Cornelius M. Green, Murder for Hire, Missouri 2022

A sinister plot unfolded in St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the tragic loss of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child. The indictment reveals that Cornelius M. Green, a former St. Louis school principal, and his co-conspirator Phillip J. Cutler were involved in a murder for hire plot.

Cornelius M. Green, a 61-year-old resident of St. Louis, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire. The indictment alleges that Green, who was already married to another person, was involved in an ongoing romantic relationship with Jocelyn Peters. In 2015, Peters became pregnant with Green’s unborn child.

The investigation reveals that Green devised a plan to murder Peters and her unborn child, which involved offering cash to Cutler for the murder. On February 29, 2016, Green sent a package via United Parcel Service containing $2,500 to Cutler, who accepted the package at an address in Oklahoma. As part of the conspiracy, Cutler traveled to St. Louis on March 21, 2016, staying at a residence occupied by Green. Green then traveled to Chicago, Illinois, allegedly to distance himself from the homicide.

The next day, Cutler traveled to the area of 4236 W. Pine in Green’s 2013 Kia Optima, unlawfully entered Jocelyn Peters’ apartment, Unit #201, and shot her with a .380 caliber firearm in the head while using a potato as a silencer to muffle the sound of the shot.

Cornelius M. Green and Phillip J. Cutler were both charged for a variety of crimes related to the murder of Peters and her unborn child by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and are currently incarcerated awaiting trial.

Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.

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