Barbaray Clinkenbeard (Morgan County Sheriff’s Office).
A Missouri woman allegedly poisoned a family member by spiking his lemonade and tea with rat poison and antifreeze, causing him to become quite ill.
Barbaray Clinkenbeard, aged 61, is facing charges of first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action, with two counts for each. The arrest affidavit, based on probable cause from the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, states that the victim heard Clinkenbeard confess to poisoning him during a phone conversation on Friday, which prompted the victim to contact the authorities.
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Investigators claim that Clinkenbeard administered poison to the victim in December and January. The first instance involved her discovering rat poison on her property and combining it with a glass of lemonade. In the second incident, she allegedly used antifreeze she found on her property and mixed it into tea, resulting in the victim falling ill on both occasions, as per the affidavit.
Following the incident, deputies apprehended Clinkenbeard at her residence in Versailles, located around 70 miles southwest of Columbia. During the transportation to the jail, Clinkenbeard began singing about finding salvation through Jesus. Subsequently, at the police station, she continued singing religious hymns while oscillating between crying and singing, according to the affidavit.
Clinkenbeard allegedly admitted to poisoning the family member amid arguments with him. Asked if she knew that the amount of poison used in both instances could kill the victim, Clinkenbeard answered in the affirmative, the affidavit said. The victim at first denied Clinkenbeard had poisoned him, but later admitted that she did do so after she confessed to cops, according to the affidavit.
The defendant faces between 10 and 30 years in prison if convicted. She remains at the Morgan County Jail without bond. Her next court date is slated for April 8.
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