A United States Army sergeant found himself at the center of a disturbing murder-for-hire conspiracy alongside his incarcerated brother.
The unfolding saga of Sgt. Jeremiah Peikert and his sibling Joshua Peikert have shed light on the dark underbelly of human nature and the lengths some will go to exact their twisted desires.
Jeremiah Peikert, a 30-year-old U.S. Army sergeant stationed at the Fort Cavazos Military Base in Texas, and his older brother Joshua Peikert, a 32-year-old inmate at the Corrigan Correctional Center in Montville, Connecticut, shared a tumultuous relationship that would ultimately lead them down a path of criminal collaboration.
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While the specifics of their childhood and the origins of their discord remain largely shrouded in mystery, the brothers’ actions would soon come to light, revealing a chilling plot that would shake the very foundations of their lives.
As Joshua Peikert languished behind bars in 2022, he hatched a diabolical scheme to eliminate a woman, her boyfriend, and her two young daughters, aged 10 and 1.
According to the criminal complaint, Joshua confided in a cellmate, divulging his desire to have the victims murdered. The cellmate, who claimed to “know a few people that could have that taken care of,” became an instrumental player in the unfolding plot, serving as a conduit between the imprisoned Joshua and his free-roaming brother, Jeremiah.
Jeremiah Peikert, the military sergeant, was roped into the murder-for-hire scheme through his brother’s persistent persuasion.
Authorities allege that Joshua Peikert had his younger sibling make two separate payments totaling $250 to the cellmate, which were described as a “finder’s fee” for the individual who would carry out the killings. Jeremiah, although claiming to be unaware of the specific details of the plan, acknowledged that he understood the references to a “construction job” and “materials” were code for the intended murders.
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The victims at the heart of this chilling plot were a 29-year-old woman, her 23-year-old boyfriend, and their two young daughters. Joshua Peikert had allegedly provided the cellmate with the address of the family’s residence, as well as details about the layout of the home and the location of a spare key, all in an effort to facilitate the execution of the plan.
Just when the murder-for-hire scheme seemed to be gaining momentum, a surprising turn of events occurred. The cellmate, who had initially agreed to assist Joshua Peikert, had a change of heart and decided to thwart the plan. In October 2022, the cellmate wrote a letter to the intended female victim, detailing the entire plot and assuring her that he had no intention of carrying out the killings.
The woman who received the chilling letter immediately contacted the authorities, setting in motion a comprehensive investigation led by the Connecticut State Police. Detectives delved into the matter, reviewing phone calls made from the prison and interviewing the cellmate, who provided them with the letter Joshua Peikert had given him containing the victims’ address.
As the investigation progressed, authorities traveled to Texas to question Jeremiah Peikert about the suspicious deposits he had made to his brother’s prison account.
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During the interrogation, the Army sergeant admitted to sending the $250 “finder’s fee” to the cellmate, acknowledging that he understood the coded language used to refer to the planned murders. Jeremiah Peikert was then arrested and extradited to Connecticut to face charges.
Both Jeremiah Peikert and Joshua Peikert were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor. Jeremiah Peikert was held on a $500,000 bond, while his incarcerated brother Joshua also remained in custody with a matching $500,000 bond.
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