Show-Me State Times

U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced Ben Patrick Mullavey, an Illinois resident, to 97 months in prison for attempting to arrange the murder of a business associate in Florida. The sentencing took place on Tuesday.

In January 2024, Mullavey met with a former employee in Missouri and asked them to kill his business partner. The employee informed authorities, leading to an investigation by the FBI. Recorded conversations revealed that Mullavey had been planning the murder for months, conducting surveillance on the intended victim and stealing a Florida license plate.

Mullavey provided detailed instructions on how to commit the murder without being identified and suggested methods for disposing of the body. On January 13, 2024, he gave the employee a crossbow, arrows, stolen license plate, directions to a nearby restaurant, and $2,100 in cash as part of his plan.

The intended victim expressed living in "a state of constant fear" since learning about the plot against him. He was forced to leave his business and lost financial security along with his apartment.

Mullavey pleaded guilty in April at U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one felony count related to using interstate commerce facilities for attempted murder-for-hire. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton following an FBI investigation.