# Mother of 13 to serve 120 days for hiring a hitman to kill husband **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079 "2014-07-14T15:38:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/1 "2014-07-14T15:38:11Z")
[Story here](https://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/14/news/piscataquis/mother-of-13-admits-hiring-hitman-to-kill-husband-to-serve-120-days-of-10-year-sentence/?ref=topStories0) > [@](#): > > A Brownville woman whose March trial ended when the jury deadlocked admitted Monday in Piscataquis County Superior Court that she tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband nearly two years ago. > > Wendy Farley, 48, was sentenced by Superior Court Justice William Anderson to 10 years in prison with all but 120 days suspended. Any clue as to what her motivation was? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/2 "2014-07-14T15:41:33Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > [Story here](https://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/14/news/piscataquis/mother-of-13-admits-hiring-hitman-to-kill-husband-to-serve-120-days-of-10-year-sentence/?ref=topStories0) > > Any clue as to what her motivation was? He forgot their anniversary. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/3 "2014-07-14T15:43:27Z")
Probably would have been cheaper to hire the hitman to give him a vasectomy. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/4 "2014-07-14T15:43:55Z")
Loss of consortium. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/5 "2014-07-14T15:53:33Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > [Story here](https://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/14/news/piscataquis/mother-of-13-admits-hiring-hitman-to-kill-husband-to-serve-120-days-of-10-year-sentence/?ref=topStories0) > > Any clue as to what her motivation was? He wanted # 14 ? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/6 "2014-07-14T16:48:31Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Any clue as to what her motivation was? I’ll bet whatever it was, it got _ **his** _ attention. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/7 "2014-07-14T17:07:10Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Any clue as to what her motivation was? Pecker wood. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/8 "2014-07-15T04:08:59Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > [Story here](https://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/14/news/piscataquis/mother-of-13-admits-hiring-hitman-to-kill-husband-to-serve-120-days-of-10-year-sentence/?ref=topStories0) > > Any clue as to what her motivation was? Him refusing to wear a condom? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/9 "2014-07-15T04:51:09Z")
ah, fuck it ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/10 "2014-07-15T05:12:22Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > ah, fuck it That’s the sort of attitude that leads to this sort of situation. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/11 "2014-07-15T06:24:23Z")
Broke his promise to stop at 12. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/12 "2014-07-15T06:47:10Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Pecker wood. More like Deadwood. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/13 "2014-07-15T11:34:13Z")
To prove the Law is an Ass. Or, to prove that what would likely have gotten her husband [10 years](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-a/title17-asec1252.html) only gets her 120 days. “Your honor, my client has been punished enough. I’m sure that she is not a continuing threat to the life of her spouse. She’s learned her lesson from your harsh rebuke and her children need her. I hereby move that the entire verdict of her coldly hiring a hitman to kill her spouse be set aside and that the court amend the charge to “Just Kidding” on her record…” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/14 "2014-07-15T12:34:24Z")
Doesn’t it seem like everyone who tries to hire a contract killing goes about it all wrong and gets caught? Or is it just that we don’t hear about the successes? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/15 "2014-07-15T13:52:58Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Doesn’t it seem like everyone who tries to hire a contract killing goes about it all wrong and gets caught? Or is it just that we don’t hear about the successes? Oh it’s just that you don’t hear about the successes. I mean, I think… er… :smack: Please note that all people who I would like to have contracts out to kill are currently alive and this post is a joke. Should they die unexpectedly in the future this is a coincidence as I am not smart/lucky enough to pull this off. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mother-of-13-to-serve-120-days-for-hiring-a-hitman-to-kill-husband/693079/16 "2014-07-15T14:12:55Z")
> [@](#): > > A Brownville woman whose March trial ended when the jury deadlocked admitted Monday in Piscataquis County Superior Court that she tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband nearly two years ago. That’s not true. Lazy reporting. She entered an Alford plea, a type of plea I discuss in detail in this [2005 SDStaff cloumn.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2220/whats-the-difference-between-guilty-and-no-contest) > [@Me in 2005](#): > > In some cases it’s possible to enter a plea of no contest while actively proclaiming your innocence, as Ms. Soliah tried to do. We learn this from a case involving one Alford, accused of first-degree murder in North Carolina in 1963. While protesting his innocence, Alford pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second degree murder to avoid the death penalty. He later tried to vacate his plea, claiming that it was coerced by fear of the death penalty. The Supreme Court ultimately heard the case and decided that a defendant may conclude that his best interests lie in pleading guilty to a lesser charge while maintaining his innocence, and that this alone does not make his plea coerced. The state does not have to accept such a plea, but it may accept it without constitutional defect. > > The difference between pleas based on that case (“Alford pleas”) and traditional nolo contendere pleas is small. A traditional nolo contendere plea is a refusal to admit guilt; an Alford plea actively asserts innocence. And so it was here. Ms. Farley did not admit that she tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband. She admitted that if the case went to a jury, there would be sufficient evidence to allow the jury to conclude that she tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband – but, she said, she didn’t. She was entering the plea because it was in her best interest to get the plea deal, but she still maintained that she was innocent. The state doesn’t have to let you enter this plea, but they are allowed to.