Principal sentenced for orchestrating murder-for-hire on teacher who was pregnant with his child

ST. LOUIS (TCN) -- A federal judge ordered a 42-year-old former school principal to spend the rest of his life in prison for hiring a friend to fatally shoot a teacher who was pregnant with his child.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Tuesday, June 25, that Cornelius Green was handed two consecutive life sentences for his role in the deaths of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh. Green pleaded guilty in February to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Green’s sentencing comes one week after his co-conspirator and the shooter, Phillip Cutler, was given the same sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Peters had previous pregnancies by Green, though one ended in a miscarriage and the other was terminated "at Green’s urging."

Peters was "determined to keep Micah Leigh," and she reportedly thought she and Green were in an exclusive relationship. Green, however, was seeing other women at the time, including one who was "duped by Green into believing they were building a life together."

The statement says Green looked into methods of poisoning Peters and the unborn child, which he did by crushing pills and placing them in her breakfast. Green then contacted Cutler and asked for his help in killing Peters.

Green reportedly paid Cutler using money he stole from a dance team fundraiser at the middle school where he was the principal.

On March 7, 2016, Green sent Cutler $2,500 in cash via UPS. Two weeks later, on March 21, 2016, Cutler traveled to St. Louis from Oklahoma. During that time, Green traveled by train to Chicago to create an alibi, but he provided Cutler with Peters' house key and his car keys.

On March 24, 2016, Cutler entered Peters' apartment using Green’s key and shot her in the eye using a potato as a silencer. Green told Peters to purchase potatoes a few days prior. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Peters was making her baby shower invitations when Cutler killed her.

U.S. District Judge Ronnie White told Cutler at his sentencing that Peters' death was the "most heinous" crime he had seen in his career.

Once Cutler informed Green that Peters was dead, Green bought a return train ticket and called her mother asking her to "check on her."

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

Green reportedly pretended he knew nothing about her death and lied to police about evidence. Police detained Cutler after he tried to leave in Green’s car, which was part of the crime scene. He reportedly swallowed two pieces of paper from his pocket when he was being taken by police.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Peters' mother said, "Green was supposed to be Peters' protector but became her executioner."

Her mother, Lacey Peters, said, "All she never did was love him, and she loved that baby so much."

MORE: