Kentucky pediatrician accused of hiring hit man to kill ex-husband, poli

Published 10:16 pm Friday, May 20, 2022

A Louisville pediatrician has been arrested on charges she hatched a murder-for-hire scheme targeting her former husband, federal officials said.

Dr. Stephanie Russell, 52, contacted someone on May 15 she believed was a hitman, but it was a person working undercover for the FBI, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Louisville.

Russell agreed to pay $7,000 for the hit, a media release from the U.S. Attorney said. She allegedly placed half that amount in a dropbox outside her medical office on Wednesday, and federal agents arrested her on Thursday.

She has been charged with using interstate commerce in a murder-for-hire scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney.

If convicted at trial, she faces a maximum term of up to 10 years in federal prison.