Woman falls in love with man online, tries to kill his wife

A woman allegedly attempted to hire a hitman to murder the wife of a man she met on an online dating application. Melody Sasser, a 47-year-old environmental compliance specialist in the United States, stands accused of trying to get the wife of her hiking partner killed.

Sasser met with David Wallace on an online dating service, Match.com, around 2020. The two were close and even trekked together in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, southeast of Knoxville. Their relationship deteriorated last year when Wallace moved with his then-fiancée, Jennifer, to Prattville, Alabama.

“I hope you fall off a cliff and die,” Melody Sasser stated when she got to know about David Wallace's intention to marry Jennifer.

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Sasser joined the Online Killer market website in December. The scam website, which is now defunct, claimed to offer services such as "kidnapping, extortion, disfigurement by acid attack, and sexual violence," in addition to straight-up murder.

On January 11, Sasser, who worked for truck stop chain Pilot Flying J, sent the website $9,750 (Rs 8,05,570.84) in Bitcoin in exchange for Jennifer's details. Sasser tracked her information from a fitness app where Jennifer would update her details. This later tipped off the police about her.

Melody Sasser wrote to the site administrator to speed up the work.“Waiting for 2 months and 11 days and the work is not done. 2 weeks ago you said that on this. The work has been done and will be completed in a week," the user Cattree wrote on March 22. Jennifer Wallace has alleged that Sasser used this nickname online while trying to post a hit on her. "The work is still not completed. Is it necessary to delegate this task to someone else? Will it be finished? What is the reason for the delay, and when will it be completed?" the post added.

The hitman later turned down the assignment because it was "too risky".

Sasser no longer works for Pilot Flying J. “This is a personal matter that has nothing to do with Pilot Company's business," company spokeswoman Stephanie Myers said. “We are taking all necessary steps and cooperating fully with law enforcement in this matter." All further enquiries should be made to the appropriate authorities’’.

On April 27, the Department of Homeland Security was notified of the threats against Jennifer Wallace. Investigators worked with the couple to offer safety and find down the person who wanted her dead. Sasser was apprehended and detained on May 18. She is being held in custody, pending a court appearance on Thursday. If convicted of murder-for-hire, she faces up to ten years in prison.