LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Federal investigators say a Louisville doctor was desperate to send her ex-husband "Christmas flowers," but it was a potentially deadly delivery.
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.Â
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WDRB News, the investigation includes text message conversations Russell had about the alleged plot. The texts include several references to flowers and Christmas flowers, which investigators say was her code word for the plan.Â
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 detective told the feds that he "believed Russell was attempting to hire an assassin to kill him in order to take full custody of their two children."
Investigators said his attorney produced a sworn affidavit from a former nanny stating "she was approached by Russell on multiple occasions in which Russell alluded to getting rid of his." The nanny told investigators she assumed Russell was joking until Russell asked if she knew "really bad people" who could get rid of him.
Court records indicate Russell's ex-husband filed for divorce in 2018, and it became final in 2020. The two were involved in an ongoing custody dispute before her arrest.
On March 28, 2022, the FBI was referred to a private investigator by an LMPD detective. The private investigator had information regarding an alleged murder-for-hire plot by Russell.
According to the affidavit, the private investigator learned that Russell had allegedly approached several employees in her medical practice, Kidz Life Pediatrics in Prospect, about helping locate someone to kill him.
Investigators say between July 2021 and March 2022, Russell approached two nurses at the business on separate occasions and asked each of them for assistance in killing her ex-husband. The affidavit also includes several screenshots from conversations between Russell and others.
In the text messages, Russell discussed hiring someone to deliver "Christmas flowers" which was code for killing her ex-husband. Investigators say Russell decided to use the term "flowers" when discussing her ex-husband's death to make the messages appear discreet.
Texts in court records detail alleged murder for hire plot by Louisville doctor Stephanie Russell. May 24, 2022
The text messages also discuss several payments. In one message, Russell agreed to a payment of $4,000 to deliver "Christmas flowers." Investigators say another message revealed Russell agreed to pay an additional $1,000 if it could be done by the week of December 12, 2021. According to the affidavit, Russell told a cooperating witness she wanted him dead so she could gain full custody of her children.
Investigators say in the beginning the text messages were sent from Russell's personal phone, but she eventually obtained a "burner phone" to discuss killing him. Investigators say one of the witnesses quit a job at the pediatric office and ceased contact after realizing Russell was very serious about having him killed.
Texts in court records detail alleged murder for hire plot by Louisville doctor Stephanie Russell. May 24, 2022
According to the affidavit, On May 12, 2022, Russell met with a witness at a business to discuss "flowers." The witness gave Russell a telephone number for an undercover FBI agent and identified him as someone who would kill him. Court records show there were audio and video recordings of the meeting.
The affidavit indicates the undercover agent specifically asked Russell "if she wanted him killed, to which Russell responded that she wanted him gone" and later shared his name, address and type of vehicle he drove.
According to the affidavit, during a phone call, Russell initially asked for him to be held hostage and was forced to text her an apologetic suicide note before being killed. The document alleges Russell informed the undercover agent she had been vocal about her hate towards him to a lot of people and was worried she would look guilty, which is why she requested the suicide note.
The affidavit alleges Russell agreed to a new payment amount of $7,000 since the undercover agent was accommodating her request by making it appear as a suicide. Investigators say, Russell agreed to pay $3,500 on May 18, 2022, and an additional $3,500 once the murder was completed.
Investigators say Russell also sent a text message to the undercover agent saying she had placed the first half of the payment into the outside lab specimen drop box on the rear doors of her office, located at 10639 Meeting Street, Louisville, Kentucky.
The FBI had set up surveillance outside the rear of Kidz Life Pediatrics to observe the specimen boxes Russell had allegedly placed the money in. Investigators say they did not observe Russell actually placing the envelope in the specimen box, but she appeared to be the last person who left the office on May 18, 2022. As a result, Russell was arrested on May 19.Â
The Louisville Metro Police Department assisted the FBI in the investigation.
If convicted, Russell could face 10 years in federal prison, where there is no parole.
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