A Virginia grandmother has pleaded guilty to charges that she tried to hire a hitman to kill members of her family after losing custody of her grandson.
Tammy Smith Kelly, 44, of Stevensburg, changed her plea on Monday after hearing evidence on the first day of her trial. She originally pleaded not guilty to four counts of solicitation to commit murder.
The Culpeper County Sheriff's Office said Kelly lost custody of her grandson last autumn and attempted to arrange the killing of his maternal grandparents and their two adult children. Police became aware of the plot the week before Thanksgiving and began gathering evidence.
During their investigation, officers discovered where and how the murder was to occur, the people involved, and the method of payment. Kelly was arrested on November 19, 2015. A search of her home uncovered computers, printers, and tablets used to produce $2,500 in counterfeit bills, as well as a 9mm handgun, financial documents, and cell phones.
Kelly was initially charged with four counts of attempted capital murder and four counts of solicitation to commit murder, but the capital murder charges were dropped last month. Her defence attorney, David Randle, attempted an insanity defence, but Kelly was deemed competent to stand trial.
