Featured Image Credit: YouTube/WPTV News - FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast
Topics: Crime, True crime, Sex and Relationships
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Crime, True crime, Sex and Relationships
Marital tension is one thing, but hiring a hitman to murder your other-half is an entirely different kettle of fish.
As is the case of Florida woman Dalia Dippolito, who was convicted in 2017 and subsequently jailed for 16 years after the solicitation of the first degree murder of her husband Michael Dippolito.
And it is believed that the former sex worker may have gotten away with her disturbing plan, if she hadn't made one key mistake whilst selecting the right man for the job.
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This is because, instead of hiring a hitman to 'take care' of husband Michael, she accidentally broached the subject of the murder with an undercover police officer, revealing she was "5,000 percent sure" she wanted him dead.
This fatal mistake was captured on camera in footage that went viral when it was made public after Dalia claimed it was a stunt for reality TV.
In the video, she can be seen calling for her husband of six month's death and agreeing to pay the supposed hitman $7,000 to do it.
Michael - who had hired her for sex before they formed a relationship - claimed that within a month of tying the knot, his new bride was stealing from him and attempting to have him incarcerated by placing drugs in his vehicle.
She also allegedly attempted to kill him herself by spiking his tea with antifreeze.
Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley said she acted in a 'cold and calculated manner' and cited additional evidence that she may have been manipulating two other men to this end.
"This particular crime was committed not in an unsophisticated way, but in a sophisticated way in a calculated fashion," Kelley said. "There was a plan put in place by Dalia Dippolito to kill Mike Dippolito."
Prosecutors speculated that she wanted her ex-husband dead so that she could receive his assets and savings
Craig Williams, a prosecutor, described her as 'a master manipulator' and said she had to be locked up for the good of society.
"If she wants something, first-degree murder is not enough for her," he said. "She'll do whatever it takes."
While it was argued that Dalia, then 34, should have received a 30-year sentence, it was reduced because of her good behaviour while on house arrest.
Michael said that her actions have ruined his life, adding: "People will say, 'You're really lucky to be alive,'. I guess but I can't get to that because I had to deal with this nonsense for nine years."
Dalia denied the charges against her while under house arrest and that's when she tried to claim the video filmed in the car was a stunt to make her a reality TV star.
She claimed that her ex-husband was complicit in this stunt, which he denied.
"I am 5,000 percent sure she tried to kill me," Mike said in response to his ex-wife's claims.