Stephanie Russell, Murder-for-Hire, Kentucky 2022

A chilling tale of betrayal and greed has unfolded in the Bluegrass State, where a respected Louisville doctor has been charged with using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of Murder-for-Hire.

Stephanie Russell, 52, a medical doctor from Louisville, Kentucky, was taken into custody by the FBI on May 19, 2022, after a months-long investigation.

According to court records, on May 15, 2022, Russell contacted an individual she believed was willing to murder her ex-husband. Unbeknownst to her, this individual was an undercover FBI employee. Russell agreed to pay $7,000 to have her ex-husband murdered and even went to the extent of placing $3,500 outside of her medical office in a drop box as half of the payment.

The FBI arrested Russell on May 19, 2022, and she made her initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on May 20, 2022, at 11:45 a.m.

Russell is scheduled for preliminary and detention hearings in the U.S. Gene Snyder Courthouse on May 24, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. If convicted, she faces a maximum term of up to 10 years in federal prison, with no possibility of parole.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Ford handling the prosecution. The charge set forth in the complaint is merely an accusation, and Russell is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett said that the case highlights the importance of upholding the law and ensuring that justice is served.

Russell’s case serves as a stark reminder that no one is above the law, and that those who seek to commit crimes will be held accountable for their actions.

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