US Army Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert, left, and his brother Joshua Peikert allegedly conspired to have four people, including two children killed, according to police. (Connecticut State Police)
A US Army sergeant and his brother imprisoned in Connecticut are accused of plotting to murder four people including two children.
Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert, 30, and his brother Joshua Peikert, 31, are facing conspiracy to commit murder charges, the Connecticut Police said. They allegedly arranged in 2022 to have a then-29-year-old woman, her boyfriend, then 23, and her two daughters then ages 10 and 1, killed.
According to a criminal complaint, Joshua Peikert told his cellmate at Corrigan Correctional Center that he wanted the woman and her family murdered. The cellmate said he “knew a few people that could have that taken care of for him,” the affidavit said. Joshua Peikert had his brother pay the inmate $250 as a “finder fee.” The inmate reportedly said it would cost “$10,000 a head” for each person killed.
Joshua Peikert allegedly wrote down the victim’s address, the layout of the home as well as the location of a spare key located outside the home, according to the affidavit.
The cellmate called Jeremiah Peikert to talk about the “construction job” and cost of “materials” which was code for the hit, the affidavit said. He also told him that the job was going to be delayed because the man who was supposed to do it got arrested in Florida for punching a cop, the affidavit said. If the brothers reneged on their request, the cellmate allegedly told Jeremiah Peikert, it would “not be good” for his brother.
But the murder-for-hire plan was foiled when the cellmate wrote the woman a letter in October 2022 detailing the plan.
“At no time did I have any intention of hiring a hitman or committing any violence,” the inmate wrote the victim, the affidavit said. “Also at no time did I contact anyone to commit violence against the victim, or anyone else.”
When Joshua Peikert kept asking him when the murders would take place, he “blew smoke up his ass” and said the hit was out.
The woman immediately contacted police once she received the letter and cops began investigating the matter, including reviewing phone calls made from the jail and interviewing the cellmate who gave investigators the letter Joshua Peikert gave him with the address of the victims.
Detectives also flew to Fort Cavazos in Texas where Jeremiah Peikert was stationed. In a statement to investigators, he admitted to paying his brother’s cellmate $250 and he knew talk of “construction job” was code for hurting the victims. The Army sergeant claimed he did not think the children were part of the plot. He said he only “reluctantly” sent the inmate $250 because his brother and the cellmate kept “pressuring” him to do so.
“The fact that Josh wanted Victim #1 hurt is not a total surprise, because Josh has displayed violent tendencies, even growing up,” Sgt. Peikert said. “He is also manipulative, especially with me, which played a role in me cooperating. During our conversations he did mention not wanting Victim #1 or the kids in his life anymore and didn’t want to see them. I did not immediately connect this with wanting them killed, but it makes sense now.”
Police apprehended Jeremiah Peikert in Texas on Thursday and transported him back to Connecticut. He is being held on a $500,000 bond. Joshua Peikert is still in the custody of the Connecticut Department of Corrections.