A Christian school teacher has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly poisoning her husband while she had an affair – after he set up a hidden camera that captured her adding a toxic plant into his smoothie, officials said.
Sarah Scheffer, 37, an art and design teacher at Calvary Lutheran High School in Jefferson County in Missouri, was first charged last week with first-degree domestic assault after her husband told police he had been ill for about six weeks, police said.
She has since been charged with first-degree attempted murder and armed criminal action, according to a probable cause statement viewed by The Post.
“Authorities were notified by the victim that he believed a period of unexplained illnesses were in fact an intentional act of poisoning,” Jefferson City police said.
The husband described “eight occurrences” in which Scheffer “provided a beverage or food that had an odd taste and shortly after ingesting he experienced extreme fatigue, confusion, blurred vision, severe cotton mouth, and nausea,” the probable cause statement says.
He told authorities that a drink she gave him on Dec. 31 “had a bitter taste” – and that when he asked her about it, “she stated she urinated in it” and added “an industrial strength adhesive” into it, according to the filing.
After Scheffer later denied adding anything into the smoothie, her husband installed a surveillance camera in the kitchen, where on Jan. 16 “he observed a bag labeled ‘lily of the valley’” on the table.
Scheffer “admitted to adding a root of the plant into a blender while preparing a smoothie,” according to the probable cause statement.
“The defendant admitted doing this with the intent to cause the victim harm,” it said, adding that she also acknowledged that she knew that ingesting the root could kill him.
All parts of Lily of the Valley contain cardiac glycosides, which slow down the heart and cause irregular rhythms, according to the National Capital Poison Center, which categorizes the plant as having major toxicity.
Scheffer said she is in a relationship with someone who lives in Pakistan and “has conducted Google searches for flights to Pakistan,” the probable cause statement said.
Calvary Lutheran High School said it was notified by police on Wednesday of a “criminal matter pertaining to an employee” who has since been placed on leave.
“The alleged conduct was outside of the employee’s association with the school and did not involve a student or any other school personnel,” Calvary Lutheran Executive Director John Christman told ABC17 News in a statement.
“As a Christian community, 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. With this in mind, consistent action has been taken in response to the notification,” he added.
Scheffer taught two classes at the school, where she was considered a part-time employee, Christman told the outlet.
“She was a beloved teacher and did a wonderful job of growing the art skills of her students,” he told NBC News on Friday.
“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,” he told the outlet.
Scheffer’s father said the charges came totally “out of the blue” and don’t match the daughter he knows — a beloved artist and teacher who volunteers to raise money for Third World health efforts.
“She’s a decent person. I don’t think she could have done this, but I guess that’ll just have to come out at trial,” Marcus Blaskie told NBC News about his daughter.
Scheffer is being held on a no-bond arrest warrant at the Cole County Jail. No hearings have been set in the case as of Monday morning.
