Man Sentenced for Bizarre Murder Plot Involving Pigs
A uniquely eccentric individual from upstate New York was sentenced to seven years in prison on Tuesday. His crime? Attempting to arrange the murder of his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend for a mere $1,000 and a bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon—so he could, quite strangely, feed the body to his pigs.
Zeal Sutherland, 58, didn’t realize that the hitman he hired was actually an undercover FBI agent.
As John Sarcone, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, mentioned, “Zeal Sutherland thought he could order a murder from the comfort of his phone.” Thankfully, he is now looking at a long stretch in federal prison thanks to the tireless efforts of the FBI and the prosecutor’s office.
It all started in November 2024 when Sutherland, with the audacity one can hardly believe, used his cellphone to plot the murder. He offered the supposed killer $1,000 along with a bottle of bourbon, all the while planning to dispose of the body at a pig farm located in Pennsylvania.
In a turn of events that could almost belong in a dark comedy, Sutherland even left a disturbing gift—a dead Canada goose—at the mother of the target’s doorstep. He continued to engage in the plan until his arrest on January 27, 2025, after realizing too late that the farmer he hired was a federal agent tracking his every move.
When arrested, he was charged with using an interstate commercial facility in his murder plot. Sutherland ultimately pled guilty in May and was sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison, along with a $15,000 fine.
Craig Tremaroli, an FBI special agent, said, “The details of Mr. Sutherland’s ruthless plan are deeply disturbing and demonstrate his intention to carry out the murder.” He added that Sutherland’s intricate scheme had shaped up to land him exactly where he is now—behind bars.
This shocking case highlights how law enforcement, particularly the FBI, remains vigilant in quickly identifying and stopping individuals who threaten community safety with violent actions.
