Oklahoma Hitman Sentenced to Life for St. Louis Teacher’s Slaying

A federal judge in St. Louis has handed down a life sentence to Phillip J. Cutler, a 46-year-old man from Muskogee, Oklahoma, for his role in the murder-for-hire killing of a pregnant St. Louis schoolteacher in 2016.

Judge Ronnie L. White called the crime the “most heinous” he had seen in his career, as Cutler was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and the murder-for-hire of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh.

The jury delivered the guilty verdict in March, and on Tuesday, Cutler was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison.

Peters’ boyfriend, Cornelius M. Green, 42, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to the same charges and admitted hiring Cutler to kill Peters. Green used cash stolen from the school to fund the murder, which was motivated by his desire to end the pregnancy after learning Peters was expecting his child.

Green researched ways to secretly end the pregnancy, but when that plan failed, he contacted Cutler, a childhood friend, and planned the murder in a series of phone calls. On March 21, 2016, Cutler arrived in St. Louis and used Green’s keys to gain access to Peters’ apartment, where he shot her in the eye using a potato as a silencer.

Green ensured there would be potatoes in the residence prior to Cutler’s arrival by going shopping with Peters. The next morning, Cutler confirmed to Green that Jocelyn and the baby had been killed, and Green then bought his return train ticket, while Cutler disposed of evidence at North Riverfront Park.

Peters’ friends and family described her as a “magic” person, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker spoke about the impact of her death on their family. Dr. Nicole Conaway, principal at Mann Elementary School when Peters taught there, called Peters a “natural teacher” who was a “bright light” wherever she went.

Green is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, and as part of his plea, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office has agreed to dismiss their case against him for the murders if he is sentenced to life in federal prison.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted in cooperation with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Becker and Zachary Bluestone are prosecuting the case. Former SLMPD Detective Mark Biondolino was the case agent.

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