A former St. Louis middle school principal has pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting he hired a friend to kill his pregnant girlfriend in 2016.
Federal prosecutors announced that Cornelius Green, the former principal of Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, paid Phillip Cutler $2,500 for the murder of 30-year-old teacher Jocelyn Peters. Mr. Cutler is scheduled to stand trial for his alleged role.
The money was stolen from school trip funds. KSDK reportedIt was mailed to Cutler via UPS using the school’s address as the return address, according to the plea agreement reviewed by Fox News Digital.
Greene pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. If he is sentenced to life in prison under the plea agreement, state charges of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and one count of robbery will be dropped.
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Third-grade teacher Jocelyn Peters is being remembered as “someone who cared deeply about children,” People reported. She was shot dead in the early morning hours of March 24, 2016, while she was sleeping. (Jocelyn Peters, Facebook)
The state charges carried the possibility of the death penalty.
Peters was a third-grade teacher at nearby Mann Elementary School. kansas city starwas over 27 weeks pregnant with Green’s child.
On February 29, 2016, about three weeks before Ms. Peters was shot to death in her Central West End apartment on March 24, 2016, Mr. Green texted Mr. Cutler and said that during the week of March 20, Mr. asked to come to St. Louis.
“Okay, that’s going to work, then I’m going to send the page.” [sic]?,” Cutler responded according to the plea agreement.
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Cornelius Green, former principal of Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, was scheduled to go on a field trip to pay Phillip Cutler $2,500 to kill his pregnant girlfriend. Prosecutors said the money was stolen. (St. Louis City Justice Center)
According to court documents, Cutler arrived in St. Louis three days before Peters was killed and was staying with Green and his sister.
The next day, Greene headed to Chicago to establish an alibi, prosecutors said. Cutler drove Peters to the train, and Green left behind the car and the keys to Peters’ apartment.
According to court documents, Cutler fatally shot Peters with a .380 gun in the early morning hours of March 24 while she was sleeping, using a potato as a silencer.
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Philip Cutler was a childhood friend of Greene, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Prosecutors allege Green gave Peters a key to her apartment, where he shot her with her .380-caliber gun. His trial on federal charges is scheduled to begin March 11, KSDK reports. (St. Louis City Justice Center)
According to court documents, the suspected killer called Green shortly afterward and told her that Peters was dead. A few hours later, at 6:40 a.m., the former principal bought an Amtrak ticket and headed home.
When he returned to St. Louis, he pretended to have found a body in Peters’ apartment and called the police.
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Legally, Green was married to another woman at the time of the murder and had several other relationships. KSDK reported.
Green’s sentencing is scheduled for June 5 at 10 a.m., and Cutler’s trial on federal murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges is scheduled to begin March 11, the paper said.
