Unveiling murder-for-hire plot in slain teacher case investigation

The 2016 killing of Jocelyn Peters, a pregnant elementary school teacher in St. Louis, Missouri, remains one of the city’s most disturbing homicide cases. 

Former homicide detective Mark Biondolino, who led the investigation, has continued to follow the case even after retiring from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Peters, 30, was found dead in her bedroom on March 24, 2016, in her apartment in the Central West End neighbourhood. Investigators believe she was shot while sleeping between about 3am and 3:40am.

Authorities reported no signs of forced entry into the apartment building or her unit, suggesting the killer may have had access to the property. 

Peters’ cellphone was missing, and a single .380 caliber shell casing was found near her bedside.

One unusual discovery at the scene puzzled investigators: fragments of a potato scattered around the headboard and bed. 

Detectives later theorized the potato may have been used as a makeshift silencer to reduce the sound of the gunshot.

Security cameras in the area captured footage of a light-coloured sedan shortly after 3am, which investigators said resembled a white Kia Optima driven by Peters’ boyfriend, Cornelius Green. 

Green told police he had been out of town and returned to St. Louis shortly before discovering Peters on the floor of her apartment.

Peters, a third-grade teacher known for her dedication to students, was seven months pregnant at the time of her death.

Friends and colleagues remembered her as a passionate educator committed to improving opportunities for children in the city’s public schools.

Investigators continued examining evidence and witness accounts as they worked to determine who was responsible for the fatal shooting.