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Sarah Scheffer is a former Jefferson City, Missouri, teacher and nonprofit art gallery director accused of trying to poison her husband by giving him smoothies mixed with root of lily of the valley, which is poisonous, according to a probable cause statement and Jefferson City police press release.
According to the Riverfront Times, Scheffer was working as a teacher at a Christian school when she was arrested on January 16.
In 2022, she was named the executive director “of a nonprofit art gallery in Jefferson City,” according to Riverfront Times.
The News Tribune reported that she was named executive director of Capital Arts, bringing “more than 20 years of art experience to her new role.”
Scheffer is accused of having an affair with a man in Pakistan while trying to poison her husband, Matthew Scheffer, The New York Post reported.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Sarah Scheffer’s Husband Says His Wife Gave Him a Beverage or Food With an ‘Odd Taste’ 8 Times, Police Say
According to the probable cause statement from police, Sarah Scheffer “committed the offense of domestic assault in the first degree by attempting to kill or knowingly caused or attempted to cause serious physical injury to a domestic victim.”
The report says the victim “has been suspicious of his wife, the defendant, putting poisonous and/or toxic substances in his food and beverages without his knowledge for the past six weeks.”
He described eight occurrences “in which the defendant 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 court document says.
On December 31, Scheffer gave her husband “a beverage he described as having a bitter taste,” the report says. It says the man experienced symptoms throughout the following day. On January 1, she again gave him a beverage with a bitter taste, according to the report.
When he confronted her, she “stated she urinated in it,” the report says, adding, “the defendant then admitted to putting an industrial strength adhesive in it.” She later denied putting anything in the beverage, the report says.
2. Matthew Scheffer Set Up a Secret Camera That Captured Sarah Scheffer Adding Items to a Blender, Police Say
Wikimedia CommonsLily of the Valley.
The report says the husband then installed a “concealed surveillance camera that captured the kitchen area of the home.”
On January 16, around 6:50 a.m., he saw a bag labeled “lily of the valley” on the table in Scheffer’s work area in the home, the report says. On the table was a root from that bag, it says, adding that the husband photographed a bowl with the contents.
The video showed Scheffer “adding items to a blender” on January 16, police wrote.
She “emptied the contents from what appeared to be the same bowl . . . poured the contents into a yellow insulated tumbler and placed the tumbler in the fridge,” police wrote.
The husband told police she prepared the smoothie for him. Scheffer admitted adding a root of the lily of the valley into the blender “while preparing a smoothie drink for the victim” and admitted doing this “with the intent to cause the victim harm. The defendant admitted to knowing that ingesting ‘lily of the valley’ could result in death,” the report says.
According to a January 17 press release from Jefferson City police, on January 16, the department “investigated a call involving allegations of intentional poisoning of a spouse.”
Authorities “were notified by the victim that he believed a period of unexplained illnesses were in fact an intentional act of poisoning,” the release says.
3. Lily of the Valley Can Slow Down the Heart & Is Categorized as Having ‘Major Toxicity Signs,’ Police Say
Christian school teacher allegedly tried to poison husband while she had an affair t.co/NBdeA50AVi
A search of a “national poison control center indicated all parts of the substance used contain numerous cardiac glycosides, which slow down the heart and cause irregular heart rhythm,” the release says. “It is also categorized as having major toxicity signs of cardiac glycosides, which cause nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain,” the police news release says.
The suspect was described as 37 and from Jefferson City. She was accused of domestic assault first-degree, and she was taken to the Cole County Jail, the police release says.
The suspect was “located and after being advised of her Miranda warning, agreed to answer questions,” police wrote. “During the course of the interview, the suspect admitted to adding items to the victim’s food with the knowledge of its potential to cause illness/death.”
4. Sarah Scheffer Was Described as Possessing a ‘Valuable Mix of Talent & Experience’ in the Art World
According to the News Tribune, Sarah Scheffer’s work “has been featured in numerous local and nationwide exhibits, and she’s had drawings, paintings and photographs commissioned for patrons across the world.”
She taught art at Calvary Lutheran High School, according to the News Tribune.
“Sarah possesses a valuable mix of talent and experience,” Board of Directors President Holly Nunn said in a news release when she was chosen to lead Capital Arts, according to the News Tribune. “As an artist with a background in education, administration, management and customer relations, she is uniquely qualified to lead Capital Arts.”
The newspaper reported that Scheffer was tasked with trying “to boost the community ceramics program by adding more wheels and increasing the studio space. She also plans to revamp the Imagination Station, a fully stocked crafting area for children.”
5. The School Where Sarah Scheffer Taught Said It Was Committed to ‘Protecting the Well-Being of All Individuals’ Involved in its Programs
Congratulations Laura Moody, winner of Sketch Day Mayor’s Choice Award for her drawing of the #BicentennialBridge! Looking forward to hanging this in the Mayor’s Office! With Sarah Scheffer from @CapitalArts 🎨
Calvary Lutheran High School told ABC News that the employee was placed on leave after the school learned from police there was a “criminal matter” pending.
“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 said in the statement to ABC.
“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.”
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