St. Louis, Mo. — A former middle school principal has been sentenced to life in prison for a shocking crime that claimed the lives of his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. Cornelius Green, who had previously served at Carr Lane Visual & Performing Arts Middle School, will spend the remainder of his life behind bars for orchestrating the brutal murder of Jocelyn Peters, a beloved elementary school teacher, in 2016.
Green, 41, received two consecutive life sentences after paying an associate to carry out the killing. Peters, who was 31 weeks pregnant at the time, was shot in the eye as she relaxed in bed, preparing baby shower invitations. Her mother, Lacey Peters, and family had hoped for a joyful welcome for both her and her daughter, Micah Leigh, before her untimely death on March 24, 2016.
Alongside Green, Phillip Cutler, 46, who committed the fatal act, was also handed a life sentence. U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White condemned the crime as one of the most heinous he had encountered during his career. The case has drawn attention not only for its brutality but also for the web of deceit that led to the tragedy.
The relationship between Green and Peters was marred by betrayal. Though married, Green misled Peters into believing he was separating from his wife. He had previously pressured her to terminate her pregnancy in an earlier relationship, but this time, Peters was determined to keep the child, a choice that ultimately led to her demise.
While Peters was pregnant, Green investigated ways to harm the fetus, even considering methods to poison the unborn child. After these attempts failed, he arranged for Cutler to kill Peters—a decision that would also take the life of his child. To fund the murder, Green embezzled money from a school fundraiser, signaling a troubling turn in his moral compass.
On the day of the murder, Cutler traveled from Oklahoma to St. Louis and stayed at Green’s home, where the two devised their plan. Green assisted Cutler by providing keys to Peters’ apartment and even accompanied her on a grocery run, where he purchased a 10-pound bag of potatoes to be used as a makeshift silencer for the gun. Following the crime, Green quickly returned to Chicago to establish an alibi.
Cutler arrived at Peters’ apartment early that morning, using the keys he obtained from Green. He shot the teacher while she was at her most vulnerable, then promptly informed Green of the successful execution of their plan. In a cruel twist, Green attempted to manipulate Peters’ mother into unknowingly seeking her deceased daughter, feigning ignorance of the gruesome event.
The conspiracy unraveled later the same day when Cutler was arrested while attempting to retrieve Green’s vehicle near the crime scene. Surveillance footage revealed Cutler conspicuously swallowing evidence, confirming suspicions about the crime’s intricacies.
Indictments against both men were issued in March 2022, but Green maintained his innocence until just two weeks before his trial began in early 2024. Meanwhile, Cutler faced trial and was convicted by a jury. During Green’s sentencing in June 2024, prosecutors highlighted the moral depravity he exhibited, including his attempts to distance himself from the implications of his actions.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore remarked on the lasting impact of the crime, emphasizing the trauma felt by Peters’ colleagues, students, and loved ones. Dr. Nicole Conaway, Peters’ principal, articulated the devastation experienced by the school community, noting severe emotional fallout among students after losing someone they admired.
Colleagues remembered Peters as a dynamic educator whose passion for teaching inspired many. Tragically, her trust in Green led to her untimely end, a grim reminder of the dangers posed by deceit and betrayal. Both Green and Cutler will face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, serving as a grim conclusion to a heartbreaking story of loss and betrayal.