Texas Woman Sentenced for Murder-for-Hire Plot

Ashley Grayson, a 35-year-old woman from Texas, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for a murder-for-hire plot stemming from an online rivalry with a Southaven, Mississippi business owner. Grayson, who operated an internet-based business, accused the Southaven woman of creating fake profiles to damage her reputation, despite the two never having met. In August 2022, she recruited a Memphis couple, offering them at least $20,000 to kill three individuals, including the Southaven woman and her ex-boyfriend. The couple recorded a call in which Grayson expressed urgency for the hit, even offering a $5,000 bonus for a swift execution. They later deceived Grayson into paying them $10,000 by claiming they had attempted the murder. Grayson was found guilty in March 2024, while her husband was acquitted, and she will serve three years of supervised release following her prison term with no possibility of parole.