Lily of the Valley

[Briar Lee]

This comes in the statewide Missouri news:

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Calvary Lutheran High School teacher was charged with attempted murder and armed criminal action after she allegedly poisoned her husband.


Sarah Scheffer, 37, of Jefferson City, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree domestic assault. A probable cause statement said her husband told police he had been ill for about six weeks.

The man contacted Jefferson City police Tuesday saying he believed his wife had been poisoning him, according to a news release. The woman admitted after her arrest to adding substances to the man's food with the knowledge it could kill him or make him ill, the Jefferson City Police Department said.

The substance she used contained cardiac glycosides, a substance used in a class of drugs meant to treat irregular heartbeats, police say. Signs of toxicity include nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

The victim told police that he remembered eight occasions when he'd eaten or drunk something that tasted strange and then became sick, the statement says. He confronted Scheffer about it on New Year's Day and then installed a hidden surveillance camera, according to the statement.

The camera showed Scheffer getting a substance out of a bag labeled "lily of the valley" and adding it to his smoothies, the statement says. Scheffer allegedly admitted to putting the substance in his smoothies knowing that it would be toxic to her husband.

Scheffer was in the Cole County Jail on Wednesday on a no-bond arrest warrant. No hearings had been set in her case, according to online court records.

Xxxxxx

So I looked up Lily of the Valley herb on eBay.

All she wants, $25 a bag.



Better be nice to the missus.

Or else make your own smoothies.

 

[canucklehead]

Yeah I've got a patch of them growing in a flowerbed that keep spreading under the fence from the neighbor. They're very hardy plants. I'm always digging them out and chasing my dog away from them (he knows he's not supposed to be in the flower bed) because one leaf or even worse, a piece of root, can make a dog very ill or even kill it. There are several common flowers that are quite poisonous, like Monk's Hoods (Aconitum), which my neighbor also grows.

 

[Mrs. Pickles]

There are several common flowers that are quite poisonous, like Monk's Hoods (Aconitum), which my neighbor also grows.

The great heliotrope (apparently one of the scents in Warhorse Bar?) also comes to mind.

 

[Streeper541]

Wow...

 

[El Capitán]

Why use something slow acting when wolfsbane leaves no traces?

 

[mingc]

Lilies of the Valley are rather pretty

 

[Kobold]

I think I’m safe because I make all the food in our house.

 

[milk]

That’s creative - more so than antifreeze.

 

[Grangerous]

I think I’m safe because I make all the food in our house.

I hide money in the stove.

 

[Briar Lee]

This lady is a textbook case of why NEVER to talk to the police unless you’ve called the police, which is almost (but not quite) always another bad idea.

The most difficult problem a prosector has with a poisoning case is proving who administered the poison.

And even if they can prove the act, the malicious intent is then an obstacle.

There are medical uses for Lily of the Valley tea. The bag that lady used has a dosage on it.

Xxxxx
Lily of the Valley is a dietary supplement that is known to have many health benefits. It is believed to help reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and boost the immune system. It is also thought to help with digestive issues, such as constipation and bloating.

Lily of the Valley: Herbal Uses, Benefits, Side Effects

Lily of the valley is a perennial plant and its extracts have been traditionally used as an herbal remedy for many ailments. Suggested uses include congestive heart failure, palpitations, irregular heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia), kidney and bladder stones, urinary tract infection, and others...

www.medicinenet.com

Xxxxx

Another strange fact in this case.

The husband said on eight occasions she fixed him things that made him sick.

She must have other talents and redeeming virtues we’ve not heard about.

Ugly old bow legged women could not serve the second smoothie.

 

[Streeper541]

The husband said on eight occasions she fixed him things that made him sick.

That's happened to me at least eight times over the course of my marriage... fortunately, I don't think my wife was ever intentionally trying to poison me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

We don't let my wife cook, not because she might kill us, but because she is just way more likely to burn the house down, ha ha.

 

[El Capitán]

We don't let my wife cook, not because she might kill us, but because she is just way more likely to burn the house down, ha ha.

So kill you with fire. That sucks.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

So kill you with fire. That sucks.

We would never let her cook while we slept, so at least we are safe that way. Having a fire while awake rarely kills anyone. Unless she tied us all up, h aha.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Why use something slow acting when wolfsbane leaves no traces?

Hey now, some member's wife might be reading this.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Yeah I've got a patch of them growing in a flowerbed that keep spreading under the fence from the neighbor. They're very hardy plants. I'm always digging them out and chasing my dog away from them (he knows he's not supposed to be in the flower bed) because one leaf or even worse, a piece of root, can make a dog very ill or even kill it. There are several common flowers that are quite poisonous, like Monk's Hoods (Aconitum), which my neighbor also grows.

Yikes, I did not know they were toxic to dogs. My wife loves them and I included some in a few mass plantings of bulbs I accomplished late fall. The dogs don't ever wander into the beds and are not unsupervised in the yard, but . . I will keep a close eye!

 

[El Capitán]

Hey now, some member's wife might be reading this.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Also, honeysuckles are toxic and dogs will eat the berries. Not the invasive ones that will kill off whole acres of trees, but the ornamental ones people put in flower beds. I had no idea that every part of a honeysuckle plant was toxic. I had three varieties in the backyard, and as I was looking for a recipe for honeysuckle wine, I discovered that they were actually very deadly. So, I had to yank them out, even though they smelled wonderful.
The invasive ones can be used for wine, but it is way better to just yank those out also, because they will spread and take over whole sections of land.

 

[macaroni]

...Better be nice to the missus.

Or else make your own smoothies.

Ha! Incredible!! Do you write a column in your town's (weekly?) newspaper? I wanna subscribe if so!

 

[anotherbob]

So kill you with fire. That sucks.

I don't know if it's true but I've been assured it kills you faster then you think because of the smoke. That did come from a fireman who was also kind of lazy so....