Christian Teacher Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Poison Husband
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January 26, 2024
A Christian school teacher in Missouri was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of attempting to kill her husband after mixing a poisonous plant into his smoothie.
The Jefferson City Police Department released a statement last week, revealing a man alerted officers on Jan. 16 that he was suffering an “unexplained illness” he believes might have been brought on by “an intentional act of poisoning.”
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According to a probable cause statement, the man allegedly installed a camera in the kitchen, capturing footage of his wife mixing a root-like substance into his smoothie. Next to her was a bag marked “lily of the valley,” a poisonous flower that can be dangerous if ingested by humans or animals.
Mount Sinai reports ingesting lily of the valley can lead to a slow or irregular heartbeat or collapse.
Sarah Elizabeth Scheffer, 37, admitted “adding items to the victim’s food with the knowledge” that ingesting lily of the valley “could result in death.”
Police stated ingesting the dangerous plant, which contains “numerous cardiac glycosides,” “can slow down the heart and cause irregular heart rhythm” as well as “nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.”
The alleged lily of the valley incident is not the first time Scheffer’s husband was suspicious he was being poisoned.
The probable cause statement detailed an incident that unfolded Jan. 1, when the alleged victim complained of drinking a beverage with a “bitter taste.”
“The victim advised he confronted the defendant regarding her putting something into the beverage and the defendant stated she urinated in it,” the statement read. “The defendant then admitted to putting an industrial strength adhesive in it.”
Scheffer, an art instructor at Calvary Lutheran High School in Missouri, has since been charged with attempted murder and armed criminal action. She is currently being held without bail at Cole County Jail.
John Christman, executive director at Calvary Lutheran, said he was shocked by the teacher’s arrest.
“She was a beloved teacher and did a wonderful job of growing the art skills of her students,” he told NBC News. “She was a well-loved teacher at our school. We felt and had seen the fruits of her investment in the students. She was able to encourage them to produce and always seemed to be engaged for all the right reasons.”
In a separate statement to KMIZ-TV, Christman said the “alleged conduct was outside of the employee’s association” with the school and didn’t involve any students or personnel.
“As a Christian community,” he said, “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.”
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