Federal prosecutors are requesting that a judge sentence a Louisville, Kentucky, pediatrician to the maximum punishment for stalking and an attempted murder-for-hire plot on her ex-husband’s life, alleging that evidence discovered after Stephanie Russell pleaded guilty revealed she only continued to seek a killer through female inmates.
According to the government, Russell, a 53-year-old former KidzLife Pediatrics professional known for having a Disney-themed office, failed in false “efforts to have her ex-husband branded as a domestic abuser and child sex abuser in the course of the family court litigation,” resulting in her ex being awarded “sole custody” of their two children in 2022.
Russell’s guilty plea reveals a series of odd solicitations for murder, including a “death spell.” Russell’s WhatsApp chats revealed that she wanted her ex-RTC hexed with “a death spell” in the months leading up to her 2022 arrest for attempting to pay $7,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill the victim.
“What is your success rate?” What’s your price? “What is your guarantee?” Russell inquired, and a woman identifying as “Mama” responded: “Death success rates are 85%.”
The texts revealed Russell continuing to seek “a death spell” from a “Spiritual Healer” with a different phone number from the first, before going to a third contact identified as “Sk.”
“The only way we will have peace is if he dies,” Russell said against “Sk,” as she responded: “Killing him, etc is going to harm you and your family as he has some type of protection on him.”
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky, Russell was apprehended in large part because, in July 2021, she “began soliciting multiple KidzLife employees, asking if they knew someone who would be willing to kill R.C.” Russell, the owner and operator of the Louisville-area pediatric practice, was apprehended in May 2022 after an undercover spy posed as a hitman taped discussions with her.
“I want him completely gone from my life, yes,” Russell said before the FBI agent proposed making her ex’s death appear to be suicide.
“Yes, that would be fantastic,” Russell replied. “Ms. Russell was (and is) mentally ill; however, this reality can only mitigate, not excuse, her offenses,” the complaint stated.
Regarding the latest allegations, the memo stated that the defense “does not concede the truthfulness of the alleged post-plea misconduct by Ms. Russell,” yet “nevertheless agrees that incarceration for any term within the plea agreement’s contemplated range would satisfy the requirement of a punishment which is ‘sufficient, but not greater than necessary’ to meet the objectives of criminal punishment in this case.”
Russell faces at least eight years in jail but no more than twelve, according to the plea agreement, but prosecutors argued Monday that the punishment should be the maximum based on her alleged behavior within bars following the plea.
“The day after Russell entered her guilty plea, the United States was notified that Russell, who is in pre-trial detention, was soliciting other female prisoners in a renewed effort to find someone to murder her ex-husband,” according to prosecutors. “On July 9, 2024, this information was provided to the U.S. Probation Office with the United States’ objections to the initial Presentence Investigation Report.”
“Based upon the probable cause to believe that Russell had engaged in ongoing violations of state or federal law after she entered her guilty plea on April 22, 2024, and according to the express provision of paragraph 10 of the parties’ Plea Agreement, the United States objected to Russell receiving any reduction for acceptance of responsibility,” the prosecutors continued.
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Prosecutors said they have evidence that another inmate in pretrial detention went so far as to send a letter “at Russell’s behest” to that detainee’s boyfriend — “postmarked April 22, 2024, the date of Russell’s guilty plea” — asking if the man knew anyone who could or would kill Russell’s ex.
“The letter included the name and address of Russell’s ex-husband, personal identifying information which, to the government’s knowledge, had not been made publicly available either as part of the federal criminal prosecution or the family court litigation,” the feds said, asking U.S. District Judge David Hale for the 12-year sentence due to Russell’s “ongoing conduct, and lack of acceptance of responsibility[.]”
Russell’s defense attorney, Michael Mazzoli, has long contended that the aforementioned texts courting the occult demonstrated his client’s “mental health was severely disturbed,” and the defense sentencing document argued similarly.
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The document included multiple letters of support for Russell, some from family, others from coworkers, a number from parents of children she cared for (some of whom sent images of Russell and their children), and at least one academic advisor. The letters repeatedly stated that Russell was excellent at her profession, and her criminal case surprised individuals who had known her for many years.
One letter, written by Russell’s self-described cousin and “best friend” for “most of her life,” stated that she had “never witnessed a more acrimonious divorce and custody battle.”
“However, I realize that what she ultimately did was a crime,” the letter stated. “After watching it all unfold from the front row, I believe she was in true emotional and mental distress.” “All of these things were so out of character for her.”
Sentencing was previously scheduled for the morning of July 31.