Murder-for-hire scheme uncovered in investigation of slain teacher

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Lead homicide detective Mark Biondolino began the probe into Jocelyn Peters' execution connected March 24, 2016. Since then, helium has remained connected to the lawsuit adjacent though he's present retired from the St. Louis, Missouri, Police Department.

Mark Biondolino: I deliberation you person a work to bash that.

Anne-Marie Green: You wanted to spot it to the end.

Mark Biondolino: You gotta spot it to the extremity …

Mark Biondolino: … if you're moving successful homicide … you're not conscionable gonna fto it autumn by the wayside.

We took a thrust to the city's Central West End neighborhood. Nestled among the historical homes is Jocelyn Peters' flat building.

Anne-Marie Green: Her apartment's close up there.

Mark Biondolino: Yeah … It's the second-floor balcony you spot that's, uh, straight successful beforehand of us.

Anne-Marie Green: Is it casual to entree that apartment?

Mark Biondolino: From the outside? Absolutely not … I mean, it's a tremendous region from the crushed up to that balcony.

A funny transgression scene

Jocelyn Peters lived successful Apartment 201. The 30-year-old, 3rd people teacher had been murdered successful the mediate of the nighttime portion she was sleeping successful her bed. Authorities judge she was killed betwixt 3 a.m. and 3:40 a.m.

Anne-Marie Green (outside flat building): How bash you get wrong the building?

Mark Biondolino: So, this is the beforehand foyer introduction mode to the flat analyzable … you'd person to usage your, uh, your cardinal to get successful done that beforehand foyer, and past spell up the stairs, straight astatine the apical of the banister of the staircase.

Jocelyn's fellow Cornelius Green had been successful Chicago for 3 days. When helium returned to St. Louis connected Thursday March 24, helium told investigators helium drove his car -- a achromatic Kia Optima -- consecutive to her place. Jocelyn's parent Lacey Peters says she received an alarming telephone from Cornelius soon after.

Lacey Peters: When helium called me, helium told maine that helium went to spell cheque connected her and she was … connected the floor.

Dedra Peters, Jocelyn's aunt, says she had heard thing was incorrect with her niece. She instantly began driving towards her apartment. But earlier she could get determination --

Dedra Peters: Lacey had called … and she said "Dedra propulsion over" … and I don't retrieve thing that happened astatine that constituent due to the fact that I mislaid it.

Police had fixed Lacey quality nary parent wants to hear. Jocelyn, her eldest daughter, was dead.

Lacey Peters: I conscionable retrieve … conscionable crying and conscionable screaming. …This couldn't beryllium true.

Authorities accidental determination were nary signs of forced introduction astatine Jocelyn's apartment. The wood doorway astatine the main entranceway appeared unafraid and sturdy.

Mark Biondolino: The landlord … was hyper unafraid implicit who had keys and what benignant of keys are utilized to get into that building.

Mark Biondolino: The keys … were non-duplicatable … they're incapable to beryllium duplicated … if you took it to a locksmith, they're not allowed to marque a transcript for you oregon they could suffer their … certification.

It was nary astonishment to investigators that Cornelius had keys to Jocelyn's place. While they didn't unrecorded together, they had been successful an intimate narration for 5 years. Jocelyn was 7 months large and Cornelius was the father.

Dedra Peters: Jocelyn felt that he'd marque a fantastic father.

In Jocelyn's home, investigators discovered a impermanent list, arsenic good arsenic invitations inspired by "Alice successful Wonderland" for her upcoming babe shower. Biondolino and his squad had a batch of questions astir the transgression scene.

Mark Biondolino: Had the flat been ransacked? Had it looked similar there'd been a struggle?

Anne-Marie Green: Do you spot immoderate of that?

Mark Biondolino: Absolutely not … It didn't adjacent remotely look disturbed.

Jocelyn's cellphone was missing. A azygous ammunition casing from a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol was discovered connected the level adjacent the nightstand.

Mark Biondolino: From my investigative standpoint, we saw that she was laying connected her broadside … caput facing the headboard … she had a evident coiled to her eye.

And determination was thing investigators had ne'er seen earlier -- murphy fragments splattered successful the bedroom.

Mark Biondolino: … splattered astir successful the headboard, pieces of it connected the victim, astir her caput and astir her pillow and astir down wherever her caput was.

They soon had a theory.

Mark Biondolino: We judge the murphy was utilized arsenic a … makeshift suppression silencer … to soundlessness the dependable of the firearm being fired

Biondolino showed america however authorities judge the slayer utilized it.

Mark Biondolino: I would ideate that the shooter would person the weapon -- I'm right-handed truthful he'd beryllium holding a weapon successful his close manus and he'd person to enactment that murphy retired implicit the tube of the gun.

Anne Marie-Green: What's the risk? How unsafe is that?

Mark Biondolino: I mean, I deliberation -- I'm nary weapon adept by immoderate means, but I deliberation that's -- it falls successful that class of highly unsafe and highly risky.

Anne-Marie Green: Can a murphy enactment arsenic a silencer?

Mark Biondolino: I judge it did successful this script … and I accidental that due to the fact that erstwhile we did our canvas, erstwhile we, you know, looked for calls for work successful the country astir the clip of this execution … cipher ever indicated oregon made a telephone that they'd heard a gunshot.

Whoever killed Jocelyn Peters whitethorn person silenced the gunshot successful her apartment, but extracurricular surveillance cameras connected the thoroughfare were recording. Shortly aft 3 a.m. connected the time of the murder, 1 of the cameras captured an representation of a achromatic sedan. The conveyance was eerily akin to Cornelius Green's car -- a achromatic Kia Optima.

A beloved and dedicated teacher

When Jocelyn Peters graduated from college, she knew she wanted to beryllium a teacher.

Tierrus Tucker: We were gonna beryllium some teaching 3rd grade, and truthful determination were things that we had to similar fig out.

Tierrus Tucker archetypal met Jocelyn erstwhile they started teaching astatine Mann Elementary.

Anne-Marie Green: Why bash you deliberation teaching was truthful important to her.

Tierrus Tucker: Jocelyn … I deliberation that she felt this consciousness of urgency, to marque definite that she was giving backmost to students.

Jocelyn knew a prime acquisition would beryllium a crippled changer for kids and she wasn't acrophobic to tackle thorny issues facing St. Louis nationalist schools.

JOCELYN PETERS | YouTube: 80 percent of simple schools bash not employment afloat clip art, music, oregon carnal acquisition teachers.

Nicole Conaway: She was ever checking retired what she could bash otherwise to conscionable the kids' needs …

Nicole Conaway, the erstwhile main astatine Mann Elementary school, had met Cornelius Green, a mediate schoolhouse principal, astatine a enactment retreat. She had been looking to prosecute a third-grade teacher and Cornelius recommended Jocelyn.

Nicole Conaway: He called maine and said … I person a campaigner for you … She's great.

At the clip she had nary thought Cornelius was successful a narration with Jocelyn.

Nicole Conaway: I brought her successful and interviewed her … and astir 15, 20 minutes successful … I said, could you delight measurement successful the hallway portion we speech astir you … truthful I brought her backmost successful and I offered her the occupation successful that moment.

Anne-Marie Green: Fifteen minutes in?

Nicole Conaway: She was a agleam light, she ever has been … she talked astir however she wanted to beryllium invested … and attraction for children, and she wanted to thatch them.

In 2014, Jocelyn Peters received 1 of the astir prestigious honors for educators successful St. Louis.

Nicole Conaway: She … was awarded the Pettus Excellence Award for the district.

Anne-Marie Green: What is that recognizing?

Nicole Conaway: It's recognizing excellence successful the schoolroom … We were precise arrogant of her.

By the outpouring of 2016, she was besides fulfilling immoderate idiosyncratic dreams. She amazed her parent Lacey with the news.

Jocelyn was expecting a babe miss and had named her Micah Leigh.

Nicole Conaway: We were each precise excited for her.

And the begetter to be, Cornelius Green, appeared to beryllium a bully lucifer for Jocelyn. Cornelius was successful a fraternity and she was progressive successful her sorority. And, similar Jocelyn, helium was an award-winning educator.

According to her family, helium seemed smitten from the start.

Lacey Peters: He actively pursued her …

Dedra Peters: He started giving her flowers –

Anne-Marie Green: Mm-hmm.

Dedra Peters: -- and gifts and was precise persistent.

Jocelyn's person Tierrus besides noticed however attentive helium was.

Tierrus Tucker: Jocelyn and I … we ran a 5K a mates of times … and helium was astatine the 5K … truthful helium seemed truly supportive successful that way.

Anne-Marie Green: How did she speech astir the relationship? What were her hopes and dreams for it?

Tierrus Tucker: I cognize that Jocelyn … wanted to beryllium joined and that … she wanted a household … and I callback her and him similar going to spell look astatine houses.

But Jocelyn, she says, had grown frustrated with Cornelius during the process.

Anne-Marie Green: He didn't similar immoderate of the houses?

Tierrus Tucker: No.

Dedra picked up connected Jocelyn's annoyance arsenic well.

Dedra Peters: How travel he's not actively looking similar I'm looking? How travel he's not wanting this arsenic overmuch arsenic I'm wanting this?

Jocelyn was acceptable to beryllium a homeowner. After all, her vocation was thriving, she was expecting a babe and, successful January, she had turned 30 years old. She booked a belated day cruise to the Bahamas to observe during outpouring interruption and invited her household and Cornelius.

Dedra Peters: I deliberation erstwhile we started to spot small changes is erstwhile we were connected our vacation.

Jocelyn's parent Lacey and her aunt Dedra accidental Cornelius, who was usually the beingness of the party, seemed "different."

Dedra Peters: He was conscionable distant. … I mean helium was not attentive to her needs. I mean she's large … she's conscionable looking precise uncomfortable. He's not trying to guarantee that she's eating … He's not trying to assistance her walking.

Lacey Peters: Mm-hmm.

Dedra Peters: Even to look him successful his face, helium looked bare … the full clip connected the cruise we're saying what successful the satellite is going connected with him?

A week aft the cruise, Jocelyn Peters was dead. Investigators knew the transgression country held immoderate intriguing clues. In summation to the murphy fragments discovered successful her bedroom, authorities recovered a container of potatoes connected the eating country table.

Mark Biondolino: she's 7 months pregnant. … She has a paper … you know, similar a chalk menu, a play menu.

Anne-Marie Green: Yeah. She was being very careful with her diet.

Mark Biondolino: Very cautious with her fare and her refrigerator, fruits, vegetables. It wasn't junk food. It was wholesome.

Anne-Marie Green: Yeah.

Mark Biondolino: … each of the menus, lunch, breakfast, meal that she had lined up, there wasn't potato listed successful there, you know, ever. So, it was conscionable -- it conscionable was odd.

They would soon larn that Jocelyn had planned to spell to the supermarket 2 days earlier Cornelius traveled to Chicago.

Mark Biondolino: She's telling him she's going market shopping. He's adamant -- hold for me, I'll conscionable you determination astatine the market store.

What the interrogation country cameras captured

Cornelius Green told investigators astatine the transgression country that helium had been successful Chicago erstwhile Jocelyn was murdered and that helium could beryllium it to investigators.

Mark Biondolino: He goes, I wasn't here. … I conscionable came present consecutive from the Amtrak station. … shows him an Amtrak summons astir instantly …

Lead researcher Mark Biondolino.

Mark Biondolino: And helium was precise oddly circumstantial connected what clip helium got disconnected the Amtrak …

In fact, information footage from the St. Louis bid presumption shows Cornelius Green, with luggage successful tow, returning connected Thursday, March 24, 2016, astir 12 hours aft Jocelyn was murdered. Cornelius told authorities his bid had arrived astatine 2:57 p.m. and helium had driven to her apartment.

Mark Biondolino: He called 911 astatine similar 3:19 p.m.

Anne-Marie Green: He had it down to the infinitesimal erstwhile helium called 911.

Mark Biondolino: To the minute, yea … it was inherently evident that helium wanted detectives to cognize … I wasn't anyplace astir present erstwhile this happened.

Detectives drove him from the transgression country to office to reply much questions.

Anne-Marie Green: So earlier you locomotion into that interrogation country with Cornelius Green, what is your plan?

Mark Biondolino: There's nary smoking weapon portion of accusation … We privation to laic retired a timeline for him. wherever helium was astatine anterior to discovering Ms. Peters …

Mark Biondolino: We wanna get … into the weeds with him.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO (police interview): … And you said you were calling her this morning.

You didn't get successful interaction with her?

CORNELIUS GREEN: The telephone kept going consecutive to voicemail.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: And that's her compartment phone?

CORNELIUS GREEN: Yes, sir.

Biondolino says Cornelius was respectful but standoffish successful the interrogation room. And erstwhile Cornelius was questioned astir his car -- a 2013 achromatic Kia Optima -- helium appeared agitated.

DET. MICHAEL HERZBERG: (police interview) Would you similar to springiness america consent to look successful your car truthful we tin conscionable regularisation retired that there's thing successful there? Or bash we request to get a hunt warrant?

CORNELIUS GREEN: I conscionable don't recognize wherefore …

DET. MICHAEL HERZBERG: … enactment yourself successful our shoes, you know, I mean, if you don't person thing to fell --

CORNELIUS GREEN: No, I respect that but, uh, my occupation is that I don't similar to beryllium -- consciousness similar -- I consciousness similar a criminal. Like wherefore would you get a hunt warrant …

Mark Biondolino: He was adamant that helium didn't privation america to person thing to bash with seeing immoderate was successful his car oregon having entree to that car.

Cornelius explained to investigators that helium had loaned his car portion helium was distant to a antheral named Phillip Cutler who had been visiting from Oklahoma.

Mark Biondolino: He identifies Phillip Cutler arsenic an idiosyncratic who came into town. First helium says it's his brother. Later identifies him … arsenic a adjacent puerility friend.

Cutler was primitively from St. Louis.

Mark Biondolino: There was evident magnitude of spot going connected betwixt those 2 individuals … Cutler was … identified arsenic the idiosyncratic who was transporting Mr. Green to the Amtrak station, picking him up from the Amtrak presumption erstwhile helium arrived backmost successful town.

Investigators accidental erstwhile Cutler dropped the car disconnected with Cornelius the 2 went their abstracted ways. Cornelius was questioned for 2 hours. Before helium near the constabulary presumption helium made a telephone to Phillip Cutler.

It seems Cornelius didn't recognize the camera was inactive rolling and the microphone was hot.

Cornelius Green calling Phillip Cutler successful constabulary interrogation country

CORNELIUS GREEN (in constabulary interrogation room) … I'm down astatine constabulary department. … Go get my car from the code I'm bout to substance you to. … I request that to hap similar close now.

PHILLIP CUTLER: OK.

CORNELIUS GREEN: Thank you.

Then Cornelius called a pistillate named Steffanie astir his car keys.

CORNELIUS GREEN: Hey, are you astatine home?

Anne-Marie Green: And what does helium accidental to her?

Mark Biondolino: He indicates to her that helium needs her to spell conscionable Phil … Mr. Cutler …

STEFFANIE: Where's helium at?

CORNELIUS GREEN: He's gonna conscionable up with you.

Mark Biondolino: He doesn't spell into details arsenic to wherefore … He identifies a spot wherever she tin spell to conscionable Phillip Cutler. … there's a immense Amoco motion by a state presumption … that's a well-known marker.

Uniformed constabulary officers stopped Steffanie and Phillip Cutler adjacent the Amoco presumption and took them to constabulary office for questioning. As it turns out, Steffanie had known Cutler for years. He was a groomsman, successful her wedding, to Cornelius Green.

Anne-Marie Green: When did you each find retired that helium so had a wife?

Dedra Peters: Jocelyn told me.

Anne-Marie Green: Early on?

Dedra Peters: She did. But they were divorced -- well, not divorced, but they were separated. And moving –

Lacey Peters: Legally separated. That's the –

Dedra Peters: Right.

Lacey Peters: -- mode it was told.

Steffanie and Cornelius had a young girl but had not been surviving unneurotic for respective years. Steffanie was questioned concisely and released, but investigators wanted to cognize much from Phillip Cutler. Minutes earlier his interrogation started, Cutler, unsocial successful the interrogation room, had done thing wholly bizarre.

phillip-cutler-perpetrator-from-us-attorneys-office.jpg

Authorities had not witnessed Cutler's unusual behaviour successful existent clip truthful Biondolino and his partner, unaware of what had conscionable happened, began questioning Cutler who claimed he'd ne'er met Cornelius's woman Jocelyn.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO (police interview): Do you cognize wherever his, uh, woman resided?

PHILLIP CUTLER: Uh-uh.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Had nary idea?

PHILLIP CUTLER: Uh-uh.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: And you've ne'er met her? Never ever been unneurotic with him oregon ne'er been o -- implicit anyplace wherever she lived oregon thing similar that?

PHILLIP CUTLER: Nope. Not never.

Mark Biondolino: There's a full slew of things that we tin determination guardant with aft interviewing Phillip Cutler.

Investigators didn't person capable grounds to apprehension Cutler, helium was escaped to leave. But earlier helium near the interrogation room, Cutler gave investigators an important portion of information.

Mark Biondolino: He gives america his telephone number.

Cutler allowed investigators to glimpse astatine immoderate of his substance messages, but helium didn't springiness them consent to analyse his phone. Five days aft Jocelyn's murder, Cornelius went to constabulary office and gave investigators entree to his phone. He besides provided them with a written statement.

Mark Biondolino: … helium fundamentally started from, helium went implicit to Jocelyn's location connected the 20th. They went market buying … and helium specifically mentions that they had baked murphy for dinner. … it was precise vague, but it was precise circumstantial to notation potatoes … it raised the hairs connected my cervix erstwhile I work it.

Investigators had learned Jocelyn and Cornelius went to an ALDI supermarket connected Sunday March 20, 4 days earlier her murder.

Mark Biondolino: And we spell to that ALDI's and we get the surveillance video.

Cornelius Green and Jocelyn Peters store surveillance video

The camera had captured video of a mates with a market cart. Perched prominently connected apical of it was a large container of potatoes. Authorities accidental that mates is Jocelyn and Cornelius.

Mark Biondolino: And we spot Cornelius and Jocelyn pushing retired a cart of groceries with 10-pound container of russet potatoes connected it … days earlier she's murdered … it stands out.

The murphy buying was funny but not beardown evidence. That would travel soon. Examination of the information connected Green and Cutler's phones would exposure a substance speech betwixt them astir a period earlier Jocelyn's murder:

Digital eyewitness reveals caller clues

Investigators hoped a person look astatine Cornelius Green's telephone and Phillip Cutler's telephone fig would supply caller leads and they were not disappointed.

Mark Biondolino: We dumped the phone, for deficiency of a amended term.

Anne-Marie Green: And archer maine what you find out?

Mark Biondolino: There was rather a batch successful Cornelius's phone.

An introspection of Cornelius Green's integer past had revealed a funny substance connection concatenation with Phillip Cutler:

CORNELIUS GREEN: … When you coming here?

PHILLIP CUTLER: When bash u privation maine to travel there?

CORNELIUS GREEN: Spring break. March 18th-22nd

CORNELIUS GREEN: Week of March 20th

PHILLIP CUTLER: Ok. that volition work.

PHILLIP CUTLER: u gonna b sending the package?

The speech was cryptic but, the words spoke volumes to Biondolino.

Mark Biondolino: … to america arsenic investigators … we're looking astatine this aft the execution of Jocelyn Peters. That's … a quid pro quo to us, an statement that looks similar has been made betwixt Cutler and Green.

That substance was written little than a period earlier Jocelyn was murdered.

Mark Biondolino: … he's getting thing from Cornelius for coming into town.

Anne-Marie Green: You don't cognize what that is?

Mark Biondolino: We don't -- we don't cognize what it is. So we look into however did helium get it? … We cognize Cutler is successful Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Green is from St. Louis. I scope retired to contacts, the United States Postal Service, FedEx, UPS. You know, we had -- we person contacts we tin scope retired to them …

His contacts delivered.

Mark Biondolino: Well, definite enough, UPS bundle was mailed from Cornelius Green … from … present successful St. Louis to Phillip Cutler's code successful Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Anne-Marie Green: What's successful the package?

Mark Biondolino: We don't cognize what's successful bundle … It's an envelope. It's … respective ounces and it is $48 charged to beryllium shipped determination overnight, had to beryllium signed for.

Phillip Cutler had signed for the bundle a fewer weeks earlier Jocelyn's murder. Authorities didn't find Cutler's DNA oregon fingerprints wrong her apartment, but the circumstantial grounds against him was mounting. In June 2016, Biondolino got a warrant for Cutler's arrest.

Mark Biondolino: We responded to Muskogee, Oklahoma, wherever helium was … taken into custody.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: … you person the close to person a lawyer and person him oregon her with you --

PHILLIP CUTLER: Mm-hmm.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: -- uh, portion you're being questioned. Do you recognize that?

PHILLIP CULTER: Yes.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Yes.

Anne-Marie Green: Tell maine astir him being taken into custody and past questioned.

Mark Biondolino: Yeah … It's laid retired connected the array to him … we … advised him that helium is nether apprehension and helium is going to beryllium charged with the execution of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child.

Investigators confirmed the car seen connected the information video astir the clip of Jocelyn Peters' execution was so Cornelius Green's achromatic Kia Optima. Green, who was retired of town, had loaned Cutler the car, but Cutler claimed helium wasn't driving it that night.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: OK, cipher had entree to that car, Phillip.

PHILLIP CUTLER: Man, past idiosyncratic could've stole it then.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Nobody stole it. Hey, they stole it and past gave it backmost to you, enactment it successful the aforesaid spot?

PHILLIP CUTLER: Hey, I don't know.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Is that what you're telling me?

PHILLIP CUTLER: Somebody could person took—

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Hold on.

PHILLIP CUTLER: I don't cognize who other was utilizing that car.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: Hold connected a second. Hold connected a second.

PHILLIP CUTLER: I was conscionable utilizing the car to bash what I needed to bash portion I was there.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: We cognize you were utilizing it to bash what you needed to do.

PHILLIP CUTLER: But that was it.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: OK.

PHILLIP CUTLER: I wasn't successful the car.

DET. MARK BIONDOLINO: All right.

After his constabulary interview, Cutler was transported from Muskogee, Oklahoma, backmost to St. Louis wherever helium was held successful custody successful the metropolis jail. Investigators besides secured a hunt warrant for Cutler's Google relationship and his phone.

Anne-Marie Green: And you get a full batch of accusation from that phone?

Mark Biondolino: Absolutely. We get a tremendous magnitude of … precise circumstantial location data as in narration to Phillip Cutler. 

It had provided a integer way to Jocelyn's code connected the time she was murdered.

Mark Biondolino: The Google determination past showed helium was really connected that street. And astatine immoderate point, during that evening, betwixt 2:59 and 3:48 a.m., determination was a ping … that shows straight successful that apartment. … And we judge … astatine that clip successful Jocelyn Peter's apartment.

Anne-Marie Green: When you spot his telephone pinging wrong her apartment, I mean arsenic an investigator, does it get immoderate amended than that?

Mark Biondolino: No. I deliberation arsenic acold arsenic with what we person here, that is … for deficiency of a amended term, that's our physics eyewitness. You know, that's it close there.

That Google determination information delivered yet different clue. A fewer hours aft the murder, Cutler's telephone was connected the move. Authorities accidental it ended up astatine North Riverfront Park. It's a stone's propulsion from the banks of the Mississippi River and 10 miles from Jocelyn's building.

Anne-Marie Green (at North Riverfront Park): What leads you down towards this way?

Mark Biondolino: Uh, well, the crushed we thought helium came retired present was to discard grounds from the execution … specifically we judge this is wherever helium would person discarded this execution weapon.

Mark Biondolino and Anne-Marie Green a North Riverfront Park

Investigators judge Phillip Cutler, who was present for astir 8 minutes, besides tossed Jocelyn's missing compartment telephone successful this area.

Anne-Marie Green: So if you wanna get escaped of something, this is the spot to propulsion it.

Mark Biondolino: Oh an perfect place. A 100 percent. Yeah.

Phillip Cutler, who had been down connected his luck earlier Jocelyn's murder, revealed a batch much aft his arrest.

Mark Biondolino: When we interviewed Mr. Cutler … we questioned him astir a bundle that

Cornelius Green had sent him via the UPS … and Phillip Cutler indicated to america that helium was sent $2,500 successful U.S. currency from Cornelius Green.

In aboriginal March 2016, a constabulary study was filed by Carr Lane Middle School. There had been a theft of currency raised by students connected the creation team. And according to investigators, Cornelius Green, who was the principal, had entree to those funds.

Mark Biondolino: It was astir 3 abstracted thefts that ended up totaling $2,700.

Biondolino believed the grounds was adding up, and Cornelius Green was the communal denominator.

Mark Biondolino: We're reasonably conclusive that … this wealth taken from this creation squad … is the aforesaid currency that was mailed to Phillip Cutler to execution Jocelyn Peters.

Anne-Marie Green: He's stealing from his school?

Mark Biondolino: Yes.

Anne-Marie Green: To springiness wealth to a deed antheral to termination his girlfriend?

Mark Biondolino: Correct.

Anne-Marie Green: $2,500? 

Mark Biondolino: $2,500, yeah.

Anne-Marie Green: I mean, however inexpensive is simply a life?

Mark Biondolino: It tells you what helium thinks about, you know, a quality life's worthy and, uh, it's pretty disgusting.

In August 2016, Cornelius Green was arrested for theft.

Mark Biondolino: He was visibly much upset than I deliberation he'd been passim this full probe that helium was being arrested for theft.

Green posted bail and was removed from his presumption arsenic schoolhouse principal. Jocelyn's erstwhile main Nicole Conaway.

Nicole Conaway: To perceive that … idiosyncratic I knew, particularly a chap main could instrumentality vantage of children similar that, it's disgusting. … That's perfectly disgusting.

Two months later, successful October 2016, Cornelius Green was arrested and charged with the murders of his woman Jocelyn Peters and the babe they were expecting. Shortly aft that Green's woman filed for divorce. Investigators accidental she was not progressive successful Jocelyn's murder.

Anne-Marie Green: Do you retrieve your absorption erstwhile you heard he'd been arrested? 

Lacey Peters: … I was happy. … but I had said immoderate words, I don't deliberation I could accidental connected TV.

Anne-Marie Green: Mm-hmm. And however astir you, Dedra? 

Dedra Peters: It was bittersweet. … Didn't consciousness similar it was justness lone due to the fact that it took truthful long.

That's due to the fact that the homicide docket astatine the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office was backlogged and the Jocelyn Peters execution lawsuit slowed to a crawl for years. Then, successful 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office reviewed the evidence.

Tiffany Becker: We looked astatine it due to the fact that it is simply a classical national case. It's a murder-for-hire case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker, present retired, prosecuted the case.

Tiffany Becker: Here we had the interstate nexus of Phillip Cutler coming down to St. Louis to perpetrate the murder, but not lone that we had Cornelius mailing a bundle to Oklahoma filled with money. That was the for-hire prong of the crime.

School friends Cornelius Green and Phillip Cutler would beryllium co-defendants successful a national courtroom, but a astonishment twist 2 weeks earlier their execution proceedings would alteration the absorption of this case.

A lawsuit of execution for hire

When adjunct U.S. lawyer Tiffany Becker was preparing for trial, she wanted the assemblage to perceive astir Cornelius Green and Jocelyn Peters' narration earlier the murder.

Tiffany Becker: I deliberation it had progressively been tense betwixt the 2 of them with the sore spot successful the narration being the information that Cornelius had not gotten the divorcement helium had promised Jocelyn helium would. … I deliberation Jocelyn yet was realizing possibly this was ne'er going to happen.

Jocelyn, who was 7 months pregnant, didn't cognize it, but Cornelius Green had searched the net for ways to terminate a pregnancy.

Tiffany Becker: Through his searches … he's looking astatine however to get … medications, however to conceal that wrong oatmeal oregon yogurt oregon juice, however to marque your ain capsules. Those searches proceed and look to beryllium fruitless for him due to the fact that Jocelyn is inactive pregnant.

There's nary factual grounds Cornelius Green enactment those net searches into question but Becker believes Cornelius wanted out.

Tiffany Becker: I judge he wanted to not beryllium progressive with Jocelyn anymore and didn't want a fiscal work that Micah Leigh represented to him.

The probe besides revealed Green had purchased a .380 semi-automatic pistol a fewer years earlier the murder. That limb has ne'er been found, but it was the aforesaid caliber arsenic the ammunition casing discovered successful Jocelyn Peters' bedroom.

Nick Williams: Bill and I are national attorneys. … successful a mode we enactment arsenic peculiar nationalist defenders successful the matter.

Attorneys Nick Williams and Bill Marsh would correspond Cornelius Green astatine trial.

Anne-Marie Green: What was helium similar erstwhile you met him… Cornelius Green.

Nick Williams: He's an intelligent idiosyncratic … he's got household enactment … helium is idiosyncratic who listens to what you person to say.

Anne-Marie Green: Bill, you're nodding along, you agree?

Bill Marsh: Yeah, helium was precise respectful. /lot of times erstwhile determination are, uh, you know, precocious stakes successful a transgression case, uh, determination tin beryllium friction with your client. Uh, determination truly wasn't immoderate with Cornelius.

Cornelius had maintained his innocence passim his 8 years successful custody.

Nicholas Williams: When we get progressive successful a lawsuit portion of our occupation is to place the strengths and the weaknesses of the prosecution … this is simply a lawsuit that progressive a batch of circumstantial evidence.

But the defence faced a large challenge. Before the U.S. Attorney's Office decided to instrumentality the case, authorities prosecutors had charged some men with execution and were seeking the decease penalty.

Bill Marsh: There's a operation successful the satellite of superior litigation. Death is different. And erstwhile we're advising someone, anytime it's a superior case, it's gonna beryllium antithetic proposal than it mightiness beryllium if it were not a decease punishment case.

On Feb. 28, 2024, 8 years aft Jocelyn Peters' execution and 2 weeks earlier his trial, Green pleaded blameworthy to national charges.

Nick Williams: He is pleading blameworthy to the 2 counts that helium was charged with connected the national level. Again, conspiracy to perpetrate execution and the execution itself.

Anne-Marie Green: That helium paid Mr. Cutler to termination his large girlfriend?

Nick Williams: That was portion of the factual ground made. Yes.

Bill Marsh: It was a hard day, but astatine the extremity of the day, I deliberation helium knew that it was successful his champion involvement to bash that. And I deliberation helium besides knew it was successful the family's champion interest, some his and Jocelyn's family.

After Green pleaded guilty, the authorities dismissed its execution case, on with the theft charges, but his co-defendant Phillip Cutler wanted his time successful court. He faced the aforesaid national charges.

Anne-Marie Green: You know, his defence benignant of tried to reason that truly Phillip Cutler was thing much than a pawn successful Cornelius Green's elaborate chess crippled … that Cornelius Green is simply a maestro manipulator and he's the victim.

Tiffany Becker: Well, that was intelligibly false. … helium met with Cornelius … the substance messages bash not lie. … Phillip's determination accusation and the conveyance being determination astatine the clip of the transgression bash not lie.

Anne-Marie Green: You don't deliberation helium was manipulated by Cornelius into this?

Tiffany Becker: No. I deliberation helium wanted wealth desperately due to the fact that helium was successful specified dire straits. And helium had loyalty to his friend.

Investigator Mark Biondolino was successful the courtroom. There were nary cameras permitted astatine trial.

Anne-Marie Green: What was his demeanor similar astatine the trial?

Mark Biondolino (laughs): It ranged from, uh, sleeping astatine times … he showed a deficiency of remorse and a -- and a deficiency of credibility.

Cutler took the basal successful his ain defense. And helium told the assemblage what helium claims was written connected those notepad pages helium swallowed.

Mark Biondolino: … helium said it was … a person's sanction and fig that helium was buying weed from. 

The assemblage didn't look to bargain Cutler's testimony. Their verdict: guilty. Phillip Cutler and Cornelius Green were sentenced to 2 consecutive beingness presumption for the murders of Jocelyn Peters and the babe she was expecting, Micah Leigh. Tiffany Becker says she was relieved for the Peters family.

Tiffany Becker: So blessed that the closure that they deserved came to be, and truthful blessed that Jocelyn's decease was avenged and Micah's. 

Jocelyn's person Tierrus Tucker inactive has a batch of unanswered questions.

Anne-Marie Green: What would you accidental to Cornelius if you had an accidental to talk to him?

Tierrus Tucker: Part of maine wants to cognize why? Like conscionable why? … He's a monster. And he's the worst benignant of monster due to the fact that helium presents to beryllium thing else.

Jocelyn's household volition ever retrieve her arsenic the 3rd people teacher with a vibrant spirit.

Dedra Peters: I cognize Jocelyn is surviving everlasting beingness … Her and Micah are increasing unneurotic and they're with different loved ones. God had a bigger plan. So possibly she was called connected to thatch the different angels, to educate, to inspire.

Jocelyn Peters' students dedicated a seat astatine the schoolhouse to grant her memory.

Produced by Marcelena Spencer. Stephen A. McCain is the improvement producer. Marlon Disla and Michael Baluzy are the editors. Cameron Rubner is the subordinate producer. David Dow and Tamara Weitzman are the improvement producers. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

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