Alfred W. Ruf, a 71-year-old Indiana man, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to spiking his wife’s Coca-Cola with cocaine and other drugs in an attempt to kill her. Ruf admitted to the crime of aggravated battery posing a risk of death, while a charge of conspiracy to commit murder was dismissed as part of a plea deal. The investigation into the case began in 2022 after Ruf’s wife, Lisa Bishop, told police during a welfare check at their Richmond home that she believed Ruf was trying to kill her and had been hospitalized several times. Bishop gave officers a pill bottle containing a white powdery substance that Ruf had allegedly been putting into her drinks without her knowledge, as well as a Coke can with the substance at the bottom.
Lisa Bishop was taken to the hospital, where she tested positive for cocaine, MDMA, and benzodiazepine, despite denying using drugs herself. Ruf confessed to detectives that he was given the white powdery substance by his wife’s daughter from a previous relationship, who instructed him to put it in Bishop’s drink to make her go to sleep for approximately thirteen hours in order to eventually kill her. Ruf also admitted to being in a sexual relationship with the daughter and her friend. The daughter allegedly mentioned a life insurance policy that Bishop had and instructed Ruf to “get mom out of the picture,” while the friend hinted at wanting to marry him after they took care of Bishop. Ruf claimed to have given Bishop the powdery substance about 12 times between September and December 2021, taking her to the hospital six times because of reactions to the drugs.
Lisa Bishop suffered from headaches, drowsiness, and feeling light-headed but did not know what was wrong with her until one incident where she felt like she was going to pass out and discovered the powdery substance at the bottom of a Coke can. Confronting Ruf, who then confessed, Bishop learned of his intentions which he went back and forth on, stating at times that he knew it would kill her, but also admitting to giving her the substance to make her pass out so he could have sex with the daughter and friend. Ruf was ultimately sentenced to four years in prison followed by five years of probation. NBC News reached out to his attorney for comment on the case, but there have been no further updates. The horrifying case highlights the dangers of trust within relationships and the lengths some individuals may go to in order to achieve their sinister goals. It serves as a reminder to always be cautious and vigilant in protecting oneself from harm, even within the confines of a seemingly safe and loving personal environment.
