On Friday, Aug. 24, Emily Nicole Powell, 25, of Alderson was charged with the felony offense of attempting to kill or injure by poison after she admitted in an interview to state and local police officers to putting a quarter sized amount of Terro Ant Killer on the victim’s pizza.
According to the criminal complaint, Powell admitted to poisoning the victim’s pizza because she “wanted him to suffer a little,” and desired an exclusive relationship with him.
The police were first made aware of the incident on Tuesday, Aug. 14, when Powell and the victim arrived at the Lewisburg Police Department. According to the criminal complaint, the victim was outside “puking violently,” and he said he saw the search, “how toxic is clear liquid ant killer?” in Powell’s phone. He was advised to seek immediate medical attention and was taken to Greenbrier Valley Medical Center (GVMC).
An EMS worker who helped transport the victim to GVMC returned to the police station after the victim was admitted. The EMS worker advised that he knew Powell, and that Powell had been texting him while they were transporting the victim, including the following message: “Ok so him and his ex jus recently split up and they said he was poisoned but it could take a few days to actually hit you and I jus ain’t trying to have someone say that I did it cause I didn’t.”
The victim stated that he received a phone call from Powell on Aug. 19 stating that she was promised $200,000 from his pregnant ex-girlfriend and the ex-girlfriend’s father to kill the victim. Prior to the incident, the victim had been the recipient of a sizeable settlement from a lawsuit.
In a direct quote from the criminal complaint, the victim advised that Powell said that his ex-girlfriend’s father: “drove to Beckley and obtained a liquid derived from a mushroom, which he gave her contained in a blue pill bottle. The victim further advised that Powell admitted to putting the liquid in his first Gatorade bottle on Aug. 14. The victim stated Powell told him that his ex-girlfriend and his ex-girlfriend’s father planned to throw him off a cave opening in Fort Springs to make his death look like an accident.”
The victim then described an incident from Aug. 20 in which he was carjacked by two men in a black truck. He said he was hit in the head with a gun, and they stole his truck which contained multiple firearms.
Powell denied poisoning the victim or conspiring with the ex-girlfriend and her father. Powell further advised that she did not call the victim saying she was offered $200,000 to kill him. She stated she had no knowledge of anyone trying to kidnap the victim or take his vehicle. Powell further stated that she would do what she had to do in order to prove her innocence, and consented to the interview where she later admitted to poisoning the victim’s pizza.
The report contains conflicting stories from both Powell and the victim. The investigation is ongoing. Powell is currently out on bond after entering a plea of not guilty in Greenbrier County Magistrate Court. All suspects are assumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law. For more details, the full criminal complaint is public record and can be obtained from the Greenbrier County Magistrate Court.
