St Louis, March 4: A former middle school principal in St Louis, Cornelius M Green, has pleaded guilty to hiring a hitman to murder a teacher who was pregnant with his child. The victim, Jocelyn Peters, was a teacher at Mann Elementary School, while Green served as the principal at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School. Despite being married, Green was engaged in an affair with Peters, resulting in her becoming pregnant with his baby in 2015.

According to a report by the Mirror, the elaborate and sinister plot unfolded in 2016 when Green conspired with his childhood friend, Phillip J Cutler, offering him USD 2,500 to carry out the heinous act. Green allegedly stole money from the middle school to finance the murder-for-hire scheme. Cutler travelled from Oklahoma to St Louis, where he stayed at Green's house. To establish an alibi, Green took an Amtrak train to Chicago, leaving Cutler with the keys to Peters' apartment and his car. US Shocker: Cancer Patient Dies After Surgical Robot Burns Holes in Organs, Husband Sues Manufacturer.

On March 24, 2016, Cutler executed the brutal murder, shooting Peters in the head while she lay in bed, using a potato as a makeshift silencer. Tragically, both Peters and her unborn child lost their lives in the heinous act. As per a report by WDBJ7.com, Green returned to St Louis later that day and went to Peters's apartment, feigning ignorance of the crime he had orchestrated. US Shocker: Thousands of Menhaden Dead Fish Wash Up on a Beach in Texas, 'Low Oxygen' Killed Fishes, Claim Experts; See Harrowing Picture.

Green's guilty plea encompasses charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. In a plea agreement, the St Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has agreed to dismiss murder charges against Green if he is sentenced to life in prison on the federal charges. Cutler, too, faces federal charges of murder-for-hire conspiracy and murder-for-hire, with his trial set to commence on March 11.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 04, 2024 10:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).