Even if you wish your ex-boyfriend, ex-husband or father of your child were dead, you shouldn’t say that to anyone. In this true-crime that’s exactly what the woman did—told a friend she wished her ex were dead. The friend gave her a hit man’s phone number.
She called the hit man, who, unbeknownst to her, was actually an undercover police officer in another state. Because her phone calls and later her email crossed the state line (so to speak) authorities charged her with a federal crime.
Her directions were specific; she wanted the body to be found and didn’t care about collateral damage except for her child. After she believed the hit man had killed her ex-boyfriend, she mailed the hit man a Thank-You card with money.
The authorities arrested her at a local airport. She remained in jail awaiting trial for twenty months. She eventually pleaded guilty to interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder for hire.
Six months later, a U.S. District judge sentenced her to ten years in federal prison, pay $1,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after serving her sentence.
Here’s a breakdown of the sentencing guidelines applicable to this crime: Whoever uses the mail or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce, with intent that a murder be committed as consideration for the receipt of, or as consideration for a promise or agreement to pay, anything of pecuniary value shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than ten years, or both; and if personal injury results, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than twenty years, or both; and if death results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment, or shall be fined not more than $250,000, or both.
Be sure to email me if you hear of a true-crime you think would be good in a book. I’ll research it, share it and possibly use it in one of my novels.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Oxygen, Spokesman Review