Daisy Zantjer, Poisoning, Domestic Abuse, Iowa Crime.
September 29, 2024
IOWA: Daisy Zantjer, a 39-year-old Iowa woman, has pleaded guilty to poisoning her husband with eyedrops, a stark contrast to her online persona advocating against harmful chemicals and toxins. Zantjer, a blogger from Pleasantville, Iowa, was charged with administering harmful substances and domestic abuse causing bodily injury.
Court records reveal she admitted to giving her husband, Allan Zantjer, tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, found in eyedrops, on two separate occasions in July 2023. Authorities say her guilt was never really in doubt, as she confessed during an interview to administering the harmful substance.
Zantjer's online presence painted a different picture. Her blog posts warned about chemicals in household products, urging readers to join her in being "toxic free" and promoting organic retailers. One post stated, "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."
She wrote, "It's like feeding someone arsenic... It's not going to kill that person right away. It's killing them slowly." This ominous warning now seems eerily prophetic, given her own actions.
Pleasantville Police Chief Joe Mrstik confirmed the blogger and the defendant are likely the same person. Zantjer's arrest on July 30 was a culmination of local and state police efforts.
Initially, she was detained on a $12,000 cash or surety bond. Following her guilty plea, her bond was reduced to $6,000 cash or surety. Sentencing is pending.
