FOX31 Denver

‘I was set up’: Suspect in Evergreen murder-for-hire plot discusses allegations against her

GOLDEN, Colo. (KDVR) — A well known Colorado animal rights attorney is sharing her side of the story after being accused of trying to hire a hitman to murder her husband’s girlfriend.

Jennifer Emmi spoke exclusively with FOX31’s Keagan Harsha inside the Jefferson County Detention Facility on Tuesday.

The Evergreen attorney founded Colorado’s Animal Law Center and has made a career of helping animals.

Now she’s facing 16 felonies in five different cases, ranging from domestic violence and stalking, to child abuse, and retaliating against witnesses. The most serious charge, however, is conspiracy to commit murder.

“I’ve always fought for the underdog and now I’m the underdog. That’s what this boils down to,” she said. “I really do feel like I’m in some kind of nightmare TV show. This whole thing has just been a ridiculous course of events.”

A 33-page affidavit details a marriage that unraveled. Emmi claims it began shortly after a brain bleed that landed her in the hospital and ended up leading to multiple sclerosis and a host of other health problems.

“I was struggling with the autoimmune and I said and did things that I can’t believe came out of my mouth, because of the steroids,” Emmi said.

However, Emmi says she never planned to murder her husband or his girlfriend.

“I was set up, and I have been repeatedly set up. All I can say is I want the truth to come out,” she said. “The whole thing is crazy. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

That’s why Emmi agreed to sit down with us inside the jail, to tell her side of the story.

“Things happened, but not anything that’s in the report,” she said. “I don’t want anyone injured.”

Emmi is being held on a $3 million cash only bond.

An extended video of the interview with Emmi can be viewed below.