Louisville pediatrician sentenced for murder-for-hire plot against ex-husband
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - The former Louisville pediatrician who pleaded guilty to trying to hire someone to kill her ex-husband was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison.
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On Wednesday, Russell was sentenced to 12 years in prison for her crimes.
Russell previously practiced at KidzLife Pediatrics in Norton Commons. She was taken into custody by FBI agents on May 19, 2022, after court records said she made contact with a person she believed she was hiring to kill her ex-husband. The person she had contacted was actually an FBI undercover employee.
Previous WAVE reporting said Russell agreed to pay a total of $7,000 for the murder, according to officials. She put $3,500, half of the agreed upon amount, in a drop box outside her medical office on May 18.
She was to pay the remaining $3,500 after the murder took place.
Court records from 2020 say this was not the first time Russell has been accused of trying to hire a hitman. Russell and her ex-husband had been in a custody battle over their two children for at least two years.
Then in April 2024, Stephanie Russell pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire plot. Just one day after pleading guilty, prosecutors said Russell tried to solicit fellow inmates to carry out a new murder plot against him.
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