8-Year Prison Sentence for Murder-for-Hire Plot
A Tennessee woman, Melody Sasser, 48, has been sentenced to over 8 years (100 months) in federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to hire a hitman to kill the wife of a man she met on a dating website.
Sasser’s plan involved paying nearly $10,000 in Bitcoin on the dark web platform known as “Online Killers Market” to orchestrate the murder. According to court documents, she went by the username “cattree” on the site, requesting that the hit be carried out in a way that would seem like an accident or random act to avoid suspicion. She also suggested planting drugs to steer investigations away from her.
The Target and the Backstory
The target, identified only by the initials JW, resides in Prattville, Alabama, with her husband DW. Sasser had met DW on the dating site Match.com and had reportedly helped him during a hike on the Appalachian Traill before he relocated to Alabama and married JW.
Unhappy with the delay in carrying out the hit, Sasser grew frustrated after waiting over two months. During that time, she reportedly began sending threatening voicemails to JW, disguising her voice through an app.
Tracking the Victim’s Movements
Sasser even used the exercise app Strava to monitor the couple’s movements, including their runs and walks, and attempted to relay that information to the hitman. In one message to the dark website’s administrator, Sasser vented her frustration about the delays, stating, “I have waited for 2 months and 11 days and the job is not completed. When will it be done?”
The dark web platform also allegedly offered services like hacking, kidnapping, extortion, and other violent crimes, according to reports by WVLT.
Evidence Uncovered and Sentencing
Law enforcement officials found extensive evidence in Sasser’s home, including a journal documenting her interactions with the dark web hitman service and a stack of U.S. currency with a note attached to a Bitcoin address. In June 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Sasser on charges of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire.
On September 18, 2023, Sasser was sentenced to over 8 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $5,000 in restitution.