Cornelius M. Green, a 42-year-old ex-middle school principal, was given two consecutive life sentences in federal prison for masterminding a murder-for-hire scheme. The plot resulted in the killings of 30-year-old schoolteacher Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child, Micah Leigh. The sentencing occurred on June 25, 2024 in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Missouri.
Despite being married, Green had a romantic relationship with Peters, who was carrying his child. He engaged Phillip J. Cutler, a close friend, to execute the murder. Green misappropriated $2,500 from a fundraiser at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, where he was the principal, to pay Cutler for the murder. The funds were dispatched to Cutler through UPS, listing the middle school as the return address.
Cutler utilized Green’s car and drove to Peters’ residence on West Pine Boulevard in St. Louis, Missouri on March 24, 2016. With keys given by Green, Cutler gained entry into Peters’ apartment and fatally shot her in the head while she was asleep. He employed a potato as an impromptu silencer to suppress the gunshot noise. Prosecutors indicated that Green had made sure potatoes were available in the apartment by shopping with Peters days before the murder.
To establish an alibi, Green traveled to Chicago on an Amtrak train the day of the murder, leaving Cutler with both his car and Peters’ apartment keys. After the murder, Green contacted Peters’ mother, prompting her to check on her daughter, fully aware of the gruesome scene that awaited her. “The depravity of asking a mother to go find Jocelyn’s body, knowing she was dead, can’t be matched,” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Becker during the sentencing hearing.
The probe into the case revealed that Green had initially attempted to terminate Peters’ pregnancy by covertly poisoning her. When this plan didn’t succeed, he resorted to murder. Peters was oblivious to the fact that Green was still married and involved with multiple other women. Federal prosecutors pointed out that Peters was also unaware of Green’s poisoning attempts.
Multiple individuals expressed their sorrow and indignation during the sentencing. Peters’ mother noted that Green, who should have been a protector, became her daughter’s murderer. “All she ever did was love him,” she said, stressing that Peters “loved that baby so much.”
Dr. Nicole Conaway, the principal of Mann Elementary School, where Peters worked, also addressed the court. She underscored the toll Peters’ death took on her students and fellow staff. “He literally stole from children to pay for killing his own child,” Conaway asserted. “I will never forget the pain in their eyes. This trauma will follow them for the rest of their lives.”
In February, Green pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. Cutler, convicted of identical charges, was also handed two consecutive life sentences. Both men will spend the rest of their lives in federal prison.
The crime’s aftermath has profoundly impacted Peters’ family and the school community. “Jocelyn had a light around her at all times,” recalled Dedra Peters, Jocelyn’s cousin. “She made a lasting impression on everyone she met.” The loss of Peters has left her family feeling “empty and heartbroken.”
