Posted on 03/06/2013 11:23:17 AM PST by nickcarraway
A woman, accused of plotting to kill her children's grandparents, faced a judge for the first time Tuesday.
31-year-old Leticia Silva of Lakeland, Florida will stay in the Pitt County Detention Center under a $5 million bond.
A very emotional Silva appeared before a judge this morning.
Deputies say Silva told her children to kill their paternal grandparents. The grandparents live in Pitt County and have had full custody of Silva's daughters for the past 7 years.
Arrest warrants show the children are only 7 and 9 years old.
Investigators say Silva mailed the children a knife in December to carry it out.
"The grandmother actually located a knife in one of the children's bedrooms underneath the pillow," said Det. Charles Mitchell, Pitt County Sheriff's Office.
Silva turned herself in Monday.
She's charged with four counts of first-degree solicitation to commit murder.
If convicted, the judge says she could face up to 40 years and one month for each count.
The children's paternal grandparents do not want to speak to the media, but some of Silva's family drove from Florida for her first appearance.
Tears filled their eyes as they walked outside of the detention center.
They say that Silva and her former in-laws have been in an ugly custody battle for years and they think she was set up. But investigators say they have proof.
And they don't think the children ever intended to carry out the plot.
"It's hard to say what a child is going to do. The grandparents have told me that they spoke to the children and neither one of them would carry it out. They said that they loved their grandparents very much," said Mitchell.
Sounds like where Casey Anthony was headed.
I’m more shocked that the post office actually got the knife delivered to the right address.
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