Woman sentenced to 115 years for murder plot involving poisoned oatmeal

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. — A woman who was found guilty of plotting to kill her ex as part of a custody dispute was sentenced to 115 years in prison.

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Heidi Littlefield was convicted of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in August for the death of her ex-boyfriend, Francis Kelley, who was found dead on Jan. 18, 2021, WXIN reported.

Littlefield was sentenced to 60 years for the murder charge, 35 years for a conspiracy charge and 20 years for a second conspiracy charge, WRTV reported. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively.

In court, prosecutors argued that Littlefield conspired with two other people to plan Kelley’s death, in part because she was involved in a custody dispute with him, WXIN reported. Littlefield and Kelley shared a daughter who was 2 years old at the time.

Both Littlefield and Logan Runyan, Littlefield’s older daughter, were accused of adding fentanyl to Kelley’s oatmeal in an effort to make his death look like an overdose, WXIN reported.

In court, prosecutors shared a text message Kelley sent Littlefield on Jan. 15 asking if she did something “to the oatmeal that was in my fridge,” WRTV reported. In a text, Kelley said, “You were in my fridge last night and it tasted funny after a couple of bites and now I am light headed.”

Runyan and a third defendant in the case, Robert Walker, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, WRTV reported.

Walker told detectives that Littlefield had also put fentanyl in Kelley’s miso soup in October 2020, but that Littlefield had the idea of putting the drug in Kelley’s oatmeal, WXIN reported.

Detectives said that Littlefield and Runyon found Kelley on Jan. 15 on the kitchen floor, but when he still had a pulse, they used his favorite tie to strangle him before smashing his head on the floor, WRTV reported. Kelly was found three days later.

Runyon was sentenced to 26 years for her role and testified against her mother as part of the plea deal she accepted, WXIN reported.

Walker was sentenced to 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal, according to WXIN.

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