A Louisville judge sentenced former pediatrician Stephanie Russell to 12 years in prison Wednesday for attempting to hire a hitman to kill her ex-husband multiple times.
U.S. District Court Judge David J. Hale ordered Russell to serve 10 years in federal prison, where parole is not an option, for attempted murder-for-hire and added two years for stalking. He also ordered Russell to pay a $10,000 fine.
When released, Russell must remain on supervised probation for three years. The judge also ordered her not to have contact with the victim.
Russell, 53, previously ran the popular Kidz Life Pediatrics in Louisville's Norton Commons until agents arrested her at her office in May 2022, a day after a federal agent posed as a hitman and picked up $3,500 from Russell that was supposed to be a partial payment for the murder. Russell said to make the murder look like a suicide.
A judge had awarded Russell's ex-husband custody of the children in January 2022.
Russell pleaded guilty April 22, 2024, to stalking her former spouse and trying to have him killed amid a protracted custody battle over their two children. By accepting responsibility and avoiding a trial, Russell would have expected a lighter prison sentence. However, she again tried to find a hitman, this time asking inmates to help with the search, prosecutors alleged in court documents asking for a heftier prison sentence.
A dental hygienist wrote a letter of support for Russell, saying she and her husband, a periodontist, selected Russell to care for their children 22 years ago due to Russell's professionalism and dedication to her patients. The parents said Russell helped her two children through challenges, including her son's childhood epilepsy.
Prosecutors referenced another letter, one initiated by Russell, as evidence the former doctor isn't remorseful and again tried to hire a hitman, this time from behind bars after pleading guilty. Russell allegedly asked a pretrial detainee to send a letter to the detainee's boyfriend to see if he knew anyone who would agree to kill Russell's ex-husband, according to the government's sentencing memo. The letter contained private personal identifying information about the target.
Russell's former husband and the lead investigator, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, spoke at the hearing. Russell chose not to say anything. After the hearing, her attorney, Scott C. Cox declined to comment.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Former pediatrician Stephanie Russell sentenced in murder plots
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