Husband and Hitman Sentenced in Murder for Hire of Cleveland Mother

Photo Courtesy: CBS8.com

CLEVELAND — The men accused in a murder for hire plot that claimed the life of a young Cleveland mother received life in prison sentences after pleading guilty to the crime on Wednesday.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason’s office announced today that Samuel Wilson and Darin Brusiter were sentenced for the murder of Asia Harris, 20, on April 10, 2011.

Both men plead to counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping and insurance fraud.

Wilson recruited and hired Brusiter to murder his wife with the promise of a payment from the proceeds of the victim’s life insurance.

At the time of the shooting Cleveland Police said Harris was with her husband as they were allegedly driving in an attempt to locate a relatives address.

Police were told the couple stopped and requested directions from Brusiter, who offered to ride with the couple to show them how to get to their location.

Brusiter then shot Harris in the head in Wilson’s vehicle, near East 37th Street and Croton Avenue in Cleveland. The firearm was equipped with a makeshift silencer. After the murder, Wilson reported to the insurance agency that his wife had been murdered during a recent carjacking.

Harris was the mother of two young boys.

On April 25, 2011, Cleveland Police arrested Brusiter while he worked at a restaurant on Euclid Avenue. The following day Wilson was arrested in California and extradited to Cleveland to face charges in Cuyahoga County.

According to Judge Deena Calabrese’s sentence, Wilson will be eligible for parole after 36 years, while Brusiter will be eligible after 33 years.

Prosecutor Mason said, “This is a calculated, cold blooded murder. The families and loved ones of the victim will now be given closure for the despicable crime of such a young, innocent woman.”