A former school principal has pleaded guilty 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 in federal court on Wednesday, February 28, to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire for the 2016 shooting death of Jocelyn Peters, a Missouri elementary school teacher.
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 filed charges against 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 she became pregnant in 2015. Prosecutors said that between February 29, 2016 and October 11, 2016, Mr. Green “concocted a plan to murder Ms. Peters and her unborn child.”
Part of the plan allegedly involved 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.
Mr. Green reportedly traveled to Chicago the next day “to distance himself from the murder.”
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.