A former school principal has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the shooting death of a pregnant teacher with whom he was having an affair.
According to KMOV-TV, Cornelius Green pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in federal court on Wednesday, February 28, for the 2016 shooting death of Jocelyn Peters, an elementary school teacher from Missouri.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys have reportedly agreed on a life sentence for Mr. Green, but he will be formally sentenced at a later date.
Mr. Green also faces murder and other state charges, but KMOV reports that local prosecutors will drop the charges if he is sentenced to life in prison.
On March 9, 2022, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office indicted Mr. Green and his alleged co-conspirator, Phillip Cutler. Mr Green, who was married, was said to have had an “ongoing romantic relationship” with Ms Peters and, in 2015, she became pregnant. The prosecutor’s office said that between February 29, 2016 and October 11, 2016, Mr. Green “devised a plan to murder Ms. Peters and her unborn child.”
Part of the plan allegedly included paying Mr. Cutler to kill Ms. Peters.
On March 7, 2016, Mr. Green sent Mr. Cutler $2,500 (C$3,400) to an address in Oklahoma. On March 21, 2016, Mr. Cutler allegedly traveled to St. Louis and stayed with Mr. Green.
The next day, Mr. Green reportedly went to Chicago “to distance himself from the homicide.”
Three days after his arrival, on March 24, 2016, Mr. Cutler allegedly drove to Ms. Peters’ apartment in Mr. Green’s car, broke in and shot her in the head.
He used a potato as a silencer.
KMOV reports that Mr. Green went to Ms. Peters’ apartment that same day and called the police. Ms. Peters was about seven months pregnant when she was killed.
The trial of Mr. Cutler, who faces the same charges as Mr. Green, is scheduled for March 11.
