A Missouri esthetician was allegedly caught putting weed killer in her husband's soda because he was "not appreciative" of the 50th birthday party she threw for him, police said.
Michelle Y. Peters, 47, of Lebanon, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action, according to court documents.
During an interview with authorities, Peters reportedly admitted she wanted to be "mean" to her husband due to his lack of appreciation for the party. The husband, whose name was redacted from the documents, had earlier informed the Laclede County Sheriff's Office that he believed his wife was poisoning him, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The husband claimed he first noticed that the Diet Mountain Dew from the two-liter bottle he kept in their garage refrigerator "tasted weird" around May 1. Initially, he ignored the strange taste but continued drinking the soda. A few weeks later, he began experiencing symptoms including a sore throat, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, and was coughing up thick, brown-yellow mucus, according to the police report.
Growing suspicious, the husband reviewed security camera footage from the garage dated June 12. He then tried changing his routine and putting new, untampered bottles in the refrigerator, only to find that Michelle allegedly continued to mix the soda with weed killer. The original bottle of Roundup was nearly empty, and a new bottle was ready to replace it, the husband claimed.
When the husband mentioned feeling sick to Peters, she allegedly suggested he "probably had COVID" and should "stay away from the grandkids," the warrant stated. The husband expressed uncertainty about whether his wife was having an affair or intended to collect on his $500,000 life insurance policy. He also noted that she had significantly reduced the money she was transferring from a business account to their personal account.
Confronted with the video evidence, Peters told officers she "should have just divorced" her husband, whom she described as "selfish."
After her formal arrest, Peters stated that her actions stemmed from her husband's lack of appreciation for the party she had organized. She pleaded not guilty to both charges and is being held without bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for July 2.
