According to Missouri police, a teacher at a Christian high school is accused of attempting to murder her husband by blending a poisonous root into his smoothie.
Sarah Scheffer, 37, has been charged with attempted murder following a series of alleged poisonings, with the latest occurring on Tuesday, Jan 16, as per the Jefferson City Police Department. Scheffer is a design and art teacher at Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City.
Police said Scheffer’s husband grew suspicious during a six-week span as he was given food or beverage by his wife that featured an “odd taste”. It caused him “extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, severe cotton mouth and nausea”.
According to police, he was given beverages on Dec 31 and Jan 1 that each had a bitter taste. When he confronted his wife, she initially said she had urinated in the beverage before changing her story multiple times.
The husband installed a surveillance camera in their kitchen, which captured Scheffer placing a bag labelled “Lily of the valley” onto a table, according to a probable cause statement. Ingesting the plant can reportedly cause seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, heart arrhythmia and severe cases, death.
Police stated that Scheffer was seen using contents of the bag for a smoothie she made for her husband. She poured the contents of the smoothie into a tumbler and placed it in the refrigerator.
Afterwards, when police seized the tumbler, Scheffer was questioned by officers and admitted to adding the poisonous root to her husband’s drink, knowing it could harm or kill him.
Scheffer is currently being held in the Cole County Jail, as confirmed by police.
A spokesperson for Calvary Lutheran High School stated that “consistent action” was taken in response to Scheffer’s arrest. The executive director of the school, John Christman, emphasized that the alleged conduct was outside of the employee’s association with the school and did not involve any students or other school personnel. He also added that the school believes in protecting the well-being of all individuals and seeks to respond in a caring and sensitive manner to everyone in their community.
Jefferson City is around 130 miles west of St Louis. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
