A woman from Carstairs has been sentenced to five years in prison after attempting to arrange the murder of her husband through an undercover police officer.
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Audra Lynne Symbalisty, 60, was arrested in February 2024 after offering $5,000 to someone she believed was a hitman.
The undercover operation began following a tip to RCMP that Symbalisty had asked an individual to kill her husband. Mounties launched an investigation and soon introduced an officer posing as a contract killer.
On February 24, 2024, Symbalisty met the officer at a gas station in Carstairs, where she made it clear she wanted her husband dead, agreeing to pay for the job.
She provided a $1,000 down payment the next day.
Prosecutors believe financial motives were involved, noting that Symbalisty stood to inherit a large life insurance policy purchased by her husband in 2021, valued at approximately $475,000. The tension between the couple had been escalating since the death of Symbalisty’s adult daughter in 2022.
Symbalisty was arrested after her conversations with an acquaintance were reported to police. She was initially charged with two counts of counselling to commit murder, later pleading guilty to a single charge.
With time already served, Symbalisty will serve approximately 41 months remaining in her sentence.
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