Man found guilty in 2016 murder-for-hire of St. Louis teacher

Megan Mueller
·2 min read
1

ST. LOUIS – An Oklahoma man was found guilty in court Tuesday in relation to the 2016 murder-for-hire of Jocelyn Peters, a St. Louis Public School teacher, and her unborn child.

According to a release, prosecutors proved to the jury that Phillip J. Cutler was hired by his longtime friend, Cornelius M. Green, to murder his pregnant girlfriend.

Cutler was found guilty of conspiring and acting upon the murder-for-hire. Green pleaded guilty in February to the same charges.

Jocelyn Peters was found shot to death inside her Central West End apartment on March 24, 2016. Peters, 30, was seven months pregnant at the time of her murder. She taught third grade at Horace Mann Elementary School in the Tower Grove neighborhood of south St. Louis.

On March 7, 2016, Green sent a UPS package to Cutler containing $2,500 as a retainer for the crime. Two weeks later, Green fled to Chicago to establish an alibi and Cutler went inside Peters’ apartment. He shot her in the eye, using a potato as a silencer.

Peters was working on baby shower invitations when she was killed.

Missouri’s ‘best burger and fries’ served in Clayton, food writers say

When Cutler confirmed to Green that both Peters and the unborn baby were dead, Green bought a train ticket and returned to St. Louis. Cutler traveled to North River Front Park to dispose of any evidence.

Green called police when he arrived back at the apartment and reported Peters death. According to officials, he made several false statements to law enforcement, claiming he had no prior involvement or knowledge of the murder.

When Cutler was told he was being detained that same night, he allegedly ate two pieces of paper from a notebook in his pockets, the release said.

Green’s sentencing is scheduled for June 5, facing life in prison. According to the plea agreement, the Circuit Attorney’s Office will dismiss its charges against Green if he’s sentenced to life imprisonment on each count in the federal case.

Cutler’s sentencing is scheduled for June 18, and he faces life in prison for each charge.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.