Topline: A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a Haines City man she met on a dating app and leaving investigators to wonder whether there may be more victims.
Published: September 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Samantha Adams (via Polk County Sheriff's Office)
HAINES CITY, FL — A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a 69-year-old Haines City man she met on a dating app, leaving him hospitalized with a benzodiazepine overdose after what investigators say began as a romantic encounter and ended in a medical emergency.
According to WFLA and a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release, Samantha Adams was arrested Aug. 27 in Davenport and charged with second-degree attempted murder after detectives said she intentionally mixed benzodiazepine into the man’s drink at his home.
Investigators said the man first knew Adams by the name “Nala” after meeting her through a dating app. He told detectives they argued over a vehicle he had purchased for her, and that she later went into the kitchen carrying her purse before returning with two glasses of whiskey. After he drank from one of the glasses, the evening turned intimate, but he said Adams abruptly stopped and demanded $1,000 to continue. He refused, and she left.
Later that night, the man passed out and was taken to a hospital, where medical staff determined he had suffered a benzodiazepine overdose, investigators said. Detectives also learned that someone had tampered with the home security system, and the man told them he had seen Adams in the part of the house where the system was located.
The victim also reported at least three other suspicious incidents this month after drinking alcohol with Adams at her Orange County residence, according to investigators. He said he became unsteady and fell after one drink at her home, passed out in his vehicle after another visit, and on Aug. 15 backed into another vehicle while feeling groggy after leaving her residence. He told detectives each episode followed only a small amount of alcohol.
When Adams was taken into custody, deputies said she had a prescription bottle issued to someone else containing hydrocodone-acetaminophen, oxycodone, sertraline, part of an Adderall pill, and part of an alprazolam pill. In addition to attempted murder, she was charged with evidence tampering, multiple drug possession counts, resisting without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a legend drug without a prescription, and offering to commit prostitution.
Sheriff Grady Judd said investigators believe there could be other victims and urged anyone who may have had a similar encounter with Adams to come forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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‘Black Widow’ Accused of Poisoning Haines City Man She Met Online
A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a Haines City man she met on a dating app and leaving investigators to wonder whether there may be more victims.
By Randy Shaw
Published: September 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Samantha Adams (via Polk County Sheriff's Office)
HAINES CITY, FL — A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a 69-year-old Haines City man she met on a dating app, leaving him hospitalized with a benzodiazepine overdose after what investigators say began as a romantic encounter and ended in a medical emergency.
According to WFLA and a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release, Samantha Adams was arrested Aug. 27 in Davenport and charged with second-degree attempted murder after detectives said she intentionally mixed benzodiazepine into the man’s drink at his home.
Investigators said the man first knew Adams by the name “Nala” after meeting her through a dating app. He told detectives they argued over a vehicle he had purchased for her, and that she later went into the kitchen carrying her purse before returning with two glasses of whiskey. After he drank from one of the glasses, the evening turned intimate, but he said Adams abruptly stopped and demanded $1,000 to continue. He refused, and she left.
Later that night, the man passed out and was taken to a hospital, where medical staff determined he had suffered a benzodiazepine overdose, investigators said. Detectives also learned that someone had tampered with the home security system, and the man told them he had seen Adams in the part of the house where the system was located.
The victim also reported at least three other suspicious incidents this month after drinking alcohol with Adams at her Orange County residence, according to investigators. He said he became unsteady and fell after one drink at her home, passed out in his vehicle after another visit, and on Aug. 15 backed into another vehicle while feeling groggy after leaving her residence. He told detectives each episode followed only a small amount of alcohol.
When Adams was taken into custody, deputies said she had a prescription bottle issued to someone else containing hydrocodone-acetaminophen, oxycodone, sertraline, part of an Adderall pill, and part of an alprazolam pill. In addition to attempted murder, she was charged with evidence tampering, multiple drug possession counts, resisting without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a legend drug without a prescription, and offering to commit prostitution.
Sheriff Grady Judd said investigators believe there could be other victims and urged anyone who may have had a similar encounter with Adams to come forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
‘Black Widow’ Accused of Poisoning Haines City Man She Met Online
A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a Haines City man she met on a dating app and leaving investigators to wonder whether there may be more victims.
By Randy Shaw
Published: September 3, 2026 4:04 pm ET
Samantha Adams (via Polk County Sheriff's Office)
HAINES CITY, FL — A 39-year-old Orlando woman is accused of poisoning a 69-year-old Haines City man she met on a dating app, leaving him hospitalized with a benzodiazepine overdose after what investigators say began as a romantic encounter and ended in a medical emergency.
According to WFLA and a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release, Samantha Adams was arrested Aug. 27 in Davenport and charged with second-degree attempted murder after detectives said she intentionally mixed benzodiazepine into the man’s drink at his home.
Investigators said the man first knew Adams by the name “Nala” after meeting her through a dating app. He told detectives they argued over a vehicle he had purchased for her, and that she later went into the kitchen carrying her purse before returning with two glasses of whiskey. After he drank from one of the glasses, the evening turned intimate, but he said Adams abruptly stopped and demanded $1,000 to continue. He refused, and she left.
Later that night, the man passed out and was taken to a hospital, where medical staff determined he had suffered a benzodiazepine overdose, investigators said. Detectives also learned that someone had tampered with the home security system, and the man told them he had seen Adams in the part of the house where the system was located.
The victim also reported at least three other suspicious incidents this month after drinking alcohol with Adams at her Orange County residence, according to investigators. He said he became unsteady and fell after one drink at her home, passed out in his vehicle after another visit, and on Aug. 15 backed into another vehicle while feeling groggy after leaving her residence. He told detectives each episode followed only a small amount of alcohol.
When Adams was taken into custody, deputies said she had a prescription bottle issued to someone else containing hydrocodone-acetaminophen, oxycodone, sertraline, part of an Adderall pill, and part of an alprazolam pill. In addition to attempted murder, she was charged with evidence tampering, multiple drug possession counts, resisting without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a legend drug without a prescription, and offering to commit prostitution.
Sheriff Grady Judd said investigators believe there could be other victims and urged anyone who may have had a similar encounter with Adams to come forward.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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