Kentucky Woman Tried Putting 'Voodoo Death Spell' on Husband Before Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot

Dr. Stephanie Russell, 52, was charged with use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire back in 2022. Investigators say she contacted someone she believed was a hitman -- but was actually an undercover FBI agent -- to kill her ex, Rick Crabtree.

With her trial on the horizon, new documents have been filed by the defense in her case, including photos of WhatsApp communications between Russell and spiritualists claiming to be proficient in "death spells." Her defense released the messages in an attempt to show how their client's "mental health was severely disturbed" at the time.

The first of the texts were between Russell and someone identified as only "Mama."

"Looking for a death spell. Do you know about Quimbanda? What is your success rate? Your price? Your guarantee?" asked Russell at first, referring to an Afro-Brazilian religion which reportedly uses animal sacrifice.

"Death success rates are 85% ... price depends on the number of people ... 100% guarantee or money back," the woman responded. After being told her services would only be required to get rid of one person, the spiritualist said it would cost $580.

"Do you use sacrifice?" asked Russell, before the spiritualist replied no. The pediatrician then wondered whether she could pay "after success."

"I only work on cash basis. It's strictly death spell. I can't tell you inside details but I will do your job," the woman replied.

Additional messages show Russell reaching out to another person whose handle was "Spiritual Healer," again looking for a death spell. This person said they'd charge $430, needing half before -- promising "100% results in 6 hours."

"Can I please pay after? I cannot afford to pay without results. Please help me. I promise you can trust me," said Russell, who claimed to have "tried everything" before asking whether the spiritualist used Quimbanda or Voodoo. The person said they practiced the latter.

Eventually, they agreed to take only $50 up front, saying Russell would have results by the end of the day and promising "money back" if the spell didn't work. Russell then sent the person a photo of Crabtree, as well as his full name.

A third person contacted by Russell was also asked the same questions about death spells, their success rate, time frame and price.

The pediatrician was told: "What I can see is that he is into black magic and also has some type of protection. Killing him will harm you also. If you wish we can banish him so that he will be away from you and your family ... I will advise you to go for banishing spell only."

She responded by saying, "The only way we will have peace is if he dies. Is there anything you can do to cause the death?"

Per Law&Crime, citing the filing, her lawyers "submitted the text messages to show their client seriously believed her ex-husband was a danger to her children and that she lacked the mental capacity to be convicted of murder-for-hire."

Russell previously pleaded not guilty; defense will reportedly argue she was not sane at the time of the murder-for-hire plot.

According to the criminal complaint from 2022, the alleged plot first came to light amid an investigation into child abuse allegations Russell levied against her ex-husband amid a bitter custody battle over their two children. The FBI agent assigned to the case wrote that Crabtree told local police in 2019 that his ex "was attempting to hire an assassin to kill him in order to take full custody of their two children."

At the time, Crabtree's attorney provided a sworn affidavit from the one of their children's nannies to police stating "she was approached by Russell on multiple occasions in which Russell alluded to getting rid of Crabtree" -- and asked whether she knew "'really bad people' who could get rid of" Rick. However, at the time, another FBI agent looking into the case was unable to corroborate the allegations against Russell and the investigation was discontinued.

In March 2022, however, local police offered up new information to the FBI about another alleged murder-for-hire plot. Someone who worked at Russell's medical office, Kidz Life Pediatrics, claimed Russell "had allegedly approached several employees ... about helping locate someone to kill her ex-husband," according to the complaint.

When the FBI spoke to the same witness, they said Russell "approached two nurses at the business on separate occasions and asked each of them for assistance in killing Crabtree." The two witnesses -- who worked at Kidz Life -- provided text messages in which Russell discussed hiring someone to deliver "Christmas flowers," which they said was code for killing her ex. The texts allegedly showed Russell agreeing to pay a third party $4,000 for the job. Though a date had been set, one of the witnesses said the person they would have hired "killed himself and could no longer" complete the task at hand -- telling FBI they told her that to attempt to "end the conversations" with Russell.

When that second witness quit the practice, Russell allegedly started asking a third employee for help.

At this point, the FBI had already been tipped off on the case by local police and were speaking with both witnesses. When one of them met with Russell again, they gave her the number of an undercover FBI agent "and identified him as someone who would kill her ex-husband."

Russell and the undercover officer initially agreed to a fee of $5,000, but upped it to $7,000 once they ironed out the details of the murder, per the complaint. The criminal complaint also said Russell wanted to be sure the murder happened when the kids were visiting her, so they wouldn't be present for the killing.

She also allegedly wanted it to look like a suicide -- and investigators say she asked the agent to "hold Crabtree hostage and force him to text her an apologetic suicide note before being killed." The FBI said the agent eventually told Russell they would "use Crabtree's face after his death to unlock his phone" and then send the text Russell provided. Per the complaint, "Russell informed [the agent] she had been vocal about her hate towards Crabtree to a lot of people and worried she would look guilty, which is why she requested the suicide note." The agent also said Russell was "explicit" she wanted her ex dead and no longer used "coded language or references to 'flowers'" when they spoke.

Russell agreed to pay half of the payment up front and told the agent she left the money in a lab specimen box outside her office, per the complaint. Though feds didn't see Russell make the drop, the cash was where she said it would be and, on May 18, an arrest warrant was issued and Russell was taken in.

According to the Department of Justice, if convicted at trial, Russell faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison -- where there is no chance of parole.

Her trial is set to kick off April 22.