I Never Wanted to Hurt Anyone

It’s sad for everyone when a couple with a child divorces. When a divorce is contentious, it’s even worse. Then add to the drama the ex-wife’s new boyfriend, who is arrogant and full of himself—her friends had a bad feeling about him.

The 48-year-old ex-wife and her husband had been married for seventeen years. She was a prominent veterinarian. They had one daughter.

After dating the veterinarian for eight weeks, the 39-year-old new boyfriend, still pining for his ex-girlfriend, moved into her luxury high-rise condominium in the wealthy part of town and began sharing her bank account.

While the two were living together in the condo, his ex-girlfriend accused him of stalking her. She must have had evidence because the authorities charged him with stalking.

Shortly after the two moved in together, grumbling about their exes, grumbling turned to talk about “taking care of their problems.” Her problem was her ex-husband, the father of their child, and the shared custody battle. His problem was his ex-girlfriend and the stalking charge.

The new boyfriend asked the man who ran the bail bonds business that helped him post bail on the stalking charge if he could help him take care of his ex-girlfriend. The bail bondsman referred him to a former military man who might help. In contacting the ex-military man, he asked if he could kidnap his ex-girlfriend and convince her to drop the stalking charge. If she didn’t agree to dropping the charge, then he wanted her to disappear. The ex-military man accepted payment. Whether he would have gone through with the plan is unknown.

Meanwhile, the bail bondsman contacted the police, who approached the ex-military man about becoming a confidential informant—he agreed.

The ex-wife, her new boyfriend, the ex-military man and his hired hitman (a.k.a. undercover police officer) all met for dinner at a chain restaurant I’ve dined at many times. They finalized the details of the plan at their dinner meeting. At this meeting, the new boyfriend and the ex-military man went outside to smoke, leaving the undercover police officer and the veterinarian alone. She confirmed to the “hitman” besides dealing with the stalking charge, she wanted her ex-husband killed.

The authorities contacted the ex-husband and the ex-girlfriend and asked them to pose for photographs that made them look dead in the manner in which the new boyfriend had directed the hitman to do—they agreed.

After the police delivered the death notices and recorded the phony responses of surprise, they arrested the veterinarian and her new boyfriend.

Three days after she posted bail and went home, she wrote some goodbye messages, then jumped from her balcony to her death. In one of her goodbye messages, she said,

“I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

The new boyfriend couldn’t post bail. He remained in custody for one year before his trial began. After two hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty on two counts of solicitation to commit capital murder. The court sentenced him to life in prison and fined him $10,000.

He, as everyone found guilty of a crime does, submitted an appeal. The appeal court considered his appeal and determined that the trial evidence supported each conviction. His life sentence will stand.

Source: Fourteenth Court of Appeals, State of Texas, ABC News, People, Oxygen True Crime, American Veterinary Medical Association

All data and information provided is for information and research purposes only and not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. Criminal cases may have been appealed or verdicts overturned since I researched the case. All information is provided on an as-is basis.