Teacher allegedly caught on video lacing husband’s smoothie with poisonous plant

Police questioned and later arrested 37-year-old Sarah Scheffer on Wednesday

Missouri teacher, Sarah Scheffer, was allegedly caught on video lacing husband’s smoothie with poisonous plant (Cole County Sheriff’s Office)

A teacher in Missouri has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly lacing her husband’s smoothie with a poisonous plant.

Police questioned and later arrested 37-year-old Sarah Scheffer on Wednesday, after they were contacted by her husband earlier this week, who reported he was suffering from an “unexplained illness”.

According to a probable cause document, seen by ABC, the victim described eight instances in which the defendant provided him with food or drink that had an “odd taste” which, shortly after ingesting he experienced “extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, severe cottonmouth, and nausea.”

The man allegedly confronted Ms Scheffer on 1 January after she brought him a “bitter” tasting drink.

According to the document, Ms Scheffer allegedly told him she had urinated in the beverage, then "admitted to putting an industrial strength adhesive in it”. She later denied she had put anything in the beverage.

Her husband then installed a hidden surveillance camera, which captured Ms Scheffer making a smoothie for him in a blender on Tuesday. She allegedly added a root from a bag labelled "lily of the valley" that her husband had previously seen on a table in the home, the statement said.

After being read her Miranda rights, Ms Scheffer agreed to answer questions, during which time she admitted adding items – including Lily of The Valley – to her husband’s food with the knowledge that it could cause illness or death.

According to the National Capital Poison Center, “Lily of The Valley" is a “very poisonous” plant that contains “numerous cardiac glycosides, which slow down the heart and cause irregular heart rhythm.

It is also categorized as having “major toxicity signs of cardiac glycosides which cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.”

The alleged smoothie, which had been placed in the fridge, was seized by police to be submitted to a state laboratory for testing, according to the probable cause statement.

Ms Scheffer is currently being held on a no-bond arrest warrant at the Cole County Jail. According to ABC affiliate KMIZ, she is a design and art teacher at Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson City.

Her name and photo appear to have been removed from the school’s faculty page online following her arrest.