TV Chef: Kill My Wife, Give Treats to the Dogs

When celebrity chef Juan Carlos Cruz hired a homeless guy to kill his wife, he instructed the novice hit man not to hurt their two dogs—and even provided the man with doggie treats to give to them so they wouldn't bark, reports the Los Angeles Times. The plot by Cruz, known for his appearances on the Food Network and Discovery Channel, never came close to fruition because cops got wind of it and used the would-be hit man as an informant.

Cruz is serving a 9-year sentence for attempted solicitation of murder, and newly revealed court documents show he was serious. He asked the hit man "to strangle the victim and to use pantyhose to strangle her if he wanted, and said something to the effect of, 'If it ends up bloody, that's fine ... but I prefer not to have a mess,'" the documents say. Cruz told investigators his wife was unhappy and characterized his intent as a "mercy killing."
(More Juan Carlos Cruz stories.)