AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

December 5, 2006

DEFENDANT ARRESTED FOR MURDER-FOR-HIRE OF STEPMOTHER

Baltimore, Maryland - Lucille Thorn, age 49, of Newark, Delaware, was arrested today and charged by complaint with travel in interstate commerce to commit murder-for-hire, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to the affidavit supporting the complaint, in November of 2006 Thorn solicited an individual to murder her 83-year-old stepmother. Unbeknonst to Thorn, that individual was a confidential government informant. Thorn said she was angry at her stepmother over a $1 million inheritance that passed to the stepmother when Thorn’s father died, and that she had not received her fair share of the estate. Thorn told the informant that she wanted help in extorting money from the stepmother and having the woman murdered.

The confidential informant introduced Thorn to an undercover agent posing as a “hit-man.” Thorn met the “hit-man” on November 22, 2006 at the Maryland House rest area on Interstate 95 in Harford County. Thorn told the undercover agent that they would split whatever money the undercover agent was able to extort from the stepmother as long as she obtained at least $300,000 to buy a new house.

The affidavit alleges that in late November 2006, Thorn purchased a disposable camera and that she and the confidential informant took pictures of the stepmother’s residence in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The pictures were developed at Rite-Aid in Elkton, Maryland. On November 30th, Thorn again met the undercover agent at the Interstate 95 rest stop and provided the pictures of the residence, directions to the residence from Philadelphia and a description of her stepmother. Thorn and the agent agreed to meet again after the planned murder was accomplished to provide Thorn with the money she requested and so that Thorn could pay the undercover agent.

Thorn was arrested today after meeting with the undercover agent regarding the murder-for hire plot.

Thorn faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Thorn is expected to have her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Baltimore today at 3:00 p.m.

A complaint is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James Warwick and Tonya Kelly Kowitz, who are prosecuting the case.