Indiana man admits poisoning wife's Coca-Cola to marry her daughter

Alfred Ruf, 71, confessed to poisoning his wife's Coca-Cola with a toxic "off-white powdery substance" in a plot to kill her and marry her daughter, according to Indiana state court records. Ruf pleaded guilty to aggravated battery in July and was sentenced on August 26 to four years in prison followed by five years of probation.

Ruf admitted to police that he had been lacing his wife's drinks with the substance provided by her daughter, according to USA TODAY.

The wife reported her husband’s actions to the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, handing over a pill bottle containing the mysterious powder and an opened Coca-Cola can with off-white residue.

Wife tested positive for drugs
Ruf’s wife tested positive for MDMA, cocaine, and Benzodiazepines at a hospital, although she denied using any drugs. John Lawrence Tompkins, Ruf’s defense attorney, said that once the charges were altered, the Indiana man accepted responsibility for his actions.

Confession to poisoning
During his interview with deputies in January 2022, Ruf confessed that he was involved in a sexual relationship with his wife's 31-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. The daughter allegedly gave Ruf the powdery substance in September 2021 and told him to poison her mother. Ruf said the drugs would make his wife sleep for 13 hours, and his goal was to eventually kill her.

Daughter involved in deception
Ruf explained that the daughter and a female friend would instruct him to spike his wife’s drink, and then they would visit his home to add more of the substance to the drink while she slept. Once his wife was unconscious, the women would perform sex acts for Ruf while wearing his wife’s negligees.

Motivated by property
Ruf said the daughter wanted her mother "out of the picture" after discovering the house was being sold, and she mentioned her mother’s life insurance policy. The Indiana man admitted he repeatedly drugged his wife between September and December 2021, believing that after her death, he and the daughter would marry.

Confession driven by guilt
Despite knowing the drugs could kill his wife, Ruf claimed he continued the poisoning to ensure the daughter and her friend would come over. Eventually, Ruf confessed to his wife because he "felt bad" and admitted to taking her to the hospital multiple times due to severe symptoms caused by the drug cocktail.