Thorbjorn MacBain Charged With Attempted Murder, Accused Of Trying To Poison Ex-Wife

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A 38-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly poisoning his ex-wife.

Thorbjorn Vadnis Koyen MacBain has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. MacBain changed his name from Trevor Alexander Bain during his divorce.

According to the criminal complaint, MacBain's ex-wife agreed to meet him at Central Park in Roseville on Sept. 23 so he could have visitation time with their children. During their divorce, she had been awarded custody of the two kids.

She later told police she stayed at the park because she was afraid he would not return the children if she left. While at the park, MacBain was playing with squirt guns with his children.

At one point, MacBain went to the bathroom, and when he came out, he said he squirted his ex-wife with the squirt gun. However, his ex-wife disagreed, and said MacBain, who was holding a bottle, poured a liquid on her. She licked the liquid from her hand to try to find out what it was, and said it had a spicy flavor, inconsistent with water.

Immediately afterwards, she had a reaction and said she thought she was going to lose consciousness. She described feeling sick and being unable to stand up.

According to the complaint, she then called 911, but was unable to speak. MacBain said she was having a panic attack and that her reaction was because of her hyperthyroidism. The complaint notes that MacBain had an extensive knowledge of his ex-wife's medical history, despite being divorced for seven years.

She was transported to Regions Hospital, where Dr. Robert Pueringer said all of her symptoms were consistent with having been poisoned with organophosphate, which include pesticides and nerve agents Sarin, Tabun, and Soman.

According to his ex-wife, MacBain had spoken about poison in the past. He said he believed his father and others had tried to poison him.

MacBain's 10-year-old child was on the bench when his mother was splashed with the liquid. He said it was sticky and had a "weird" smell. He also said that MacBain did not act concerned before or after the 911 call. One of the other children was splashed, but they had less severe reactions than their mother.

Police later arrested MacBain. When his girlfriend was told she could not return to the house, she spontaneously asked why and said "there are no chemicals or bombs in there."

Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the home on the 600 block of Asbury Street in St. Paul on Friday to recover potentially hazardous evidence.

The FBI's Hazardous Evidence Response Team (HERT) was on the scene along with other FBI personnel, with assistance from the Minnesota National Guard 55th Civil Support Team and the St. Paul Fire and police departments.

If convicted, MacBain could face up to 50 years in prison.