From Chemical Crusader to Alleged Poisoner

The Daisy Zantjer Case

The small town of Pleasantville, Iowa, is currently at the center of a perplexing criminal case. Daisy Robert Zantjer, a 39-year-old wife, mother, and local resident, was arrested on July 31, 2024, on charges of administering harmful substances and domestic abuse. According to court documents, Zantjer is accused of poisoning her husband on two separate occasions in July 2024. The allegations against her involve an unusual weapon: eye drops.

accused poisoner Daisy Zantjer

The Accused

Daisy Zantjer, born on April 9, 1985, has lived a life that, on the surface, seemed unremarkable. She pursued higher education focusing on religious studies, attending Texas Baptist College from 2003-2005 and later seeking a master's degree in religious education at Baptist College of America from 2008-2013.

Daisy has been married to Robert Allan Zantjer since August 3, 2010. She is the mother of two daughters, ages 13 and 11. Professionally, she has been employed part-time with Primerica, a financial services company, since September 2003.

The Investigation

The Pleasantville Police Department became aware of the situation when the alleged victim reported it. It is as yet unclear how Daisy became a suspect in her husband's illness; he had reportedly been previously hospitalized for symptoms including difficulty breathing.

Chief Joe Mrstik of the Pleasantville Police Department publicly commented on the case, pointing out the seriousness of the allegations and the difficulty the situation poses for Daisy Zantjer's two daughters. "Based on the interview with Daisy and the initial statement from the victim, charges were warranted in this case." These statements included a confession. However, it's crucial to note that as of the time of writing, Zantjer has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Dangers of Drinking Eye Drops

I have covered several cases in which a disgruntled spouse used eye drops as a deadly weapon. Some of you faithful crime followers may remember South Carolina nurse Lana Clayton, convicted of the 2018 Visine poisoning of her millionaire husband, Steve. Or Tina Glasco, who was audio-recorded admitting to putting Visine in her husband's drink on four consecutive days. Lest you think women are the only killers with a taste for tetrahydrozoline, North Carolina ex-paramedic and wife killer Josh Hunsucker is a stark reminder that they're not.

Tetrahydrozoline is a dangerous drug. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the F.D.A. approved its use in 1954. It is found in several over-the-counter eye drops brands (Visine, Murine, Plus, Clarine, etc.) When used in the eyes as directed to reduce redness, these types of eye drops are not absorbed systemically in amounts that lead to toxicity. But, when ingested, it very rapidly can cross the blood barrier, and even small amounts can have toxic effects within your blood, your brain, and your central nervous system, and quickly affects the whole body. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, a dangerously slow heart rate, and low blood pressure.

A Surprising Twist

What makes this case particularly intriguing is Zantjer's apparent previous stance on harmful chemicals. Several years before her arrest, a series of blog posts warning about the prevalence of chemicals in everyday household products were published under the name Daisy Zantjer.

In one post dated October 30, 2018, the author wrote: "I am a Christian woman who wants to do right by her family and part of that is keeping them free from harmful chemicals and other toxins that could destroy their body."

These writings, if indeed authored by the accused, present a stark contrast to the current allegations. The blog posts advocated for organic living and warned against the slow, cumulative effects of everyday toxins. "It's like feeding someone arsenic," one post read. "It's not going to kill that person right away. It's killing them slowly."

What Is It About Poisoners?

For those of you who regularly read my articles, you know that I have a long-held fascination with poison as a murder weapon. Perhaps it's the historical legacy; for thousands of years, poison has been a convenient way to speed up an inheritance or get rid of an unwanted spouse. It's partly because of the premeditation involved; poisoning someone requires a sophisticated plan (as opposed to picking up a hammer or grabbing a gun).

And certainly, it's because of poisoners' relative "success;" the number of prisoners who elude justice is estimated as twenty to thirty times higher than those behind bars. These are all reasons why we should learn as much as we can about people who torture through toxins. Better the devil you know.

The Demographics of Death

In 1984, French author Alexandre Dumas (The Three Musketeers) wrote a detective fiction novel in which the protagonist repeatedly tells his stumped colleagues, "Cherchez la femme." Look for the woman." Even though, for time eternal, murder has been a male-dominated activity.

So here's what we know so far about the demographics of poisoners. When the murder victim is a woman, the majority of poisoners are men. When the victim is a man, the split is about fifty-fifty. Poisoners tend to stab people of the same race; white poisoners tend to poison white victims; African Americans tend to poison each other, and so on. (This is also true of shooters, stabbers, and stranglers). On average, a poisoner tends to kill someone slightly older (five to ten years) than they are.

Plenty of poisoners got their pre-murder practice in the medical field; there are more poisonous doctors, nurses, chemists, and lab techs than you might expect. There are also plenty in caretaking roles: parent, spouse, nursing home attendant, where there's the deadly duo of easy access to fatal substances and vulnerable victims. These nurturing roles have been especially true in recent times when choosing exotic poisons like arsenic and cyanide has given way to the use of everyday household products like Visine and antifreeze.

The Poisonous Personality

"It's always the quiet ones." This excerpt is from serial poisoner Rachel Staudte's diary. In 2012, she and her mother, Diane, murdered their dad, Mark, and brother, Shaun, by spiking their drinks with antifreeze. They were on the way to wiping out the entire family (including a twelve-year-old sister) when they took daughter and sister Sara to the emergency room after dosing her with the same drug — not to save her life but because Rachel was "grossed out" by the thought of her sister dying in the house.

Rachel's inner musings not only reveal something about her. They tell us something about poisoners in general. As a group, murderers who choose poison as a weapon are not drama queens. They don't throw temper tantrums. No one thinks of them as a powder keg or a bully. In fact, because they tend to avoid confrontation, other people see them as easygoing and somewhat passive.

But that's because poisoners tend to operate behind the scenes. Behind that pleasant façade lurks an immature personality determined to get their way and using emotional and verbal manipulation. Guilt, gaslighting, and playing the victim are the weapons poisoners tend to use before they become deadly.

Poisoners also tend to be clever. Killing someone with poison, by its very nature, requires planning and deception, so it's no surprise that poisoners tend to be cunning, sneaky, and creative. I've seen poisoners design a murder plan in as much detail as a scriptwriter would lay out a script. Perhaps it's all the hours they spend daydreaming about how much better life would be if a spouse disappeared or the inheritance came early, or a troublesome boss dropped dead that primes the pump for an eventual murder plot.

When we look at the childhood of convicted poisoners, we tend to find extremes, either an upbringing rife with trauma or one filled with overindulgence and lacking consequences. Underneath their pleasant demeanor, many poisoners feel entitled to get whatever they want. Their narcissism leaves little room for genuine empathy, and their actions, often disguised as altruism or self-sacrifice, are, in reality, guided by self-interest.

The vast majority of poisoners kill someone they know: a child, spouse, friend, or acquaintance. Their motives are much different from other murderers; they usually revolve around money (life insurance, avoiding alimony or property splitting), jealousy ("lover's triangle"), convenience (she'll marry me if I get rid of the kids), revenge (he'll pay for dumping me); political conviction ( assassination, terrorism) boredom (let's see if I can get away with it); and ego (belief in mental superiority).

The Bottom Line

Following her arrest, Zantjer was booked into the Marion County Jail. She faces two counts of administering harmful substances and two counts of domestic abuse assault – injury or mental illness first offense. As of the last report, she remained in custody on a $12,000 cash/surety bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 8, 2024.

The Daisy Zantjer case reminds us of the potential dangers lurking in everyday household items and the unpredictable nature of domestic situations. It also underscores the importance of due process in the legal system, as the accused remains innocent until proven guilty.

As the case progresses, it will likely raise questions about the complexities of human behavior and the sometimes thin line between protection and harm. The outcome may provide valuable insights for law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and the community.

Thanks for reading this issue of The Mind Detective. Please pass it along to your crime-following friends. Hope you’are all having a great summer.