An Ohio woman has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the cold-blooded murder of her husband during a child custody exchange.
Amanda Hovanec, 37, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including distributing a controlled substance resulting in death. The victim, Timothy Hovanec, a U.S. Department of State worker, died within minutes of being injected with a potent animal tranquilizer.
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The shocking crime, which took place in April 2022, was captured on dash camera video from Timothy’s car. The footage shows Hovanec injecting her husband with M-99 (Etorphine) after he arrived at her home to drop off their three daughters. She then disposed of his body and his car.
Authorities say the murder stemmed from a bitter custody dispute. Hovanec had been denying Timothy visitation with their children despite a court order. A judge had recently ruled that Timothy would become the primary residential parent, a decision that apparently motivated Hovanec to carry out her deadly plan.
“Amanda Hovanec’s actions were a horrific betrayal of her husband and a devastating blow to their children,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko. “Her callous disregard for human life and the well-being of her own children is truly appalling.”
Hovanec’s mother, Anita Green, was also implicated in the crime. She pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hovanec’s boyfriend, Anthony Theodorou, who supplied the deadly substance, is awaiting sentencing.
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In addition to her prison sentence, Hovanec was ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and pay over $2 million in restitution.
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