An Indiana man has confessed to poisoning his wife’s soda, which she had intended to use to kill him.
Alfred Ruf, 71, was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to the dangerous act.
The case against Ruf, a veteran, dates back to 2021 when he poisoned his wife’s soft drinks on at least twelve occasions.
By January 2022, Ruf’s wife, Liza Bishop, 51, reported her suspicions to the authorities, believing her husband was attempting to poison her.
Prior to involving the police, Bishop had been hospitalized six times over a few weeks for unexplained symptoms including headaches, drowsiness, and diarrhea.
During these hospitalizations, she tested positive for substances like cocaine, MDMA, and benzodiazepines drugs she had never used before.
The situation came to light when Bishop noticed a powdery residue on her soda bottles.
Ruf eventually confessed to her that he had been trying to poison her, though he initially did not disclose this to the police.
Upon investigating, authorities overheard Ruf mentioning that he was “spiking” his wife’s drink with a substance he had obtained from his 31-year-old daughter.
Ruf was subsequently taken to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, where he admitted to the poisoning during an interview.
In addition to the poisoning, Ruf also confessed to having an affair with Bishop’s daughter from a previous marriage.
