An Indiana man, Alfred Ruf, has admitted to a disturbing plot in which he poisoned his wife over several months with the intent to kill her and marry her daughter. Ruf, 71, was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to aggravated battery posing a risk of death, following the 2021 poisonings that repeatedly sent his wife, 51-year-old Lisa Bishop, to the hospital, as reported by the Kansas City Star.
The investigation into Ruf’s actions began in 2022 when Bishop reported to police that she believed her husband was trying to poison her. According to police reports cited by the Local 12 and the Palladium-Item, Bishop had been suffering from unexplained symptoms, including severe headaches, drowsiness, and diarrhea.
Upon testing, she was found to have multiple drugs in her system, including MDMA and cocaine, substances she claimed she had never knowingly ingested. According to the arrest affidavit, Ruf eventually confessed to Bishop that he had been poisoning her soft drinks. Bishop later discovered a powdery substance in cans of Coca-Cola, confirming her suspicions, WRBL reported.
Ruf admitted to law enforcement that his motive for poisoning his wife was to marry her daughter. He further revealed that two other women were involved in the plot, including Bishop’s 31-year-old daughter, with whom he claimed to be in a sexual relationship.
Authorities have reported that the daughter allegedly provided Ruf with the poison and was complicit in the plan to kill her mother. It remains unclear if charges have been brought against the daughter, as noted in the arrest affidavit.
Ruf was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by five years of probation, according to court documents cited by the Kansas City Star and USA Today. The case has shocked the local community, highlighting a chilling conspiracy that spanned months and involved the betrayal of family trust.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.