A woman from Lebanon, Missouri, has been accused of attempting to poison her husband by spiking his Mountain Dew with herbicide and insecticide. The woman, identified as 47-year-old Michelle Peters, allegedly carried out the poisoning over several instances in May and June, according to the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office.
The case came to light after Peters’ husband, who remains unnamed, began feeling ill and suspected that his soda was being tampered with. He provided surveillance footage to the police, which reportedly showed Peters adding the herbicide Roundup and insecticide to his Mountain Dew. The husband was the only person in the household who drank Mountain Dew, making the situation even more suspicious.
Michelle Peters has been charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action. She is currently being held at the Laclede County Detention Center without bond.
The husband first noticed something was wrong on May 1, when his two-liter bottles of Mountain Dew, stored in a refrigerator in the garage, began to taste odd. Initially, he ignored the strange taste and continued to drink the soda. However, after a few weeks, he started experiencing symptoms such as a sore throat, coughing up mucus, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
On June 12, the husband reviewed video footage from the garage, which allegedly showed Peters taking a two-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew out of the refrigerator, grabbing the Roundup, and then placing the soda back in the refrigerator. This discovery made him fear for his life. When he confronted Peters about his illness, she suggested he might have COVID-19 and advised him to stay away from their grandchildren.
On June 23, the husband saw Peters on a surveillance camera in the downstairs area, holding a bottle of Mountain Dew near a bottle of insecticide on a shelf. He immediately notified the sheriff’s office.
When questioned by the police, Peters initially claimed she was mixing the soda and Roundup in a cup to use as a weed killer, something she said she had seen on Pinterest. However, the detective informed her that there were multiple videos showing her actions in the garage, and no cup was involved. Authorities also found several bottles of Mountain Dew containing Roundup in the refrigerator.
Peters eventually admitted to putting insecticide in her husband’s Mountain Dew bottle on the night of June 23, thinking it was Roundup. She explained that she was angry at her husband because he did not appreciate the 50th birthday party she had thrown for him. She also mentioned that they had relationship issues and described her husband as selfish.
The chemical glyphosate, found in Roundup, can cause severe health issues if ingested, including increased saliva, burns, pain in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and potentially death.
Peters is scheduled for a bond review hearing on July 2. It remains unclear whether she has retained an attorney.
This case is reminiscent of another incident where an Arizona woman was sentenced to probation for poisoning her husband’s coffee with bleach over several months. These cases highlight the severe consequences of domestic disputes escalating to dangerous levels.
The Laclede County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case, and further details may emerge as the legal proceedings unfold. The community remains shocked by the allegations, and the case serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers within domestic relationships.
Source: USA Today, People, Fox 5 Atlanta, KY3, Fox 59
