Indiana Man Sentenced for Poisoning Wife

Alfred W. Ruf, a 71-year-old Indiana man, has been sentenced to four years in prison and five years of probation after pleading guilty to aggravated battery for attempting to poison his wife with a cocktail of drugs including cocaine, MDMA, and benzodiazepines. Ruf confessed that he spiked his wife's drinks around 12 times between September and December 2021 with the intent to kill her so he could marry her daughter, who supplied him with the drugs. His wife reported unexplained hospitalizations and symptoms, eventually leading her to contact the police. Ruf admitted to the plot after feeling guilty and revealing his actions to his wife. Charges of conspiracy to commit murder were dropped in favor of the aggravated battery charge.