John Jefferson
Insets, clockwise from top: Rebecca Murphy, Judy Owens, Mitzy Smith, Sandra Grimes (Baldwin County Corrections Center). Background: Mobile Federal Courthouse (WPMI/YouTube).
An Alabama woman charged in a murder-for-hire plot in which she was asked by three sisters to kill one of the sibling’s son-in-law by any means necessary, including plans that were floated by them to “slit” his throat or inject him with a “lethal dose” of heroin — “as long as she got the job done,” per the trio — is being allowed to serve a shorter prison sentence after a reported change of heart from her judge.
Rebecca Murphy, 36, of Baldwin County, was originally given an eight-year prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock on Monday in Mobile, where she appeared in federal court after entering a guilty plea in September to conspiracy to commit murder for hire and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Prosecutors say Murphy came forward and cooperated with police to save the son-in-law who was targeted, Raul Mina, and she later testified against two of the sisters who hired her, Judy Owen and Mitzy Gaye Smith, leading to both women being found guilty at trial earlier this month. The third sister, Sandra Grimes, pleaded guilty in October.
Beaverstock reportedly changed his mind and decided to cut Murphy’s sentence to five years after hearing from Mina in court on Monday, according to local Fox affiliate WALA, with the man crediting Murphy and her cooperation with the FBI for saving his life and bringing the sisters to justice.
Court records viewed by Law&Crime show that Beaverstock, a Donald Trump appointee, originally signed off on a sentence of 94 months behind bars but then switched it to 60 months after an oral motion for reconsideration was filed by Murphy’s federal defender, with Mina arriving at the courthouse just prior to it being filed to ask for a reduced sentence, WALA reports.
According to court documents, Murphy came forward in May 2024 to inform FBI agents about what was going on between Mina, a New Orleans resident, and the three sisters.
“In February 2024, Murphy was hired by Sandra Grimes and her sisters, Judy Owen and Mitzy Smith, to murder Grimes’ son-in-law, R.M.,” Murphy’s plea agreement reads. “R.M. was married to Grimes’ daughter.”
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Arguments and conversations over money and the murder method are outlined in the agreement, which portrays Grimes and her sisters as being desperate to kill Mina over an alleged custody battle that was going on between him and Grimes’ daughter, Irma Bauer.
“This is the purpose of taking his a– out,” Grimes told Murphy in a text message. “So the kids don’t live in hell.”
Smith is the linchpin between the sisters and Murphy, as the would-be hit woman was Smith’s next-door neighbor in Fairhope, Alabama, according to prosecutors.
“Smith introduced Murphy to Grimes and told Grimes that Murphy ‘would be perfect for the plan because she is sneaky,”” the plea agreement says. “Grimes informed Murphy that R.M. physically assaulted Bauer and their children and drugged Bauer forcing her to have sex with others. Due to this and an ongoing custody dispute, the sisters wanted Murphy to kill R.M.”
According to prosecutors, the sisters were “mean” to Murphy while trying to plan Mina’s murder, which was floated as either a shooting death, overdose or knife attack.
“They wanted Murphy to inject R.M. with a lethal dose of heroin via a needle,” the plea agreement says. “However, ultimately, they did not care if Murphy had to slit R.M.’s throat, as long as she got the job done. They also discussed other options on ways to kill R.M.”
One idea that was brought up by Owen was shooting and killing Mina outside of the courthouse where the custody proceedings were taking place between Mina and Bauer.
“Murphy refused, stating it was daylight and too many cameras,” the plea agreement says.
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The sisters had paid another person $10,000 to also try and kill Mina, “but he ran off with the money,” according to prosecutors. “Murphy agreed to the scheme, but stated they had to pay her more,” the plea agreement says.
“I don’t have any more money,” Grimes told Murphy in a text. “That guy took the last cash I had … This has turned into a real s— show.”
More bickering over money and how to take out Mina eventually led to Murphy coming forward and informing federal agents of the murder-for-hire scheme, according to prosecutors, leading to all four individuals being charged.
Murphy faced the possibility of serving up to 25 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit murder for hire charge.
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