Internet Job Ad For Hitman land Woman In Jail

An American woman who advertised online for a hitman to kill her lover's wife has pleaded guilty to the murder-for-hire scheme.

Anne Marie Linscott, 49, faces 10 years in prison for each of three federal charges, including intent to commit murder, the US Attorneys for the Western District of Michigan and the Eastern District of California said today in a joint statement.

In November 2007, three California residents searching job listings on Craigslist.com found an advertisement for a "freelance" position posted by Linscott, according to court documents.

The three job seekers contacted California police.

The defendant asked two of the respondents via email to "eradicate" the victim and provided the victim's name, age and employment address.

In one correspondence, she said she was looking for "silent assassins" and offered to pay $US5000 ($5340) to kill the victim, who was not identified by the court.

"This IS a serious proposition," Linscott said via email. Her account name was "bourne2run".

Linscott, a resident of Rockford, Michigan, met her lover while taking an online college course several years ago.

Linscott and the man, identified in court documents only as Duane, had an affair, meeting in Reno, Nevada in 2005 and 2007. They spoke on the phone and corresponded by email, the court papers said.

As part of a plea deal between the government and Linscott, prosecutors agreed to drop charges that she had left an incendiary device outside her rival's house in April 2007.

Sentencing has yet to be scheduled.