Jennifer Emmi Evergreen, Colorado animal rights lawyer sentenced to ten years jail in murder for hire plot to kill estranged husband’s au pair girlfriend during bitter divorce.
A well known animal rights attorney has been sentenced to 10 years jail after admitting to conspiring to kill her estranged husband’s girlfriend after she tried to hire a hitman in a murder for hire plot.
Jennifer Emmi, 43, pleaded guilty to solicitation of second-degree murder, as well as stalking and retaliation against a witness or victim during Monday’s sentencing.
Emmi, of Evergreen, Colorado, had been locked in a divorce battle with ex husband, Donnie Emmi last year when she set out to take out a hit on his girlfriend, who had worked as an au pair for the family.
Emmi was arrested in January, two months after she allegedly offered 28-year-old ranch hand, Timothy Lindsey $100,000 to carry out the killing.
The Evergreen attorney’s arrest followed her having founded Colorado’s Animal Law Center and having made a career of helping animals.
Two sides to animal rights lawyer
Soon after her arrest, Emmi spoke to KDVR, and insisted she had been set up.
‘I was set up, and I have been repeatedly set up. All I can say is I want the truth to come out. The whole thing is crazy. I don’t want to hurt anyone.’
Along with her 10 year sentence, Jefferson County 1st Judicial District Judge Randall C. Arp also ordered Emmi to serve three years of mandatory parole after release.
Judge Arp claimed that he had seen ‘two sides’ of Emmi during the trial and believed that she continued to remain a threat to those involved. He defended his sentencing saying, ‘You take almost no accountability for your actions.’
Emmi’s defense attorney, M. Colin Bresee, described her recent struggles in her relationship, battling illnesses, and apparent addictions which all built up to the creation of her murder-for-hire plot.
She was also supported by her mother, members of the community, and her divorce attorney who spoke in court.
Bresee asked that Emmi be sentenced to probation, instead of prison, because she needed help coping and to be able to see her family. He explained that it had been 17 months and 26 days ‘since Jennifer has been allowed to see her children or hug her children.’
‘She doesn’t need more punishment from this court. She comes before this court begging you for your help,’ he continued.
Bresee pleaded with the court, ‘Jennifer needs your help, and sentencing her to prison guarantees she won’t get the help she needs and she wants.’
Pled guilty to seven felonies
The prosecution argued that Emmi failed to take responsibility for her criminal actions. Judge Arp concurred, stating, ‘You take almost no accountability for your actions and blame your husband au pair.’
‘I believe you continue to pose a risk to the community and those victims, mostly because you’re blaming others, anything and anyone, rather than taking responsibility for your actions,’ he continued.
After the sentencing, Bresee ‘respectfully’ disagreed with the sentence.
Emmi had entered guilty pleas to seven felonies and four misdemeanors on June 28, her lawyer stated.
Her felony charges included solicitation to commit second-degree murder, menacing, heat-of-passion strangulation, attempting to influence a judge, violation of a bail bond, retaliation against a witness and stalking.
She also pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief, reckless driving, tampering and two counts of child abuse against her children.
‘how to get rid of the other woman for good’
Under the conditions of her plea deal, the judge seeing her case dismissed 11 other felony counts and 12 other misdemeanor charges, People Magazine reported.
During the murder for hire plot, the ranch hand said he believed the animal rights activist to be serious and ‘played along’ telling Emmi it would cost her about $100,000.
The pair are also alleged to have discussed whether the killing should happen at his Evergreen ranch or somewhere else.
‘Jennifer responded that the money would not be a problem,’ Lindsey told investigators, according to CBS4.
The ranch hand soon after notified Donnie and went to police.
During ensuing investigations, detectives accessed Emmi’s computer, where they say she had searched for ‘how to get rid of the other woman for good.’
Legal documents alleged Emmi having threatened her estranged spouse and children prior to the murder-for-hire plot.
In January 2020, she allegedly held a knife to her husband’s neck as he held one of the couple’s three young children.
Legal documents detailing the allegations her husband made against her, which were obtained by Fox News, state: ‘While Donnie’s back was to Jennifer, he felt someone grab the hood part of his hooded sweatshirt… At the same time, he felt his hair being pulled. Then, he felt a piece of cold metal come across his neck and press into it.”
Researched witnesses, judges, prosecutors and investigators involved in her case
The following month, Jennifer is alleged to have grabbed one of her three children ‘by the neck’ to ‘strangle’ her.
‘I didn’t think I was going to live,’ the young child told investigators in the affidavit.
Donnie was additionally ‘fearful’ that Jennifer would ‘commit a murder/suicide and kill him, the kids and herself’,
According to the legal documents, Donnie claims Jennifer ‘threatened to kill one of their children by driving into a tractor trailer‘.
Donnie alleges that Jennifer was suffering from substance abuse issues and was taking ‘several medications for a condition called optic neuritis’.
Her attorney disputed the claims made in the affidavit.
The affidavit also alleges Emmi researched witnesses, judges, prosecutors and investigators involved in her case, sometimes keeping handwritten notes with personal information on those people and their families.
She also allegedly researched whether law enforcement could track her phone and bought devices meant to block tracking.
Emmi founded The Animal Law Center, established a nonprofit ranch in Evergreen to accentuate the bond between humans and animals, and has been regularly interviewed by local media outlets about various animal cases.
