Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to impose the maximum sentence on Stephanie Russell, a 53-year-old former pediatrician from Louisville, Kentucky, for her involvement in a stalking and attempted murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex-husband.

Russell, who once operated KidzLife Pediatrics, known for its Disney-themed office, pleaded guilty but continued to seek a hitman through female inmates, according to new evidence.

Russell's criminal actions stemmed from a contentious family court battle where her ex-husband was awarded sole custody of their two children in 2022. Russell failed in her "efforts to have her ex-husband branded as a domestic abuser and child sex-abuser in the course of the family court litigation," resulting in her ex receiving "sole custody" of their two children in 2022.

Following this, Russell sought various means to harm him, including attempting to pay $7,000 to an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman. WhatsApp messages revealed Russell even explored using a "death spell" to achieve her goal.

Russell's guilty plea reveals a series of odd solicitations for murder, including a "death spell." Russell wanted her ex, R.C., hexed by "a death spell" in the months before her 2022 arrest for attempting to pay $7,000 to an undercover FBI agent to kill the victim, as revealed by WhatsApp texts.

"What is your success rate?" What's your price? "What is your guarantee?" Russell inquired, and a woman identifying as "mama" responded: "Death success rates are 85%."

Russell continuing to seek "a death spell" from a "Spiritual Healer" with a different phone number from the first, before going to a third contact identified as "Sk."

“The only way we will have peace is if he dies,” Russell insisted to “Sk,” who answered: “killing him etc is going to harm you and family as he has some type of protection on him.”

Prosecutors allege that Russell's attempts to arrange her ex-husband's murder persisted even after her guilty plea in April 2024, leading the government to argue for the maximum 12-year sentence, citing her ongoing misconduct and lack of remorse.

According to the US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky, Russell was apprehended in large part because, in July 2021, she "began soliciting multiple KidzLife employees, asking if they knew someone who would be willing to kill R.C." Russell, the owner and operator of the Louisville-area pediatric practice, was apprehended in May 2022 after an undercover spy posed as a hitman taped discussions with her.

"I want him completely gone from my life, yes," Russell said, before the FBI agent proposed making her ex's death appear to be suicide.  "Yes, that would be fantastic," Russell replied.

Russell faces at least eight years in jail but no more than twelve, according to the plea agreement, but prosecutors argued Monday that the punishment should be the maximum based on her alleged behavior within bars following the plea.

“The day after Russell entered her guilty plea, the United States was notified that Russell, who is in pre-trial detention, was soliciting other female prisoners in a renewed effort to find someone to murder her ex-husband,” prosecutors said. “On July 9, 2024, this information was provided to the U.S. Probation Office with the United States’ objections to the initial Presentence Investigation Report.”

“Based upon the probable cause to believe that Russell had engaged in ongoing violations of state or federal law after she entered her guilty plea on April 22, 2024, and pursuant to the express provision of paragraph 10 of the parties’ Plea Agreement, the United States objected to Russell receiving any reduction for acceptance of responsibility,” the feds continued.

Prosecutors stated there is evidence that another inmate in pretrial detention went so far as to send a letter "at Russell's behest" to that detainee's boyfriend — "postmarked April 22, 2024, the date of Russell's guilty plea" — asking if the man knew anyone who could or would kill Russell's ex.
Russell’s defense attorney, Michael Mazzoli, acknowledged her mental health issues but contested the recent allegations, arguing that the plea agreement's proposed sentence range would suffice. Letters from family, colleagues, and patients' parents described Russell as a dedicated professional whose actions were out of character, attributing her behavior to extreme emotional and mental distress.

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