James Radcliff murder: What was his ex-wife Robin Radcliff and her lover Gerardo Hinojosa's role in it?

Snapped: Killer Couples is scheduled to discuss and explore James Radcliff's murder story this Sunday, June 12, 2022. The episode synopsis states:

"When a Navy man falls victim to a deadly home invasion, the search for his killers exposes both a sordid romance and a deadly conspiracy within his own ranks."

James Radcliff, a Navy chef, was murdered by hired killers in a carefully-orchestrated plan led by his wife, Robin, and her boyfriend, Gary Hinojosa. The two conspirators hoped to cash in on James' $100,000 life insurance policy by enlisting the help of four other hired killers.

James Hall, Aaron Turner, Mario Murphy, and Michael Bourne broke into Radcliff's room via a bedroom window left unlatched by Robin. The paid murderers repeatedly assaulted and stabbed James while he was asleep, grabbing a few belongings before fleeing to make the incident look like a burglary gone wrong.

After being detained, Hinojosa and Turner pleaded guilty, receiving a life sentence, while Robin went to trial, where he was sentenced to receive life imprisonment on the grounds of insanity. Hall and Bourne were sentenced to life in prison after confessing to first-degree murder. On the other hand, Murphy was targeted with a death sentence after his guilty plea was refused in court.

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Who was the mastermind behind James Radcliff's murder plot?

James Radcliff was attacked and then stabbed by the hired murderers (Image via South_agency/Getty Images)

James Radcliff's wife, Robin, and her boyfriend, Gary Hinojosa, recruited Murphy to murder James for $5,000, who then enlisted the services of two accomplices, Aaron Turner and James Hall. The hired killers were aided throughout the process, especially the wife, who even informed them which bedroom James slept in.

In the early morning of July 28, 1991, James Hall, Aaron Turner, Mario Murphy, and Michael Bourne entered Radcliff's room through a bedroom window that Robin had left unlocked. The hired killers attacked and stabbed the victim multiple times, stealing a couple of items while making the event appear like a break-in.

The attackers, who were led into the bedroom by Robin Radcliff, attacked James while he was asleep (Image via Anuwat Somhan/Getty Images)

Robin was found guilty of capital murder for plotting against her husband. Authorities claimed that Robin, 35-year-old, and her boyfriend, Gerardo Hinojosa, conspired to kill her husband, James Radcliff. A week after the funeral and burial of her dead husband, she married Hinojosa. Once the trial began, Radcliff entered a plea of not guilty because of insanity.

In court, the defendant's attorney Pamela Albert stated:

"She made choices over and over again to get her husband murdered."

Attorney Pamela Albert stated in court that the accused decided more than once to have James killed, including her murder-by-hire plan with Hinojosa. Robin Radcliff, she said, allowed the perpetrators into the bedroom while her husband was asleep. Reports stated that after the assault, the accused rolled over in her husband's blood while he was still breathing and took nearly half an hour to finally call the police, informing them about the "burglary gone wrong."

While five of the six people involved were sentenced to prison for life, one was sentenced to death (Image via Caspar Benson/Getty Images)

When the six responsible for the murder were arrested, Hinojosa and Turner pled guilty, admitting to capital murder, and were sentenced to life in prison. Robin declined a similar deal, proceeded to trial instead, and was condemned to prison.

Hall and Bourne pled guilty to first-degree murder and received life imprisonment. At the same time, Murphy, identified as the group's leader, was denied a plea agreement and was condemned to death after pleading guilty to capital murder.

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Catch James Radcliff's murder story exclusively on the upcoming June 12 episode of Snapped: Killer Couples.