LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A local doctor accused in a murder-for-hire plot is fighting for her reputation and freedom.

Stephanie Russell, 52, contacted an undercover FBI agent, who was posing as a hitman and agreed to pay $7,000 to the agent in exchange for murdering her ex-husband, according to information from the Department of Justice. 

But Russell's attorney said there's more to the story than what we have read in the probable cause affidavit.

"She is a very well-respected well-liked beloved physician out in Norton Commons," Attorney David Mour said. "There's always that sexy front page news of the company sued for $200 million in the case settles for $50."

Records show that on Nov. 25, 2019, a detective with LMPD's Crimes Against Children Unit met with a special agent from the FBI. The Metro Police detective believed she had uncovered a murder-for-hire plot during her investigation into child abuse allegations reported by Russell against her ex-husband.

"The charge that they charged her with, murder-for-hire, is a federal statute," Mour said.

Russell was in federal court Tuesday for a probable cause and detention hearing.

"We were hopeful that the judge would allow her release with certain terms and conditions that we suggested so that she would stay at home and only leave for the purpose of going to work and coming back with someone taking her," Mour said. "But the judge saw it a different way."

Russell is a pediatrician at Kidz Life Pediatrics in Norton Commons. Since Friday, there has been a closed sign in the window. But Mour said the office is still seeing patients.

"The practice is being manned," he said. "The practice manager is there. They are assisting patients in any and every way that they can. Several local pediatricians have offered to assist. They are referring people to appropriate doctors. All of that's being addressed, and if people have questions, they can call the office and speak to the practice manager or one of the other employees there."

Court records indicate Russell's ex-husband filed for divorce in 2018, and it was finalized in 2020. And the probable cause affidavit includes several disturbing text messages between Russell and witnesses.

One says, "We can talk about Christmas flowers here if you needed." and "I was hoping to hear about the flowers today."

Investigators say "Christmas flowers" was code for killing her ex-husband.

"That's one side of the story," Mour said. "We haven't told our side of the story yet. We'll have that opportunity at a later date."

Mour said some of that will include details from a custody battle between Russell and her ex-husband.

"This involves a — in my three-and-a-half plus decades of law practice — probably the most bitter, hotly contested, contentious custody action I've ever seen," he said.

Meanwhile, as Russell waits for her day in court, Mour shared some of her concerns.

"As any parent would be, she's concerned for her children," he said. "She misses them and she looks forward to this thing being resolved and her day in court. Stephanie has zero criminal record history. I'm not even sure she's ever gotten a traffic ticket."

Mour said things sometimes look worse than they are in federal cases.

"The standard of proof for the government to go forward and a probable cause hearing is very small, and you can introduce hearsay, anything really," he said. "There's no rules of evidence and a probable cause hearing. There's hundreds of cases out there where probable cause affidavit looked bad for the defendant and you would characterize it or worse than in this case where the charges were dismissed or the defendant was acquitted by a jury."

The case will now be presented to a federal grand jury. If a true bill or indictment is returned, the process starts over in District Court.

Right now, Russell is in custody at the Oldham County Detention Center. If she's indicted, Mour hopes the judge will consider work release.

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