Matthew R. Alsup, 52, of Dexter, Missouri, pleaded guilty on July 2 in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to a murder-for-hire charge after admitting he tried to arrange the killing of his estranged wife.
Alsup admitted traveling twice to Mississippi in early August 2025 with the intent to recruit a former tenant from his RV park to kill his wife. The Federal Bureau of Investigation became aware of the plan and arranged for an undercover police officer to meet Alsup on August 14. During this meeting, Alsup told the officer he wanted his wife killed because she planned to file for divorce. He provided a map showing the property where she lived in Ohio, suggested an approach route that would avoid detection, gave a .22 Magnum rifle for use in the crime, and paid $1,720 as an advance payment.
Alsup agreed with the undercover officer on a total payment of $5,000 for killing his wife and offered “a couple extra grand” if his mother-in-law was also present and killed during the act. Sentencing is scheduled for October 19. The charge carries up to ten years in prison and/or a fine up to $250,000.
The FBI and Poplar Bluff Police Department investigated this case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Shelton prosecuted it.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri investigates and prosecutes federal crimes—including cases like this one—enforces civil rights laws, serves 49 counties across eastern Missouri using courthouses such as those in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, operates under the United States Department of Justice umbrella, and advances community well-being by working with local entities on crime prevention efforts and quality-of-life improvements, according to its official website.