‘Foolish child.’ Benton City girl who plotted murder ordered to prison

A Benton City teen “acted with incredible naivete” when she took part in a 2017 plan to kill a high school classmate, a psychologist said.

Fe Hadley, then 16, “lacked a fully developed brain like most adolescents of the same age” and hung out with other kids who had significant problems in their own lives, said a report filed by her attorney, Nicholas Blount.

Citing the teen’s “disordered personality,” the Kennewick lawyer said an 8-year prison term would be more appropriate for Hadley’s role in the foiled murder plot.

Blount’s request — well below the standard range — was denied by Judge Joe Burrowes, who ordered the now 19-year-old Hadley to serve 15 years.

She’s already been locked up for almost three years.

A Benton County Superior Court jury convicted Hadley last October of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Her sentencing was delayed because of limited court proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her attorney said Monday that Hadley plans to appeal her conviction and sentence.

Foiled plot

Hadley denied conspiring with Jeremiah Cunningham and Gabriel Pfliger to stab 18-year-old Ryan Vaughn behind the Ki-Be Red Apple Market and hide his body in an orchard. Vaughn didn’t end up going behind the store.

They all were students at the time at Kiona-Benton City High School.

In testimony at trial, Hadley said she didn’t believe Cunningham when he mentioned the murder scheme, and had no role in the November 2017 planned attack.

Hadley claimed someone hacked into her Facebook account and sent multiple messages to Vaughn to meet her behind the store.

The plan was foiled by freshmen riding around on scooters, and a couple seniors who became suspicious when they noticed someone — later identified as Cunningham — wearing a red mask.

Cunningham, like Hadley, was 16 at the time.

He testified at Hadley’s trial that he was upset with Vaughn and joked about the older student dying.

Cunningham was supposed to sneak up behind Vaughn, trip him, stab him in the chest with a large, kitchen knife and then drag the body into a ditch in the orchard. It was Hadley’s role to get Vaughn to the location, then to help hide his body, he said.

Pfliger brought a wooden stake with him, but was late arriving that day.

Cunningham testified Hadley was “the lure and leader” and Pfliger the mastermind, and he was there for “brute strength” even though he had doubts about going through with the killing.

Hadley and Vaughn dated for two to three weeks, but the relationship ended not long before the scheduled attack.

Cunningham and Hadley, who had been friends since fifth-grade, also dated for a short time. While they were no longer together, Cunningham said he still had feelings for her.

Psychologist report

Hadley was examined by Spokane psychologist Jameson C. Lontz, who wrote in a report that the teen described herself as a “people pleaser” who conformed her behavior to what she believed others desired.

The report was filed by Blount as part of the defense’s request for leniency at sentencing.

Lontz, who diagnosed Hadley with borderline personality disorder, said at issue was the quality of her intent in committing the murder plot.

“In short, the crime of murder that had been planned did not occur because of 1) Ms. Hadley’s moral dilemma which caused her to tell a friend in advance so as to possibly curtail the crime, and then to exit toward the wrong side of the market,” Lontz wrote.

“And 2) because any purported conspiracy was actually an unsophisticated (almost ridiculous) plan which had been hatched by naive angry children with poor insight and a lack of adequate adult guidance,” he said.

Lontz’s report said Hadley completed her GED while locked up, and wants to get degrees in psychology and art therapy so she can “become a professional who treats troubled children.”

He also wrote that she had declined a plea offer in exchange for a 10-year sentence.

The court received almost a dozen letters of support for Hadley, commending the teen for continuing her education behind bars and asking for a shorter sentence so she could get a second chance at life.

The letter writers described Hadley as a good student and “foolish child” who “made some mistakes” and only meant to scare, and not hurt, the victim.

Cunningham also was charged as an adult. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Pfliger’s case was handled in Benton County Juvenile Court. He pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 24 hours of community service and supervision for one year.