Cornelius M. Green is finally facing trial after allegedly organizing the murder of teacher Jocelyn Peters. The principal of a performing arts middle school in St. Louis was accused of hiring a hitman to assassinate the woman, with whom Green had been having an affair. He has pleaded guilty to federal murder-for-hire charges in the death of the teacher and her unborn child. The trial will commence on March 11, 2024.
Table of Contents
What did Principal Cornelius Green do?
Cornelius M. Green, who was principal at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School in St. Louis, was accused of organizing the murder of 30-year-old Jocelyn Peters and her unborn baby on March 24, 2016. The married Missouri middle school principal would plead guilty to federal charges including murder for hire, according to MSN. A plea agreement was made, and the arrangement stated that if he was sentenced to life in prison on the federal charge, the Attorney’s Office would drop the state charge. This would mean that Green would avoid the death penalty.
Why did Cornelius Green hire a hitman?
Green had been having an affair with Peters, and she had fallen pregnant. To cover up the affair, he would decide to hire someone to kill Peters and the unborn child. The plan was to pay someone to carry out the horrifying act so his actions would be covered up.
Who did Cornelius Green hire?
Green would turn to an old friend that he had known since they were young for help in murdering Jocelyn Peters. Phillip J Cutler was allegedly paid two and a half thousand dollars to commit the crime. It was also suggested that the money used to pay for the heinous crime had been stolen from the school where Green worked.
Cornelius Green [L] and Phillip J Cutler, the assassin he hired to kill Jocelyn Peters | Image via First Alert 4
Jocelyn Peters Murder Timeline
Jocelyn was shot to death in her apartment in March 2016, when she was twenty-seven weeks pregnant.
- Cornelius Green has been having a relationship with Peters since at least 2015.
- On February 29th, 2016, Green sent his friend and hired assassin Cutler a text message asking him to come from Oklahoma to Missouri at the end of March.
- Cutler would make the journey to St. Louis from Oklahoma and stayed at Green’s house on March 21st, 2016. Green would then take a trip out of town, providing himself with an alibi for the murder. Cutler would then use Green’s car to travel to the victim’s home, where he shot her to death.
- Green would book a ticket to return home, verifying his absence at the time of the killing, and go to Jocelyn’s apartment and find the body. He would call 911 and report the murder.
How did Green and Cutler get caught?
The Washington Post would obtain documents revealing that video footage of Green’s car on Jocelyn’s street was captured at roughly 3 am on March 24th. Location information from Cutler’s phone also showed that he was near Jocelyn’s home at the time of the murder.
When is the trial?
A date for the trial has been set for March 11th, 2024. Green has pleaded guilty in what the US courts call a “Frye hearing” and the trial starts on March 11th.
