Polk County investigators say Samantha Adams poisoned a 69-year-old man and may have targeted him on several occasions.
HAINES CITY, FL — A 39-year-old Orlando woman faces an attempted murder charge after Polk County investigators accused her of putting a sedative in the drink of a 69-year-old man she met through a dating app, sending him to a hospital with an overdose.
Samantha Adams was arrested Aug. 27 at the Posner Park shopping center in Davenport after agreeing to meet the man there, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said Adams faces a second-degree attempted murder charge along with tampering with evidence, several drug possession charges and misdemeanor offenses. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd publicly referred to Adams as a “black widow” while discussing the investigation and said detectives want to determine whether other people may have had similar encounters with her.
Deputies said the investigation began Aug. 20, three days after the Haines City man was admitted to a hospital following what he considered a suspicious medical emergency. The man told investigators he had met Adams through a dating app and knew her only as “Nala.” Detectives later identified the woman as Adams. According to the sheriff’s office, hospital staff determined the man had suffered a benzodiazepine overdose. He told detectives he did not take benzodiazepines and did not have a prescription for them.
Investigators said the Aug. 17 episode followed an argument between Adams and the man over a vehicle he had purchased for her. According to the man’s account to detectives, Adams went into the kitchen carrying her purse and returned with two glasses of whiskey. He drank from one of them. The man said the two then became intimate before Adams stopped and allegedly told him he would have to pay her $1,000 to continue. He refused, and Adams left the home, according to authorities.
Later that evening, the man passed out and was taken to the hospital, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators allege Adams intentionally mixed benzodiazepine into his drink. Deputies also said someone had tampered with the man’s home security system. The man told detectives he had seen Adams in the area of his home where the security equipment was located. Authorities have not publicly detailed what evidence led investigators to conclude Adams had put the drug in the drink beyond the information described in the sheriff’s office account and arrest affidavit.
The man also reported several earlier incidents that he considered suspicious while visiting Adams at her Orange County residence. He told detectives that on one occasion he became unsteady and fell after having a drink there. In another incident, he said he passed out in his vehicle after leaving the residence. He also told investigators that on Aug. 15 he felt groggy after leaving Adams’ home and backed into another vehicle. The man said he had consumed only a small amount of alcohol during those incidents. Investigators said he believes Adams may have poisoned him on at least three other occasions, but those claims remain allegations.
When deputies arrested Adams, authorities said she had a prescription bottle issued to someone else that contained several types of medication. The sheriff’s office reported finding hydrocodone with acetaminophen, oxycodone, sertraline, part of an Adderall pill and part of an alprazolam pill. The discovery led to additional charges, including possession of oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam. Adams was also charged with resisting without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a prescription drug without a prescription and offering to commit prostitution, according to the sheriff’s office.
Judd said investigators are concerned there could be other people who had similar contact with Adams. His office alleged that money was a motive in the encounter with the Haines City man, citing the vehicle dispute and the alleged demand for $1,000. Those assertions are part of the criminal investigation and have not been established at trial. Authorities have not announced evidence of any additional victims or additional charges connected to other alleged encounters.
Adams is accused, not convicted, of the offenses. Publicly available reports reviewed Wednesday did not establish whether she had entered a plea or identify an attorney speaking on her behalf. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its investigation remained focused in part on determining whether anyone else had been victimized.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.