ST. CLOUD — The substance suspected of being used to kill a St. Cloud man earlier this year has a deadly legacy, tied to assassinations, mass poisonings and Cold War-era plots.

Cody Ray Ernst, 33, of St. Cloud, died on June 22 of medical complications directly related to thallium after authorities say his roommate at a sober living facility, Stuart William Hanmer, 35, of Fridley, used the toxic metal to poison Ernst.

Hanmer, formerly of Moorhead, was arrested Sept. 3 after an investigation lasting more than two months, has been charged with second-degree murder.

According to a criminal complaint, Hanmer made three online purchases of thallium sulfate, a colorless, crystalline chemical compound, totaling $162.

St. Cloud Police Chief Jeffrey Oxton said the department was “surprised to fi

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