Florida never stops delivering the craziest crime stories in America.
This one involves an 81-year-old grandmother, a murder plot, and an undercover cop.
And an 81-year-old Florida woman just made one mistake that put her behind bars for life.
Grandmother Walks Into FBI Trap Seeking Hitman
Elouise Ruth Leland wanted someone dead.
The 81-year-old Hernando woman didn't hire a private investigator or file a restraining order.
She went shopping for a hitman.
Citrus County detectives got a tip in early January that Leland was actively seeking someone to commit murder for her.
Investigators introduced Leland to an undercover officer posing as a contract killer willing to do the job.
On January 16, Leland sat down with the fake hitman and discussed every detail of her murder-for-hire plot.
She negotiated payment.
She agreed to the terms.
She never suspected the "hitman" was recording every word.
The moment Leland finalized the deal, detectives obtained an arrest warrant.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helped take her into custody without incident.
Leland was booked into the Citrus County Detention Facility on one count of solicitation to commit first-degree murder.
She's being held without bond.
https://twitter.com/EdgeSeawolf/status/2013308468044673151?s=20
This Grandmother Has A Disturbing Criminal Past
This isn't Leland's first brush with law enforcement.
In January 2025, animal control officers rescued 90 dogs from deplorable conditions at Leland's property.
County officials said animal control had been monitoring Leland for more than a decade due to repeated concerns about animals on her property.
Officers found a dead dog inside an outdoor enclosure.
That discovery triggered one of the largest animal seizures in recent Citrus County history.
Leland was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and animal neglect after a wolf-hybrid named Phoenix was found dead from malnutrition.
Research shows animal cruelty is often a precursor to more serious violent crimes.
Experts have documented the link between animal abuse and adult interpersonal violence since the 1980s.
Animal cruelty can be concurrent with child abuse, elder abuse, and domestic violence.
People who hurt animals don't just stop.
Leland went from starving dogs to death to trying to hire someone to commit murder.
That's not a coincidence.
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Undercover Cops Have Been Catching Would-Be Killers For Decades
Murder-for-hire stings work because criminals think they're talking to a real hitman.
The FBI started writing the rulebook for these operations back in the 1970s after the Abscam scandal caught members of Congress taking bribes on camera.
A typical sting operation contains four basic elements: an opportunity created by police, a targeted likely offender, undercover deception, and a climactic arrest.
Florida has seen multiple high-profile murder-for-hire convictions in recent years.
Florida had another grandmother pull this exact same stunt.
Donna Adelson spent over a decade trying to get away with murdering her former son-in-law.
The 75-year-old hired hitmen to kill Florida State University law professor Dan Markel in 2014 because she couldn't stand losing a custody battle.
She got life without parole in 2025.
https://twitter.com/ULTIMAHORAENX/status/2013021436982755472?s=20
The FBI had her on wiretaps, surveillance footage, and jailhouse informants ratting her out.
Just like with Leland, investigators documented everything before making the arrest.
Sheriff David Vincent praised the quick work that prevented another murder.
"Thanks to the quick actions of our Criminal Investigations Division and partnership with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, we were able to prevent the senseless murder of another," Vincent said.
The sheriff's office confirmed no other individuals were involved in Leland's plot.
The intended victim was never in actual danger.
Leland now faces life behind bars for a crime that never happened because an undercover officer stopped it cold.
At 81 years old, she'll likely spend whatever time she has left in a Florida prison.
Sources:
- Grace Bellinghausen, "81-year-old Florida woman arrested after undercover murder-for-hire sting," CBS12, January 17, 2026.
- Jake Jordan, "81-year-old Florida woman arrested in alleged murder-for-hire plot, deputies say," WFTV.com, January 18, 2026.
- Stephen Sorace, "Florida woman, 81, arrested in murder-for-hire plot after sharing plan with undercover detective, sheriff says," Fox News, January 18, 2026.
- Tiffany Razzano, "81-Year-Old FL Woman Arrested For Murder-For-Hire Plot: Sheriff," Patch, January 20, 2026.
- "Donna Adelson, Florida matriarch convicted of hired killing of ex-son-in-law, sentenced to life," NBC News, October 14, 2025.
- "Sting Operations," Office of Justice Programs, accessed January 21, 2026.
