Dual identity criminal spans Monaco to New Mexico crimes

A New Mexico man convicted of plotting to kill his estranged wife has once again drawn attention to a decades-old case in Monaco, where he was previously convicted in the deaths of billionaire banker Edmond Safra and a private nurse.

Known today as Jon Green, the man was formerly Theodore “Ted” Maher, a neonatal nurse who worked for Safra in 1999. That year, a fire tore through Safra’s Monte Carlo penthouse, killing the billionaire and nurse Vivian Torrente from smoke inhalation. 

Maher initially claimed masked intruders attacked him and started the blaze, but later admitted he set a small fire and stabbed himself to appear heroic. He was convicted of arson and sentenced to 10 years in prison in Monaco.

After his release in 2007, Maher returned to the United States, changed his name to Jon Green and settled in Carlsbad. There, he married physician Dr. Kim Lark in 2020.

Their marriage unraveled after Lark discovered Green had forged checks and stolen her search-and-rescue dogs. While jailed on forgery and larceny charges, prosecutors said Green solicited fellow inmate Greg Markham to kill Lark in exchange for $2,500. 

According to court testimony, Green allegedly provided detailed instructions on how to disable power to Lark’s home, control her dogs and force her to ingest fentanyl.

Green denied the allegations, insisting the money was intended to help Markham rescue his own dog. However, a New Mexico jury convicted him in 2025 of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. He was sentenced to nine years in prison and is expected to be released in less than three years with credit for time served.

In a recent interview with CBS News’ “48 Hours,” Green maintained his innocence in both the New Mexico and Monaco cases. But even some former supporters now question his longstanding claims.

Lark says she remains fearful of what Green may do when he is released.

“He’s a thief, a liar, a con artist,” she said. “When he gets out, I’ll be in trouble.”