You know, even when this lady wasn’t going to jail we wouldn’t belief her as our pediatrician!
Dr. Stephanie Russell was a beloved small city youngsters’s physician in Kentucky. She had an workplace completely embellished in Disney themes. Sounds like a candy lady… till she was charged in a murder-for-hire plot, that’s. Dr. Russell was arrested means again in May 2022 after allegedly making an attempt to rent a hitman to kill her ex-husband. Apparently she was livid her ex, Rick Crabtree, had been awarded sole custody of their two youngsters. But the homicide didn’t work out. Turns out the individual she spoke to on-line — and agreed to pay $7,000 to kill Crabtree — was truly an undercover FBI agent. Oops! Now she’s charged with one depend of utilizing interstate commerce amenities within the fee of murder-for-hire.
But the case simply took a really unusual, magical flip…
Related: Young Dad Accused Of Killing Daughter Tells Cops Baby Was ‘Not Real’
Innerestingly, it was the protection who revealed this odd wrinkle within the case, per Law&Crime. They revealed a bevy of Whatsapp messages displaying Stephanie didn’t bounce proper to a hitman. She first tried… voodoo? Witchcraft? We’re unsure which. But she reached out to the supernatural, in any case.
In the messages, she speaks to somebody going solely by the title Mama, from whom she is discussing shopping for a “death spell” for her ex. She asks:
“What is your success rate? Your price? Your guarantee?”
“Mama” then responds with the disturbingly reassuring messages:
- “death success rates are 85%”
- “price depends on the number of people”
- “100% guarantee or money back”
Ultimately they land on $580 for a dying spell for only one man. With the cash again assure? Damn, that looks like an inexpensive deal. But that wasn’t sufficient for Steph. The not-so-good physician asks for extra specifics concerning the spell, even referencing animal sacrifice and the Afro-Brazilian spiritual custom often called Quimbanda. But Mama shuts her down, saying merely:
“It’s a death spell my dear not a love spell. i can’t tell you inside details but i will do your job.”
But Dr. Russell didn’t cease there. For somebody keen to consider in spells she might buy, she stayed doubtful — seemingly decided to not be a straightforward mark. She could have been new to the sorcery recreation, however she did what any savvy purchaser would do. She shopped round.
She messaged somebody simply often called “Spiritual Healer” with the immediate that she was “looking for a death spell.” This one instructed her:
“Yes I will cast death Spell for you.”
She truly did get a greater provide right here, $430, solely half up entrance, and the promise of “100% result in 6hours.” But Russell refused to pay up entrance in any respect, pleading with the Spiritual Healer, “Can I please pay after? I cannot afford to pay without results.”
The Spiritual Healer truly drops to $150 up entrance, citing the necessity to pay for the elements for the spell. The doc haggles all the way down to $50. Amazing. Finally getting the worth she wished, Stephanie offers the magician her ex’s title and picture. However, she desires another assurance — that this gained’t contain Quimbanda. Spiritual Healer solutions that it will likely be Voodoo solely.
That appears to be that. But she reaches out to a 3rd individual going by “Sk” — this one tells her no, it’s not Quimbanda however moderately “indian vedic magic.” But after Stephanie sends the title and picture, Sk truly advises her in opposition to utilizing a dying spell. Still, she tells them:
“The only way we will have peace is if he dies.”
But Sk warns her that “killing him etc is going to harm you and family as he has some type of protection on him.” They say he’s truly “into black magic” — and as such recommend she buy a “banishing spell only.” Dr. Russell forces the problem, asking:
“Is there anything you can do to cause the death?”
They don’t appear to wish to contact it. And after all we all know the place she ended up after the magic didn’t pan out for her — hiring an undercover fed.
So why did the protection provide all this? Doesn’t it form of show she was making an attempt to pay somebody to kill Crabtree, even when it was by means of unorthodox means? Well, they argue it proves Russell wasn’t in her proper thoughts. They’re arguing she didn’t have the psychological capability to be convicted of the crime she’s charged with — primarily as a result of she was loopy sufficient to attempt to use magic!
“Ms. Russell’s mental health was severely disturbed, from both the empirical and clinical perspectives, when she engaged in the conduct alleged in the indictment… In March 2022, Ms. Russell reached out to self-described spiritualists for help, asking (with all credulity) for a ‘death spell’ on her ex-husband.”
We recognize the authorized curveball, however… will it work? One would need to be out of their thoughts to consider a spell might truly work, however then once more, sufficient individuals consider in all kinds of supernatural issues and simply name it having religion of their faith, so… if she’s loopy, are all spiritual followers? We’ll need to see what the court docket thinks. The trial is ready to start April 22 in Louisville.
What do YOU assume, Perezcious readers? Does this make her extra responsible? Less? Mentally incapable? Or simply eccentric? Tell us your ideas within the feedback (under)!
[Image via Oldham County Detention Center/Netflix/YouTube.]