A man from New York, Jeal Sutherland, 57, admitted guilt for planning a complicated murder-for-hire scheme against a man involved with his then-girlfriend. His plan included some disturbing details, like feeding the victim’s body to hogs and sending a threatening message using a dead goose.
The Plot
Sutherland wanted to kill the father of his girlfriend’s child. He tried to hire men to carry out the murder and even planned to use a hog farmer in Pennsylvania to dispose of the body by feeding it to pigs. But both the hog farmer and the men Sutherland contacted were actually FBI informants.
Threatening Warning with a Dead Goose
Before the planned murder, Sutherland hired someone to leave a dead Canada goose on the doorstep of the victim’s mother. Inside the goose’s beak was a threatening note, meant to scare the family.
Past Attacks and FBI Involvement
This wasn’t the first time Sutherland targeted his rival’s family. He had also paid someone to burn the rival’s mother’s car to stop her from testifying in a custody case. The person who set the fire was also working with the FBI as an informant.
The FBI informants secretly recorded conversations with Sutherland about the murder plans. In these talks, Sutherland discussed renting a van to take the victim to a farm where hogs would eat him. He even mentioned that his girlfriend wanted to be involved, wanting to hurt the victim herself, but later said she would likely not cooperate if questioned.
The Arrest
On January 26, Sutherland, his girlfriend, the informant, and the girlfriend’s child went to a bowling alley. Afterward, Sutherland gave the informant money, a bottle of bourbon for the “hog farmer,” and an E-ZPass for travel. The next day, the FBI arrested Sutherland.
Charges and Punishment
Sutherland pleaded guilty on May 14 to using interstate commerce facilities for a murder-for-hire scheme. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is set for September 22.
Jeal Sutherland’s disturbing murder-for-hire plan, involving feeding a victim to hogs and sending threatening messages with a dead goose, was stopped by FBI informants. His arrest shows how law enforcement can uncover dangerous plots before they happen, protecting innocent people from harm.
