Jennifer and James Faith.Photo: Gofundme
In October 2020, the woman, Jennifer Lynne Faith, was out with her husband, American Airlines executive James Faith, walking their dog when gunshots shattered the tranquility of their Dallas neighborhood.
On Tuesday, Jennifer, 49, was charged with allegedly using interstate commerce to commit murder-for-hire, a charge that carries a potential death penalty. It was not immediately clear if she has entered a plea to that charge.
Jennifer earlier was charged with obstruction of justice, and has pleaded not guilty to that charge, reportsCBS DFW.
“Ms. Faith’s alleged murder-for-hire scheme was depraved and calculated. She preyed on her boyfriend’s protective instinct and his pocketbook in order to convince him to execute her husband,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah, his office reported in anews release.
“Jamie Faith’s brutal murder was a tragedy,” Shah said. “His death has been a double blow to his family and friends, who had just begun to absorb the news of his murder when they were confronted with evidence of his wife’s alleged involvement. We are committed to getting justice for Jamie – and to holding both Ms. Faith and Mr. Lopez accountable for their alleged crimes.”
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in April 2020 Jennifer allegedly created a Gmail account in her husband’s name from which she emailed Lopez “multiple times during the spring and summer of 2020, taunting Mr. Lopez with details of extreme physical and sexual abuse that had never actually occurred,” and attaching “fake photos of injuries as bogus proof of the abuse.”
The next month, she allegedly created a second fake Gmail account in the name of a friend and, posing as that friend, also claimed to Lopez that James Faith was “physically and sexually abusing” Jennifer.
“Jamie slapped Jen … then he sent the pic of him choking her,” authorities allege that Jennifer, posing as the friend, wrote in an email to Lopez on May 13. “I am asking if you are willing to get involved and help Jen get out of this situation.”
Darrin Lopez.Dickson County Jail
On May 20 Lopez wrote back to that account: “I know I won’t feel better about her situation until she is out of the house away from him or she lets me put a bullet in Jamie’s head.”
After driving from his home in Tennessee on Oct. 8, Lopez allegedly lay in wait outside of the Faiths' home until early the next morning as the couple stepped out for their walk. At that point, he allegedly shot the victim seven times – three times in the head, three times in the torso, and one time in the groin – before fleeing in his black Nissan Titan pickup, authorities say.
An associate of Jennifer’s later created a GoFundMe account to help the family, but authorities allege Jennifer then withdrew about $58,000 from the fund “to pay for purchases made on two credit cards she gave to Mr. Lopez. She also used the credit cards to pay for expenses for Mr. Lopez and his family, purchase airline tickets for Mr. Lopez and his daughters, and pay FedEx to ship Mr. Lopez a large screen television,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
In January officers arrested Lopez in Tennessee. Inside a satchel in his home, they found the .45 caliber handgun allegedly used to kill Jamie Faith, with Jamie’s blood still on it.
“I’ve just needed to be cautious because every communication is being monitored,” Jennifer’s message said. “Please tell him ASAP that I will always be his.”
While in custody, Lopez answered back through the same individual, “Please stay strong for US,” according to authorities. “Your knight always.”
An attorney for Jennifer who might respond on her behalf to the new charge was not immediately identified.
source: people.com
