James Timothy Norman, star of the reality TV series “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s,” was arrested and charged in a murder-for-hire killing of his own nephew.
Norman, 41, of Jackson, Mississippi, was charged with conspiracy to use interstate commerce facilities in a murder-for-hire plot resulting in the death of 21-year-old Andre Montgomery on March 14, 2016.
Terica Ellis, an exotic dancer from Memphis, was arrested as Norman’s accomplice and charged with the same crime, according to KHOU-11.
The criminal complaint alleges Norman took out a $450,000 life insurance policy on his nephew, Montgomery, on which Norman was the sole beneficiary.
The complaint states he made multiple false statements in acquiring the insurance policy on Montgomery’s life.
Less than two years later, Montgomery was shot and killed. According to the complaint, Ellis and Norman traveled to St. Louis the day before the deadly shooting.
Investigators analyzed phone records that show the two stayed in contact throughout the day using temporary cellphones purchased and activated at the same store.
Ellis reportedly used her cellphone to determine Montgomery’s location, then she immediately placed a call to Norman, the complaint stated.
Ellis’s phone location placed her near Montgomery at the time of his death. Immediately following the murder, Ellis placed another call, then traveled back to her home in Memphis, while Norman flew back to Los Angeles.
Ellis later deposited more than $9,000 in cash into various bank accounts, prosecutors say. A week after the killing, Norman contacted the life insurance company in an attempt to collect on the insurance policy. But the insurance company rejected the claim because it was filed improperly without supporting documents.
The criminal case is part of President Trump’s Operation LeGend, named after a 4-year-old Kansas City boy who was shot and killed while he slept on the floor of an apartment in June. A suspect was arrested in that case last week.
Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s was a popular reality TV series on OWN Network that centered around a family-run soul food restaurant in St. Louis.
Norman is the son of Sweetie Pie’s owner Robbie Montgomery. The victim was Miss Robbie’s grandson.
Both Norman and Andre Montgomery starred in Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s. Miss Robbie sued Norman in 2016, claiming his operation of three Sweetie Pie’s restaurants was copyright infringement.
