Plea deal reached in Bossier Parish Murder-for-hire case

By Jonathan McCall - bio | email

BOSSIER PARISH, LA (KSLA) - A Bossier Parish woman accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill her husband accepted a plea agreement, negating the need for a jury trial.

On Monday morning, Sheila Mills pled guilty to one count of solicitation of murder. She will remain in jail until her sentencing date, which has not been set.

Earlier in the day, Mills actually declined the plea deal, instead pleading not guilty to the charges. Jury selection was to have started late Monday morning, but instead Mills changed her mind and decided to accept the deal, which caps her prison sentence at 10 years. Had she been convicted in a jury trial, Mills faced a sentence of 5 to 20 years in prison.

Back in May 2008, prosecutors say Mills tried to hire a hitman to kill her husband Scott. Prosecutors say the goal was to collect Scott Mills $1M life insurance policy.

Instead of finding a hitman, the person Mills tried to hire was a Bossier Parish deputy.