Jennifer Amnott, one of three US citizens extradited from Scottish prisons last year, has entered into a plea agreement to testify against her alleged accomplices in a botched plot to kidnap five children and kill their parents in Virginia, US prosecutors have confirmed.
Plea Agreement Announced
The United States Attorney’s Office confirmed that prosecutors informed the judge in the case that Amnott has entered into a plea agreement under which she will testify. The change of plea comes after her husband, Frank Amnott, was caught at the scene of the alleged crime in 2019 and pleaded guilty to his role, naming Valerie Hayes as the 'ringleader'.
The trio—Valerie Hayes, Gary Reburn, and Jennifer Amnott—were found living in Glasgow in 2018 after the FBI identified them as being behind the alleged scheme. They remained behind bars in Scotland for seven years, costing the public purse at least £1 million as they battled to stay in the country.
Alleged Plot Details
The FBI previously accused Hayes of duping the childless Amnotts into believing she was a government agent before convincing them to help her carry out the abduction in return for a child of their own. US prosecutors previously said the July 2018 abduction plot 'read like a script from a bad horror movie'.
Prosecutors say Hayes, Reburn, and Frank Amnott planned to enter the first house and hold the parents at gunpoint. After Hayes secured the two kids, Reburn and Frank Amnott would kill the parents before driving to the second house, force entry, and carry out a similar murder. A Department of Justice affidavit said Hayes was disguised as a Mennonite when a parent opened the door and was held at gunpoint. Another parent fled and dialled 911, and when cops arrived, they found Frank Amnott holding the parent hostage.
Legal Proceedings and Costs
In 2019, Frank Amnott pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to kill witnesses, and firearm offences. He received a mandatory life sentence for conspiracy to kidnap and to kill witnesses. He said Hayes was central to the plot and is yet to be sentenced.
The trio’s bids to remain in Scotland were thrown out at each stage of the court process, and the Record revealed how Hayes, Amnott, and Reburn had cost the public purse at least £1 million in legal aid fees and estimated prisoner costs in Scotland. They appeared in court back in the US in November after The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg dismissed claims that an extradition would violate their human rights.
A source close to the case in Scotland said: “This is a huge development and could see the collapse of the whole trial. It’s unbelievable after seven years and such a huge cost to Scotland. I think Jennifer Amnott was in a very desperate situation. But those responsible for this need to answer to their crimes.”
The United States Attorney’s Office confirmed a change of plea hearing for Jennifer Amnott, who remains in custody, is set to take place in October, with another hearing in the case scheduled for next month.
