A Houston cardiologist and a veterinarian sparked a romance that quickly turned dark. Both entangled in bitter breakups, both with exes they couldn't let go of.

Prosecutors say Leon Jacob and his girlfriend, Valerie McDaniel, began plotting a deadly solution.

A murder-for-hire scheme targeting the very people they once loved.

But what they didn't know, the man they trusted to carry out the killings was actually an undercover

police officer. Recorded meetings, chilling texts, and secret payments would soon reveal what

investigators called a calculated and cold-blooded plan,

one that didn't end in murder, but in arrests, a trial, a conviction, and a life sentence.

I'm Emily Campano, and this is the Fox True Crime podcast.

Music podcast. In 2020 In 2017, authorities say the plot began to take shape, as Leon Jacob allegedly sought out someone to kill his ex-girlfriend, while Valerie McDaniel was accused of wanting her own ex-husband dead.

Prosecutors argued this was no heat-of-the-moment decision, but a deliberate plan, discussed

in detail, with money on the table and lives on the line. This case raises a haunting question,

how far would someone go to erase their past, and what happens when they think they found the perfect

way to do it? Joining me today to break down the case is CEO of Houston crime stoppers, Rainia Mencarios.

Rainia, for those who aren't familiar with this case, walk us through what happened?

Well, it took us all by surprise. I mean, a prominent Houston doctor,

Dr. Leon Jacob and his girlfriend at the time Valerie McDaniel accused of hiring a hitman

to kill her ex-husband and his girlfriend, his ex-girlfriend.

And it was really one of those cases where we saw, it was like cinematic.

There was a hitman involved.

There were meetings at restaurants.

There were discussions about how to pull this off.

There's an exchange of money, the use of technology.

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