Sarah Scheffer.Photo:Cole County Jail
Cole County Jail
A high school teacher in Missouri is charged with attempted murder, with authorities alleging she poisoned her husband.
The alleged victim became suspicious when he started experiencing “extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, severe cotton mouth and nausea” after eating or drinking on eight different occasions, according to the probable cause statement.
On Jan. 1, police say Scheffer brought the alleged victim a drink, which had a bitter taste, and he confronted her about it. In response, she allegedly told the man she had urinated in the beverage, before saying she put an industrial strength adhesive into it, according to the statement. Scheffer later denied putting anything in the drink, police say.
After that incident, police say the alleged victim installed the surveillance camera in the kitchen.
On Tuesday morning, the alleged victim found a bowl containing a root from a bag labeled “lily of the field” on a table in Scheffer’s home work area, the statement says. That same morning, police allege that the camera captured Scheffer pouring the bowl’s contents into a blender, which the man says was a smoothie she prepared for him, according to the statement.
Police claim Scheffer admitted that she blended lily of the valley into her husband’s smoothie, despite knowing it could potentially kill him, allegedly saying she intended to harm him.
Lily of the valley contains cardiac glycosides, which slow the heart.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Scheffer is an art and design teacher at Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City, according to the school’s website. She has been placed on leave, the school said in a reported statement.
Scheffer is charged with first-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action, court records indicate. No hearings have been scheduled as of Thursday, and records do not indicate if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
