North Texas Woman Sentenced to Nine Years for Hiring Hitman on Dark Web
A North Texas woman, Michelle Murphy, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to hire a hitman to kill her boyfriend’s lover. The 58-year-old from Bedford used the dark web to try and pay $10,510 in Bitcoin to have the woman murdered.
According to court documents, Murphy converted cash into cryptocurrency using an ATM on multiple occasions before transferring the funds to a Bitcoin wallet she believed belonged to the hitman. However, authorities intervened before any harm could be done.
During the sentencing hearing, it was revealed that the hitman who accepted the money likely had no intention of carrying out the murder. Homeland Security Investigations led the case with assistance from local police departments in Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, and Hurst.
Murphy admitted to the plot after being confronted by agents alongside her boyfriend. She confessed that she sought revenge after discovering his infidelity with another woman.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton, announced the sentencing in a news release, highlighting the severity of Murphy’s actions. The case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of the dark web and the consequences of seeking illegal means to resolve personal disputes.
