Current:Home > NewsEchoSense:Missouri teacher accused of trying to poison husband with lily of the valley in smoothie -PureWealth Academy
EchoSense:Missouri teacher accused of trying to poison husband with lily of the valley in smoothie
Oliver James Montgomery View
Date:2025-04-09 07:22:53
A Missouri teacher accused of poisoning her husband has been charged with attempted murder,EchoSense authorities say.
The woman has been identified as 37-year-old Sarah Scheffer, according to CBS affiliate KRCG. She is a part-time art and design teacher at Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City, Missouri, according to the school’s website.
The Jefferson County Police Department said in a statement that its officers investigated a call "involving allegations of intentional poisoning of a spouse," on Jan. 16. The victim told officers that he believed his unexplained illness was the result of an intentional act of poisoning.
According to court documents received by KRCG, the man said he was suspicious of his wife and thought she had been putting substances in his food and drinks for about six weeks. He experienced symptoms of blurred vision, confusion, dry mouth, fatigue, and nausea.
The victim told police that he saw a bag labeled "Lily of the Valley" on a table in their home. The man showed police a photo of the bag and a green bowl. A video then showed his wife making a smoothie using the roots that were in the bag. The man brought the smoothie to law enforcement. It was then submitted for testing, according to a report by KRCG.
"I mean if you eat enough of that in a short period of time you can see signs relatively quickly," said Tim Evans, veterinary toxicologist at University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine in an interview with KMIZ. "But it all depends on what part of the plant and how much of it is consumed."
According to Evans, the most toxic part of the lily of the valley plant are the roots.
Police said in the press release that a "search of a national poison control center indicated all parts of the substance used contain numerous cardiac glycosides, which slow down the heart and cause irregular heart rhythm." The release also notes that toxicity signs of cardiac glycosides may cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Wife accused of poisoning husband:Under the direction of soap star impersonator
Teacher, wife charged with attempted murder
The Jefferson County Police Department located Sarah Scheffer, wife of the victim, and brought her in for an interview.
During the interview, Scheffer admitted to putting Lily of the Valley in her husband's food. In addition, she was aware of the substance potential to cause death or a serious illness, police said.
Scheffer is a teacher at a Christian school, and she has now been placed on leave, the school said in a statement.
"This afternoon, Calvary Lutheran High School was notified by JCPD of a criminal matter pertaining to an employee,” the school’s Executive Director, John Christman, said in a statement to KMIZ. “The alleged conduct was outside of the employee’s association with the school and did not involve a student or any other school personnel. As a Christian community, Calvary Lutheran High School believes in protecting the well-being of all individuals who are part of our programs and we seek to respond in a caring and sensitive manner to everyone in our school community.”
Scheffer is charged with first-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action, court records show.
According to the Jefferson County Police Department, Scheffer is currently being held in Cole County Jail.
veryGood! (4178)
Related
- 'Most Whopper
- What is a hip-drop tackle? And why some from the NFL want it banned. Graphics explain
- Dutch election winner Geert Wilders is an anti-Islam firebrand known as the Dutch Donald Trump
- AP Week in Pictures: Global | Nov. 17 - Nov. 23, 2023
- A New York Appellate Court Rejects a Broad Application of the State’s Green Amendment
- 'Not who we are': Gregg Popovich grabs mic, tells Spurs fans to stop booing Kawhi Leonard
- Former St. Louis alderman in fraud case also charged with lying to police
- Incumbent Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall wins bid for second term
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams accused of 1993 sexual assault in legal filing
Ranking
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Maui residents wonder if their burned town can be made safe. The answer? No one knows
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot
- Railyard explosion, inspections raise safety questions about Union Pacific’s hazmat shipping
- 10 days after India tunnel collapse, medical camera offers glimpse of 41 men trapped inside awaiting rescue
Recommendation
Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
Witnesses describe vehicle explosion at U.S.-Canada border: I never saw anything like it
Daniel Noboa is sworn in as Ecuador’s president, inheriting the leadership of a country on edge
Dutch election winner Geert Wilders is an anti-Islam firebrand known as the Dutch Donald Trump
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Slovakia’s government signs a memorandum with China’s Gotion High-Tech to build a car battery plant
Republic of Congo marks a day of mourning for 31 dead in a stadium stampede
Nevada judge rejects attempt to get abortion protections on 2024 ballot