ST. LOUIS (TCD) — A former middle school principal reportedly pleaded guilty to federal charges connected with the murder-for-hire shooting death of a pregnant teacher with whom he was having an affair.
According to KMOV-TV, Cornelius Green pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 28, for the 2016 shooting death of Jocelyn Peters, an elementary school teacher. Both prosecutors and the defense attorneys reportedly agreed on terms of a life sentence for Green, but he will be formally sentenced at a later date.
Green is also facing murder and other charges on a state level, but KMOV reports local prosecutors will drop the charges if he gets life in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri indicted Green and alleged co-conspirator Phillip Cutler on March 9, 2022. Green, who was married, reportedly had an “ongoing romantic relationship” with Peters, and in 2015, she got pregnant. The attorney’s office said between Feb. 29, 2016 and Oct. 11, 2016, Green “devised a plan to murder Peters and her unborn child.” Part of the plan allegedly involved paying Cutler to kill Peters.
On March 7, 2016, Green sent Cutler $2,500 via UPS to an address in Oklahoma. Cutler allegedly traveled to St. Louis on March 21, 2016, and stayed at Green’s house. Green reportedly went to Chicago the next day “to distance himself from the homicide.”
Three days after arriving, on March 24, 2016, Cutler allegedly drove to Peters’ apartment in Green’s car, broke in, and fatally shot her in the head. He used a potato as a silencer.
KMOV reports Green went to Peters’ apartment the same day and called police. Peters was about seven months pregnant when she was killed.
Cutler, who is facing the same charges as Green, is scheduled to begin trial on March 11.
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