ST. LOUIS, MO – Cornelius Green, the former principal of Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School in St. Louis, has admitted hiring a hitman to kill Jocelyn Peters, a teacher he was in a relationship with, after incurring her pregnancy. In the most outrageous twist, he paid for the murder with school funds.
According to Law & Crime, Green pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire concerning Peters’ killing in 2016. If sentenced to life on federal charges, state murder charges will be dropped by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, as per the agreement. The plea agreement further prevents him from facing capital punishment for his horrific deeds.
In late 2015, Green initiated an “ongoing romantic relationship” with Peters, a third-grade teacher. He did this while he was still married to another woman, as per court documents. Naturally, Peters getting pregnant with his child was trouble as it could potentially lead to both his marriage and career being in jeopardy. Consequently, in February 2016, Green engaged Phillip J. Cutler, his childhood friend, to execute the hit.
Based on an exchange of text messages on February 29, 2016, Green had Cutler come from Oklahoma to Missouri at the end of March. Green then sent a package containing $2,500, money reportedly stolen from the middle school to Cutler in Oklahoma for the murder plan.
On March 21, 2016, Cutler arrived in St. Louis and temporarily lived at Green’s residence. Creating an alibi, Green left for Chicago the next day on an Amtrak train, enabling Cutler to carry out the murder while he was out of state. Cutler, using Green’s car, went to Peters’ apartment in St Louis on March 24, got into her apartment utilizing the key from Green, and killed her by shooting her in the head with a .38 caliber firearm using a potato as a silencer.
Upon his return to St. Louis, Green reportedly called 911 to report Peters’ shooting, feigning ignorance about the incident. Green’s plot started to disintegrate once video surveillance from the vicinity of Peters’ apartment filmed Green’s vehicle on her street early in the morning on March 24, coinciding with Peters’ reported time of death.
Green’s sentencing hearing will take place in the Eastern District of Missouri on June 5. Cutler, charged federally with murder-for-hire conspiracy and murder-for-hire, has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him and awaits his trial beginning on March 11.