Illinois woman pleads guilty to conspiracy

An Illinois grandmother pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to kill her son-in-law, admitting she illegally bought a gun from an undercover officer in a Cape Girardeau mall parking lot with deadly intentions.

Linda L. Myers, 50, of Jonesboro, Ill., appeared in the courtroom of Circuit Court Judge John Heisserer in Jackson for a pretrial conference. She pleaded guilty to the felony charge of conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to six years in prison.

The six-year term was recommended by Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle in exchange for a guilty plea, he said.

Upon hearing of the sentencing, Myers' intended victim, Michael Ravellette, 29, of Jonesboro, said he had hoped for a longer term.

"I think she could have gotten more time," Ravellette said. "No prison can reform her. But it's better than nothing, I guess."

Myers' mother, Helen A. Severs, 65, of Ullin, Ill., was also charged in August with conspiracy to commit murder and awaits a jury trial April 2. Investigators say Severs supplied the money to buy the gun and planned to dump Ravellette's body in the Mississippi River. She remains free on $25,000 bond.

Arrested Aug. 26

The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested the women Aug. 26 after acting on a tip from an informant. An undercover officer phoned Myers, who offered to pay $75 to purchase a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun "to get rid of something," the officer said during the preliminary hearing held in September.

A meeting between the officer and Myers took place Aug. 26 in the parking lot at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. The officer sold Myers a gun before arresting her. Afterward, he phoned Severs and told her the sale had not happened as planned. Severs told the officer the money was hers and asked about the use of a homemade gun silencer, he said.

Myers told investigators the women wanted Ravellette dead because they believe he molested her then-3-year-old granddaughter, investigators said.

Ravallette's wife, Ashley Ravellette, said the Division of Family Services in Illinois has investigated those claims and no sex-related charges have been filed. She said explaining the bizarre circumstances surrounding her mother and grandmother to others is difficult to talk about.

"A lot of times you don't want to mention it at all," she said. "They didn't just want to take my husband and my kids from me, they wanted to take my whole life away."

mwells@semissourian.com

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