responding to reports that may involve both a possible victim inside a home and an armed person refusing to cooperate. Officers must assess the threat, attempt communication and determine how to reach anyone who may need immediate assistance.
In this incident, the standoff lasted several hours before Haworth came outside and officers were able to enter the residence.
A Prison Sentence After a Deadly Domestic Dispute
Carmen Haworth’s death turned a domestic dispute into a homicide case that continued through the courts for more than a year.
Haworth’s guilty plea and sentence bring the criminal proceedings to a significant milestone, with decades of imprisonment ahead of him.
The case serves as a sobering reminder that suspicions and relationship conflicts can have devastating consequences when they turn violent. In this instance, the claim that Carmen was poisoning her husband remained unsupported, while the investigation led to a guilty plea for her killing.
The sentence now places Haworth in prison for 32 years, followed by eight years of extended supervision, for the death of his wife.
