Widow, 96, preparing to celebrate her birthday was killed in alleged murder-for-hire plot at her home
A "vibrant" 96-year-old widow preparing to bake cookies for her birthday was killed at her Montecito, California, home in 2022 in an alleged murder-for-hire plot, according to authorities who said the case involved a "tangled evil web of financial exploitation."
A "vibrant" 96-year-old widow preparing to bake cookies for her birthday was killed at her Montecito, California, home in 2022 in an alleged murder-for-hire plot, according to authorities who said the case involved a "tangled evil web of financial exploitation."
Violet Evelyn Alberts was found dead in her bed on May 27, 2022. Deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office began investigating her death after they found a broken window in the back of her home, Sheriff Bill Brown said at a news conference Thursday.
Violet Evelyn AlbertsSanta Barbara County Sheriff's OfficeA medical examiner determined she died from asphyxiation and the manner was homicide.
During the investigation, deputies learned that Alberts had allegedly been tricked into signing over her home in the wealthy Santa Barbara County neighborhood. They also uncovered that she was the victim of a murder-for-hire scheme.
Brown said that investigators identified a woman named Pauline Macareno, 48, as the "central figure in the manipulation and deceitful targeting" of Alberts.
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