Who Is Cornelius M. Green & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile
Cornelius M. Green was a middle school principal in St. Louis, Missouri, whose career in education ended in scandal and criminal prosecution after investigators uncovered a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of a teacher and her unborn child. At the time of the crime in 2016, Green served as the principal of Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School, a public school within the St. Louis Public Schools district.
Green was regarded publicly as an experienced educator and administrator. As principal, he oversaw staff, students, and school programs, including extracurricular activities such as dance and performing arts. His position placed him in a role of leadership and trust within the school community. Behind that professional image, however, investigators later uncovered a complex personal life that included multiple romantic relationships and a pattern of deception involving several women.
- “Jocelyn Peters and the Notebook”: 48 Hours Reports March 14 2026
- Who Was Jocelyn Peters & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
Relationship With Jocelyn Peters
One of Green’s relationships was with Jocelyn Peters, a third-grade teacher at Horace Mann Elementary School in St. Louis. The two became romantically involved, and Peters became pregnant with Green’s child in 2016. According to court records, Peters believed Green intended to divorce his wife so they could build a future together.
Prosecutors later established that Peters was unaware Green was involved with several other women at the same time. She also did not know that Green had no intention of leaving his marriage. Evidence presented in court showed that Green had previously pressured Peters to terminate an earlier pregnancy and that she had miscarried at another time before becoming pregnant again.
When Peters decided to continue her pregnancy and planned to give birth to their child, whom she intended to name Micah Leigh, Green began searching for ways to prevent the birth without Peters’ knowledge. Investigators later discovered internet searches in which Green researched methods to secretly poison the unborn child by crushing medication and hiding it in food.
Planning the Murder
When attempts to secretly end the pregnancy failed, prosecutors said Green turned to a murder-for-hire scheme. He contacted Phillip J. Cutler, a longtime friend from Muskogee, Oklahoma, and arranged for him to kill Peters. Green paid Cutler using money that had been stolen from a school dance team fundraiser at Carr Lane Middle School.
On March 7, 2016, Green mailed Cutler a package through UPS containing $2,500 in cash. Later that month, Cutler traveled to St. Louis to carry out the plan. Green carefully arranged an alibi by leaving the city on a train bound for Chicago on the day of the murder. Before leaving, he provided Cutler with the keys to both his Kia Optima and Peters’ apartment.
On March 24, 2016, Cutler drove Green’s car to Peters’ apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine Boulevard. Using the keys supplied by Green, he entered the apartment and shot Peters in the eye while she was preparing baby shower invitations for the child she was expecting. Investigators later determined that the gunshot had been muffled using a potato as a makeshift silencer.
Attempt to Conceal the Crime
After the killing, Green attempted to distance himself from the crime and control how the discovery of Peters’ body would unfold. Prosecutors later revealed that he first tried to persuade Peters’ mother to go to the apartment and check on her daughter, knowing that she would find the body.
When Peters’ mother was unavailable, Green went to the apartment himself and called 911 to report that Peters had been found dead. During the call and subsequent interviews, he claimed to have no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding her death.
Investigators later uncovered the conspiracy through phone records, travel information, surveillance footage, and financial evidence. Cutler was detained shortly after the murder when he returned to the apartment complex to retrieve Green’s vehicle. The investigation eventually connected both men to the plot.
Trial, Conviction, and Current Status
Federal prosecutors charged Cornelius Green with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire in connection with the deaths of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child. In February 2024, Green pleaded guilty to both charges in federal court.
In June 2024, U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Green to two consecutive life terms in prison. The sentence reflected the deaths of both Peters and her unborn son, Micah Leigh. During the sentencing hearing, members of Peters’ family spoke about the betrayal and devastation caused by Green’s actions.
As of today, Cornelius M. Green remains incarcerated in federal prison serving his life sentences. The conviction permanently ended his career in education and closed one of the most disturbing murder-for-hire cases connected to a school community in St. Louis. The case continues to be remembered for the calculated nature of the crime and the loss of a teacher and her unborn child.
More “Jocelyn Peters and the Notebook”
- “Jocelyn Peters and the Notebook”: 48 Hours Reports March 14 2026
- Who Was Jocelyn Peters & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile
- Who Is Cornelius M. Green & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile
