A Louisville pediatrician is facing a federal indictment for her alleged role in a murder-for-hire scheme to kill her former husband.
According to court documents, Dr. Stephanie M. Russell, 51, used facilities in interstate commerce, specifically telephones, to call and text a person she believed she was paying to kill her former husband. However, the person Russell was plotting with is employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was working undercover.
The indictment charges Dr. Russell with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
Dr. Russell is scheduled to face a jury trial before a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky on August 22, 2022, if convicted, she could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa J. Ford.
Dr. Russell entered a plea of not guilty to the single count indictment on June 16, 2022, and was detained pending trial.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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