Larissa Foreman was born on January 1, 1960, and raised on a farm in Clarence, Missouri. She pursued biochemistry at the University of Missouri, where she met Timothy Schuster, a nursing student. The couple married in 1982 and had two children: a daughter, Kristin, born in 1985, and a son, Tyler, born in 1990. In 1989, the family relocated to Fresno, California, where Larissa secured a position at an agricultural research laboratory. Demonstrating entrepreneurial ambition, she later established her own business, Central California Research Laboratories (CCRL), which specialized in biochemistry research. By 2000, Larissa's professional success enabled the family to move into a larger home in Clovis, California. 

Her career flourished, and by 2001, she was earning double Timothy's salary. However, this period also marked the beginning of marital discord, leading Larissa to file for divorce in February 2002. The ensuing separation was contentious, with disputes over child custody and division of assets. Larissa was granted primary custody of Tyler and retained the family residence, while Timothy moved into a condominium. The acrimony intensified when Larissa, accompanied by her lab assistant James Fagone, unlawfully entered Timothy's residence in August 2002 to retrieve personal belongings. During this tumultuous period, Larissa reportedly expressed a desire for Timothy's death to acquaintances.

On July 10, 2003, Timothy Schuster failed to attend a scheduled breakfast meeting and did not collect his son as planned, prompting concern among friends and family. Investigations revealed that Larissa and her employee, James Fagone, had conspired to murder Timothy. They incapacitated him using chloroform and a stun gun, then placed his unconscious body into a 55-gallon barrel. Subsequently, they poured hydrochloric acid into the barrel in an attempt to dissolve his body. Larissa stored the barrel in a rented storage unit, where Timothy's remains were discovered days later. Both Larissa and James were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. 

In December 2006, James Fagone was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Larissa's trial commenced in October 2007 in Los Angeles County due to extensive pre-trial publicity in Fresno. The prosecution presented evidence of her prior threats against Timothy and detailed the meticulous planning involved in the murder. Despite her defense's claims of innocence, Larissa was found guilty on December 12, 2007, with the special circumstance of financial gain. She was sentenced on May 16, 2008, to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The case attracted national attention due to the gruesome method of disposal, earning Larissa the moniker "The Acid Lady."