A high school art teacher in Missouri is facing serious charges after allegedly attempting to poison her husband using a plant called “lily of the valley.” The accused, Sarah Scheffer, has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action.
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According to The Jefferson City Police Department, Scheffer’s husband had become suspicious of his wife’s actions over the past six weeks. He claimed that on eight separate occasions, he had consumed food or drinks that tasted odd and subsequently experienced extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, severe cotton mouth, and nausea.
Two specific incidents were detailed in the court documents. On Christmas Eve, he was given a drink with a bitter taste and suffered from the aforementioned symptoms for two days. On New Year’s Day, he confronted his wife after consuming another bitter drink. She initially claimed to have urinated in it but later confessed to adding an industrial-strength adhesive. Following this confrontation, the husband installed a hidden camera in the kitchen. On January 16, he captured footage of a bag labeled “Lily of the Valley” on a table, along with a bowl containing a root from the bag. He promptly reported the findings to the authorities.
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Later that same day, Scheffer was observed adding items to a blender, including the root from the poisonous plant. She then prepared a smoothie for her husband, which he consumed. The tumbler and its contents were tested, confirming the toxic plant’s presence. In the probable cause statement, Scheffer admitted to intentionally adding the root of the lily of the valley plant to the blender with the intent to harm her husband. She acknowledged being aware of the plant’s deadly properties and the illegality of her actions.
“The defendant admitted doing this with the intent to cause the victim hard. The defendant admitted to knowing that ingesting ‘lily of the valley’ could result in death. The defendant admitted knowing the act was illegal”
The National Capital Poison Center has classified the lily of the valley plant as “very poisonous,” with all parts of the plant containing cardiac glycosides that can slow down the heart and cause irregular heart rhythms.
Scheffer is currently being held without bond at Cole County Jail. Concerns were raised about her potential flight risk, as she allegedly mentioned having a relationship with an individual in Pakistan and had conducted Google searches for flights to the country.
