Parker County Sheriff's Office
The intended target says he's lived the past year in fear -- and even set up a dummy decoy in his house in case she showed up trying to kill him.
A Texas man says he'll "never look at a box of chocolates the same" after his ex-wife allegedly plotted to kill him with a poisoned batch of candy.
Pamela Jean Stanley, 63, was arrested last Thursday and indicted on criminal solicitation with intent to commit murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
She remains behind bars on $450,000 bond.
According to the Parker County Sheriff's Office, the arrest stems from an alleged plan to off her ex-husband involving chocolates and fentanyl.
The investigation into Stanley began after "a protected source" told the sheriff that the suspect was "developing a plan to murder her ex-husband." A recording of Stanley allegedly showed she was looking to buy powdered fentanyl and "inject" it into a box of high-end chocolates, which she planned to send to her ex.
But she wasn't going to say the chocolates were from her. Instead, per the sheriff, she was going to make it "appear to have been [sent] from a travel agency as a congratulatory gift for his recent engagement along with a 'honeymoon' incentive offer."
Stanley then drove to buy the drugs, not knowing she was purchasing them from undercover investigators. After allegedly procuring what she "believed was fentanyl" in a hotel parking lot, she was taken into custody -- with authorities claiming she had 9.5 grams of methamphetamine on her at the time.
Bernalillo County District Attorney
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View Story"Her plan was pretty ingenious. She thought this stuff through," intended target Jeff Kauth told WFAA, adding, "It didn't really surprise me because she's kind of that way."
Kauth told the outlet he heard she had talked about hiring a hitman and said that, since their divorce in 2019 after 14 years of marriage, he's lived in fear. Per WFAA, he not only installed security cameras around the property, but it also set up a "dummy" in the kitchen, wearing one of his hats, as a decoy just in case she tried to shoot him from the backyard.
Of the chocolate plan, he admitted, "Quite possibly, I probably wouldn't eaten them" -- saying he believed Stanley also hoped the fentanyl "would get both of us," referring to his new partner.
"I can rest much easier now," he said, now that she's behind bars, before adding, "I'll never look at a box of chocolates the same."
Stanley's triaI has reportedly been set for October 20.
NBC King5/Chelan County Sheriff's Office
