A man in Florida pleaded guilty last week after admitting to a murder-for-hire plot on his ex-girlfriend, and framing the crime afterwards on the Black Lives Matter movement, Newsweek reports.
Daniel Slater, 51, of Palm Beach County, confessed in a July 8 hearing in federal district court as part of a plea deal that he was orchestrating a plan to have his ex-girlfriend and her husband killed. The Palm Beach Postreports her sister and brother-in-law were also being targeted for allegedly ruining their relationship.
The FBI was tipped off to Slater’s plot when Brianne Slabaugh was arrested in February 2020. Slabaugh told Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies at the time that she was being groomed by him to “kidnap several people associated with his ex-girlfriend.” Slater admitted that he visited the home of his ex with Slabaugh and her boyfriend to discuss which windows to shoot, and what to keep an eye out for, as well as direct them to spray “Black Lives Matter” on the residence to make investigators believe that the group was behind their death.
Slater allegedly promised to pay Slabaugh in drugs and money. Less than three weeks after Slabaugh came forward, she died from what has been ruled a heroin and cocaine overdose. Slater was also working on the murder plot with another person who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent, who also agreed to help distribute cocaine.
Slater’s ex had already filed a restraining order against Slater, citing the suspicious appearance of a “girl” who turned out to be Slabaugh. “Daniel Slater has made many threats against my life and threats to my family and friends,” she stated in the petition. “I’ve found two trackers on my car since we’ve been apart. I’ve noticed a heavyset girl following me around and taking videos of me.”
In addition to the FBI agent’s involvement, there were taped phone conversations where Slater detailed how he wanted someone to “throw acid on her face” and “beat the (expletive) out of her, knock her teeth out, break her (expletive) nose.” Slater’s fourth attorney in the case didn’t bother to sugarcoat the mounting evidence against his client, calling it “quite voluminous.”
Slater was originally facing a total of six charges that carried a maximum 90-year prison sentence. Due to his cooperation, he has been charged with one count of murder-for-hire, and will likely be given 10 years behind bars.
