Tag

Murder For Hire

All articles tagged with #murder for hire

crime-and-courts7 days ago•2 min saved

Estranged Husband Convicted in Brazil Killing of NYC Art Dealer

Daniel Sikkema, a 55-year-old estranged husband and U.S./Cuban citizen living in New York, was convicted in Manhattan federal court of murder-for-hire conspiracy for hiring a hitman to kill his husband, Brent Sikkema, a prominent New York City art dealer, in Rio de Janeiro in January 2024. The hitman was arrested in Brazil and remains jailed. Sikkema faces a mandatory life sentence, and his lawyers plan to appeal. Brent Sikkema had built a multimillion-dollar art gallery business in Manhattan.

via NBC News|

#art-dealer #brazil #conviction

crime9 days ago•180 min saved

Ex-girlfriend of boy band member charged in murder-for-hire plot tied to custody dispute

Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old with a large social-media following and former girlfriend of Jack Avery of Why Don’t We, was charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder for allegedly hiring a hitman on the dark web to kill Avery amid a custody dispute over their now 7-year-old daughter; prosecutors say her father and her then-boyfriend also face charges, and an undercover officer spoke with the alleged hitman contractor during the investigation.

via CNN|

#crime #custody-dispute #gabriela-gonzalez

crime10 days ago•476 min saved

Influencer, Father Charged in 2021 Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Ex-Boy Band Singer

Prosecutors say social-media influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, her Florida-based father Francisco Gonzalez, and her ex Kai Cordrey plotted in 2021 to have ex-boy band member Jack Avery killed amid a custody dispute over their daughter Lavender. An undercover FBI agent posed as a hitman; payments totaling about $14,000 were wired through Cordrey. Gonzalez was arrested in California, Francisco Gonzalez was detained in Florida, while Cordrey’s status is unclear. Avery has sought a temporary restraining order and sole custody. If convicted, the three could face 25 years to life in prison.

via The Cut|

#celebrity-news #crime #custody-dispute

crime10 days ago•2 min saved

TikTok Influencer Faces Murder-For-Hire Charges in L.A. Custody Battle

A TikTok influencer Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and ex-boyfriend Kai Faron Cordrey have been charged in Los Angeles with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder in an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting singer Jack Avery amid a bitter custody dispute over their 7-year-old child. Prosecutors say Francisco Gonzalez paid $14,000 to hire a hitman; the plan was foiled by an undercover officer posing as the hitman. Gonzalez remains in custody on $2 million bail, with her father facing extradition as the case moves to court.

via ABC7 Los Angeles|

#crime #custody-battle #gabbie-gonzalez

us-news10 days ago•3 min saved

TikTok influencer accused of plotting to hire a hitman to kill her child's father

Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old TikTok influencer with about 500,000 followers, was charged in California with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder for allegedly plotting between 2020 and 2021 to hire someone to kill Jack Avery, the father of her 7-year-old child, with help from her father and her ex-boyfriend. An undercover officer posed as a hitman as the plot unfolded; if convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison.

via NBC News|

#california #gabriela-gonzalez #jack-avery

news10 days ago•3 min saved

TikTok Star Charged in Dark-Web Hitman Plot Targeting Jack Avery

TikTok influencer Gabbie Gonzalez, her father Francisco Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey are charged with conspiracy to murder, attempted murder, and solicitation to commit murder in an alleged scheme to kill former Why Don’t We member Jack Avery. The plot allegedly stemmed from a custody battle and involved using the dark web and Bitcoin to stage Avery’s death as a car crash; an undercover agent posed as a hitman and a $10,000 payment was sent in 2021.

via Stereogum|

#dark-web #gabbie-gonzalez #jack-avery

crime-and-courts11 days ago•5 min saved

Miami Lawyer, Influencer Daughter, and Surf Instructor Charged in LA Murder-For-Hire Plot

A Miami attorney, Francisco Gonzalez, his influencer daughter Gabriela Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and solicitation to commit murder for allegedly plotting to hire a hit man to kill ex-boy band member Jack Avery through the dark web; the FBI, in an undercover sting, intervened after about $14,000 was paid. Gabriela and Avery have a custody dispute, Avery is the target, and Gabriela was arrested with Francisco in Florida while Cordrey’s status remains unclear.

via Los Angeles Times|

#conspiracy #crime-and-courts #dark-web

crime2 months ago•29 min saved

Missouri teacher's murder-for-hire case unmasked years after killing

In 2016, Jocelyn Peters, a pregnant St. Louis teacher, was killed in her apartment. Investigators linked the crime to a murder-for-hire plot involving her partner Cornelius Green and associate Phillip Cutler, including a makeshift potato silencer, a money package, and digital traces from phones and location data placing Cutler at Peters’ address the night of the murder. Surveillance also showed Green’s car nearby. After years of investigation, Green pled guilty in 2024 to murder and conspiracy, while Cutler was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Peters’ family finally saw justice and sought closure.

via CBS News|

#cornelius-green #crime #missouri

crime4 months ago•3 min saved

Chicago Jury Acquits Man in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting Border Patrol Chief

A Chicago jury found Juan Espinoza Martinez not guilty of a murder-for-hire charge after prosecutors alleged he posted a $10,000 bounty to kill border patrol official Gregory Bovino on Snapchat; defense argued the messages were gossip with no intent to act. The acquittal, amid a broader wave of failed immigration-enforcement prosecutions, highlighted questions about the government’s case and the crackdown.

via The Guardian|

#acquittal #border-patrol #chicago

crime4 months ago•4 min saved

Chicago Man Cleared in Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting Border Patrol Chief Bovino

A federal jury acquitted Chicago resident Juan Espinoza Martinez of a murder-for-hire charge linked to a plot against Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, saying prosecutors failed to prove intent. The case, part of the Trump-era Operation Midway Blitz, featured four witnesses and a brief three-hour deliberation after opening statements, with Bovino absent from court. Prosecution had alleged a $10,000 bounty, but the defense argued the messages amounted to gossip, not a crime.

via news.wttw.com|

#chicago-federal-court #crime #espinoza-martinez

crime4 months ago•5 min saved

Virginia husband accused of plotting murder with au pair to remove wife amid affair

Prosecutors say Brendan Banfield, a Virginia husband having an affair with his Brazilian au pair, hatched an elaborate murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife Christine Banfield and a man named Joseph Ryan to remove Christine and gain custody and money. He allegedly used a fake Christine profile, arranged alibis, and orchestrated Ryan’s arrival and assault; Christine died during the killings, and Magalhães assisted and later fired a gun Ryan had. Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and will be sentenced after Banfield’s trial, which could carry life in prison if he is convicted.

via CBS News|

#affair #brendan-banfield #crime

crime4 months ago•25 min saved

Virginia Man Faces Trial in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot With Au Pair

A Virginia man, Brendan Banfield, is headed to trial after allegedly conspiring with his Brazilian au pair to murder his wife and frame another man; the au pair has agreed to cooperate with investigators as Banfield maintains his innocence.

via The Washington Post|

#au-pair #crime #domestic-crime

crime4 months ago•4 min saved

South Florida Grandmother Allegedly Orchestrated Son-in-Law’s Murder in 11-Year Saga

A South Florida law professor, Dan Markel, was murdered in 2014 in a case involving a complex murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by his ex-wife's family, leading to multiple convictions and a 11-year legal saga.

via ABC News|

#charlie-adelson #crime #custody-dispute

crime8 months ago•9 min saved

Florida Matriarch Convicted in Murder-for-Hire Plot

Donna Adelson was convicted of first-degree murder for orchestrating a plot to kill her former son-in-law, Dan Markel, after she chose not to testify in her defense during her trial. The jury took about three hours to find her guilty, and she now faces up to life in prison.

via CNN|

#crime #donna-adelson #florida

world8 months ago•2 min saved

Florida Matriarch Donna Adelson Convicted in Murder-for-Hire of Ex-Son-in-Law

Donna Adelson, a wealthy Florida matriarch, was convicted of first-degree murder for orchestrating the 2014 killing of law professor Daniel Markel, amid a complex custody dispute and family tensions, with her son and others already serving life sentences related to the case.

via NBC News|

#daniel-markel #donna-adelson #florida