School Leader Plotted Teacher, Fetus Murder

Missouri Former Principal Sentenced to Two Life Terms for Murder-for-Hire Plot

"He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child.” — Nicole Conaway, former principal of Mann Elementary

A Missouri federal judge has sentenced former St. Louis middle school principal Cornelius M. Green, 42, to two consecutive life terms for a murder-for-hire plot that left schoolteacher Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh, dead.

According to a Justice Department news release, Green pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy and murder-for-hire charges. Court documents reveal that Green stole funds from a school dance team fundraiser to pay $2,500 to his longtime friend and co-defendant, 46-year-old Phillip J. Cutler, to carry out the killings.

The plot unfolded as Green, who was married and involved with other women, conspired to murder Peters, who was over 27 weeks pregnant with his child. Despite Green's attempts to persuade her otherwise, Peters was determined to keep the baby. Unbeknownst to her, Green was researching ways to secretly poison her and even tried to do so by crushing pills and hiding them in her food.

"The depravity of asking a mother to go find Jocelyn’s body, knowing she was dead, can’t be matched." — Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker

When his poisoning plan failed, Green turned to Cutler, orchestrating the murder through a series of cellphone calls. He sent Cutler a package containing the stolen money, and Cutler agreed to the heinous act. On March 24, 2016, Cutler entered Peters' apartment, shooting her in the head while she worked on baby shower invitations in her bed. He used a potato as a silencer. After the murders, Cutler called Green, who was in Chicago, and then returned to St. Louis, going directly to the apartment himself. There, he called 911 and made false statements to the police.

During the sentencing hearing, Peters' mother, Lacey, and cousin, Dedra, shared their heartbreak and grief. "All she ever did was love him," Lacey said of her daughter's relationship with Green. Dedra added that "Jocelyn had a light around her at all times" and "touched the heart of anyone she came in contact with."

Co-conspirator Phillip J. Cutler was also found guilty of the same charges as Green and received two consecutive life sentences. In a bizarre twist, when authorities detained Cutler, he immediately ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pocket, the contents of which remain a mystery.