Ind. woman convicted of poisoning man’s oatmeal, strangling him with his favorite tie amid custody dispute
08/30/2022 11:54 am PDT
CARMEL, Ind. (TCD) -- A 42-year-old woman was found guilty last week of killing the father of one her children by poisoning his oatmeal and strangling him with his favorite necktie.
Court records show Heidi Littlefield was charged with murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and she was found guilty Tuesday, Aug. 23.
Littlefield, her daughter Logan Runyon, and Runyon’s boyfriend Robert James Walker were arrested March 25, 2021, in connection with Francis Kelly’s death. Runyon, 22, was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, while 29-year-old Walker was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
According to Carmel Police, on Jan. 18, 2021, officers responded to a home on the 14000 block of Howe Drive for a death investigation and found Kelly deceased inside. Investigators determined his manner of death was homicide.
The Indianapolis Star reports Littlefield and Kelly were in the middle of a custody dispute over their 2-year-old child when Kelly was killed. During the trial, Runyon testified against her mother as part of a plea agreement. She pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Littlefield also reportedly paid Walker $2,500 to find a hit man to kill Kelly, but Walker and Runyon spent the money on drugs and other items.
During her testimony, Runyon said Littlefield told her to buy fentanyl from drug dealers in Ohio and place the drugs in his oatmeal. The woman also reportedly put some in his miso soup. They reportedly gave Kelly fentanyl three times.
On Jan. 14, 2021, Littlefield and Runyon went to Kelly’s house and found him gasping for air. Littlefield reportedly told Runyon to break his neck, but he was too heavy. Littlefield reportedly went to his room, grabbed his favorite tie, and strangled him with it.
The medical examiner said he died of strangulation.
According to WKRC-TV, Walker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Littlefield’s sentencing is scheduled for October.
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