She said he had taken up with an au pair who had taken care of the couple’s children, CBS Denver reported.
A well-known Colorado animal rights attorney and media personality is accused of hatching a plan to hire former sniper and ranch hand as a hitman to kill her estranged husband’s new girlfriend, who had also been the family’s au pair, according to reports.
Jennifer Emmi, 43, who is also known as Jennifer Edwards, was arrested in late January and charged with solicitation of first-degree murder, two counts of retaliating against a witness or victim and three counts of stalking, according to an affidavit filed Jan. 25 by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Denver Post reported.
She is being held in the Jefferson County jail on a $3 million cash bond that she must post herself. The latest charges are in addition to 16 felonies and 16 misdemeanors that allege domestic violence, retaliation against witnesses and attempts to influence public servants over the last year, the news outlet reported.
Emmi’s arrest followed a six-month investigation by the sheriff’s office that involved undercover meetings, blackmail, and extortion attempts, the Post reported.
According to an affidavit in the case obtained by CBS4, Emmi asked a man who worked at her Evergreen ranch to “take care” of her husband’s girlfriend. The man went along with it and told Emmi that it would cost between $50,000 to $100,000, officials said.
Emmi allegedly agreed and at that point the pair discussed whether the alleged murder should happen at the estranged husband’s ranch or somewhere else. Emmi allegedly suggested that both people could be killed because, “if there was a car accident or something, no one would know,” then later said the plan was “on hold," the affidavit said.
The man alerted Emmi’s husband to the scheme and worked with investigators.
Emmi and her estranged husband had been separated and were going through divorce proceedings. She said he had taken up with an au pair who had taken care of the couple’s children, CBS Denver reported.
Emmi’s attorney, Chris Bresee, who has represented Emmi in the past including her most recent charges, told KDVR News that his client talked to someone about the plan, who in turn informed the government.
“The allegations, at least the way the warrant reads, is she’s understandably upset,” Bresee said, reported CBS4.
Bresee said the police investigation clearly shows Emmi did not want to go through with the plot, the Post reported.
Bresee said there were supposedly computer records and phone records as the basis for the warrant. Emmi surrendered to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office two weeks ago on violation of a protective order, he said. It was at that time, he said, that she learned about the warrant for her arrest on the murder-for-hire plot.
Emmi’s estranged husband and his girlfriend told investigators that they have been living in fear due to domestic violence incidents. The family has at times left their home to go into hiding, and frequently see vehicles passing by with people taking photos, according to the affidavit, The Post reported.
Emmi founded The Animal Law Center, a law firm that provides legal services for animal owners and guardians, according to its LinkedIn page, FOX News reported. Its website has expired. She established a nonprofit ranch in Evergreen, the mission of which is “to accentuate the bond between humans and animals,” KNCC-V reported. Over the years, she has been regularly interviewed by different media outlets regarding various animal cases, and, hosted a regular show on Facebook focusing on animals, FOX reported.
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