An Ohio substitute teacher was busted for allegedly offering a high school student $2,000 to kill her estranged husband in a bizarre murder-for-hire plot – that was foiled by the teen’s mother.
Stephanie Demetrius, 44, was arrested Wednesday on first-degree conspiracy after the student’s mom discovered texts between her son and the sub at Academy for Urban Scholars High School discussing the lethal plan and contacted the police, according to court documents obtained by WSYX.
“This particular teacher was attempting to groom this young person into committing murder,” Sgt. James Fuqua, with the Columbus Division of Police, told the outlet.
“Without their help, some of this might not have come to light. This was a situation where a parent was able to capture things inside this young person’s phone and contact authorities.”
Police said the deranged educator approached the student at the Columbus school on March 26 and offered him the cash bounty to kill her soon-to-be ex-husband, giving the teen $250 as a down payment.
A phone call was then recorded between Demetrius and her would-be killer in which the sub confirmed the remainder of the payment, stating she owed an additional “15,” the outlet reported.
The teacher, who was in the process of divorcing her husband, whom she married in 2004, also told the student her estranged spouse worked from home and noted when her kids would be out of the house.
“When asked if the neighbors would hear the gunfire, she advised that they don’t care about the neighbors,” court documents obtained by The Columbus Dispatch stated.
The mother of four appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court Thursday morning, where her public defender denied the allegations and blasted the claims as a fabrication, the outlet reported.
Prosecutor Parker Schwartz said Demetrius exhibited “possessive and controlling behavior,” citing previous homicidal threats levied against her husband that resulted in him obtaining a protection order.
Demetrius is being held on a $150,000 bond and is prohibited from having any contact with her husband and the minor involved in the case, according to reports.
She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on April 11.
The Academy for Urban Scholars High School did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
