Wisconsin pair charged in alleged plot to stalk, poison and kill dating app liaisons

A Wisconsin boyfriend and girlfriend who have been charged with attempted murder are accused of trying to poison two women the man previously dated after he met them online, authorities said

A Wisconsin boyfriend and girlfriend who have been charged with attempted murder are accused of trying to poison two women the man previously dated after he met them online, authorities said.

Paul VanDuyne Jr., 43, and Andrea Whitaker, 41, have each been charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, recklessly endangering the public and stalking, according to criminal cases filed in the Madison region.

On Friday, they appeared in court separately in Janesville, in Dane County, which also is home to the state capital. Bail was set at $10 million for VanDuyne, who prosecutors said has access to substantial resources, and $4 million for Whitaker.

Pleas were not entered, and each remained in custody, according to jail records. The defendants have separate lawyers, who did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

One of the two victims — each of whom met VanDuyne on a dating app and saw him only a few times — described an experience discovering a stranger she later realized was Whitaker crouched next to her vehicle in her garage in April.