KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Melody Sasser, 47, is currently being held in Knox County Jail after she was arrested earlier this year. Recently, Sasser and her attorney Jeff Whitt signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, admitting specifically to a federal count of murder for hire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne-Marie Svolto also signed off on the agreement, indicating that Sasser’s next court date is scheduled for December in Knoxville.

Sasser’s arrest stems from a plot she devised to hire a hitman via the dark web to kill someone she perceived as a romantic rival. The woman, identified as “J.W.,” was targeted by Sasser, who provided personal information, including the victim’s name, home and work addresses, photo, schedule, and vehicle description. The plan was for the murder to appear accidental or random, and Sasser had contacted the “Online Killer’s Market” on the dark web for this purpose.

Although the murder-for-hire order was not carried out, authorities discovered evidence at Sasser’s Knoxville home linking her to the plot, such as a stack of U.S. currency with a Bitcoin address, a journal detailing communications with the hitman market, and a laptop containing incriminating information and payments totaling about $9,750 in Bitcoin. As a result, Sasser faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

The victim, J.W., reported unpleasant phone calls from a person disguising their voice and alerted the authorities after learning about the threat to her life. Police discovered Sasser’s connection to the victim through her ex-husband, with whom the victim and Sasser were previously acquainted. The evidence against Sasser is substantial, and her agreement to plead guilty may lead to a reduced sentence at the discretion of the judge.