JEFFERSON CITY, MO – A Missouri man, suspecting his wife of repeated attempts to poison him, reportedly captured her actions on surveillance video, according to court filings.
Sarah Scheffer, a 37-year-old high school art teacher, was charged with first-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action on Wednesday, as per a felony complaint lodged in Cole County Circuit Court.
The husband, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly suffered from severe symptoms such as extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, dry mouth, and nausea on eight different occasions after consuming food or drink prepared by Scheffer, as stated in a probable cause statement from the Jefferson City Police Department.
The husband confronted Scheffer on New Year’s Day after noticing an unusual bitter taste in a drink she served him. Scheffer initially claimed she had adulterated the drink with her urine and later with a strong adhesive, only to deny any tampering later. This led the husband to install a security camera in their kitchen.
The man discovered a bowl with a root labeled “lily of the field” on Scheffer’s desk on Tuesday. Surveillance footage later showed Scheffer adding the root to a blender while making a smoothie.
Upon presenting the video evidence to the police, Scheffer reportedly confessed to adding lily of the valley, a toxic plant known to drastically slow heart rate or disrupt heart rhythm, into her husband’s drink.
The contents of the blender were sent for testing by the Jefferson City Police Department. Scheffer is currently held at Cole County Jail without bail, and her court date is yet to be scheduled.
The high school where Scheffer taught was informed of the criminal allegations against her. The school’s executive director emphasized that the alleged actions were unrelated to her role at the school and did not involve any students or other staff members.
Scheffer is now in the custody of Cole County Jail without the option for bail. The date for her court hearing has not been established yet, and it remains uncertain whether she has secured legal representation.