Man hired a longtime friend to kill his 7-months pregnant mistress after failing to slip pills that will terminate her pregnancy; sentenced
Kansas City, Missouri – A former Missouri middle school principal has been condemned to spend the remainder of his life in federal prison after orchestrating the murder of a teacher who was pregnant with his child. C. Green, aged 42, was handed two consecutive life sentences for the 2016 killings of J. Peters, 30, and her unborn child.
Green, who was married and held a leadership position at the time of the crime, admitted his guilt in February, pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. His accomplice, P. Cutler, who carried out the brutal act, received the same severe sentencing for his role in this crime.
The murder plot began when Green, in a desperate attempt to hide his infidelity and multiple relationships, tried unsuccessfully to terminate Peters’ pregnancy without her knowledge. According to federal prosecutors, Green had attempted to secretly administer pills to Peters by mixing them in her food. When this plan failed, he turned to a more sinister solution.
Green enlisted his longtime friend, Phillip J. Cutler, to carry out the murder, financing the hit with $2,500 stolen from a school fundraiser. Cutler traveled from Oklahoma to Missouri under the pretense of a visit, equipped with a chilling plan orchestrated by Green. On March 24, 2016, using the keys provided by Green, Cutler entered Peters’ apartment and fatally shot her in the head while she slept, employing a potato as a makeshift silencer to muffle the gunshot.
During the sentencing hearing, the emotional impact of the crime was palpable. Peters’ mother, who was among those addressing the court, spoke of her daughter’s love for Green and her excitement about their unborn child. Her voice broke as she recounted the betrayal by Green, who was supposed to protect her daughter but instead orchestrated her murder.
N. Conaway, the principal of the school where Peters worked, highlighted the heinous nature of the crime, emphasizing that Green funded the murder using money stolen from his own students. She shared the profound trauma experienced by Peters’ students, who were devastated by her loss.
The case culminated in a resounding call for justice from federal prosecutors, who described the murder as premeditated and particularly egregious due to the trust Peters had placed in Green. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Becker underscored the cruelty of Green’s actions, especially his manipulative request for Peters’ mother to discover her daughter’s body.
Authorities detailed how Green had meticulously planned the murder to establish an alibi by traveling to another city and directing Peters’ mother to check on her daughter, fully aware of the grim scene she would encounter. As the community reels from the horror of this case, the sentences handed down to Green and Cutler offer some measure of justice for the heinous acts committed.
