North Carolina School Therapist Arrested for Allegedly Poisoning Her Husband

A school-based occupational therapist in North Carolina was taken into custody after authorities accused her of tampering with her husband’s energy drink using prescription medications, research obtained by authorities suggests.

Identified as Cheryl Harris Gates, 43, she was detained after allegedly spiking her husband’s Celsius drink with drugs intended to incapacitate him. Court documents reveal that Gates researched deadly and incapacitating drug combinations online, using ChatGPT, between July and September.

Evidence collected from her residence included syringes, a capsule filling kit, medical droppers, scales, and medications—indicating preparation for a plan to poison her spouse. The victim reported experiencing two incidents of incapacitation linked to a foreign substance in his beverage on July 12 and August 18. At the times of these events, they were not living together.

Authorities linked her activities to research into lethal drug methods, with records showing she purchased related materials and attempted to carry out her plan.

Gates, previously employed as an occupational therapist in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, faces serious charges including attempted first-degree murder and contaminating food or drink with harmful intent. Additional charges stem from an incident last week where she allegedly placed a tracking device on her husband’s vehicle and caused property damage to his window.

The suspect was released on bail after her initial arrest but was denied bond following her recent detention. The school district has since removed her role, and attempts to obtain responses from officials have been unsuccessful.