New Delhi: A 71-year-old Indiana resident, Alfred W. Ruf, admitted in Wayne County Court on Monday to attempting to poison his wife by mixing her Coca-Cola with various drugs. His actions were part of a sinister plan to kill her and marry her daughter. Ruf was sentenced to four years in prison for aggravated battery posing a risk of death, a level 3 felony, followed by five years of probation. Although the conspiracy to commit murder charge was dismissed, the details of the case have shocked the community.An insight into the caseThe case came to light after a series of troubling incidents in 2021 when Rufs wife was hospitalized multiple times with symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, and diarrhea. Despite testing positive for illegal substances like MDMA, cocaine, and benzodiazepines, she denied taking any drugs. Suspicion grew when she contacted police in January 2022, reporting that Ruf had confessed to trying to poison her. During a police visit to their home, Ruf admitted to spiking her drink with an unknown substance provided by her daughter.Curelity of Rufs confessionsRufs wife handed over a Coca-Cola can with a powdery residue and a pill bottle containing a similar substance. Upon questioning, Ruf confessed that his wifes daughter from a previous marriage had given him the substance and encouraged him to poison his wife. He admitted to having a sexual relationship with the daughter, who allegedly plotted the murder to claim the life insurance and marry Ruf. Ruf stated that between September and December 2021, he poisoned his wifes drink about 12 times, with the daughter and her friend visiting the house each time she was debilitated.In a chilling admission, Ruf confessed that their ultimate goal was to kill his wife. The case remains under investigation, with police still looking into two other suspects connected to the plot.
