Police Video Shows Newlywed Dalia Dippolito Arranging for Hit on Husband
Dalia Dippolito is charged with trying to have her husband of six months killed.
Nov. 18, 2009— -- Newly released video of the Boynton Beach, Fla., woman charged with paying to have her husband killed shows the suspect, Dalia Dippolito, making arrangements with an undercover police officer posing as a killer for hire.
On the tape, the 26-year-old can be seen showing the supposed hit man pictures of her 38-year-old husband, Michael, explaining the alarm system in the newlywed couple's home and agreeing on a price.
Boynton Beach police have charged Dalia Dippolito with solicitation to commit first-degree murder -- a charge she denies.
"I didn't do anything, and I didn't plot anything," Dippolito, who according to the Palm Beach Post is a professional escort, said as police were arresting her in August.
But in court documents authorities claim the woman had actually tried twice before to kill her husband of six months.
Last July, she allegedly put anti-freeze in his Starbucks tea, according to the documents. And she reportedly was unsuccessful when she tried to put a hit out on him before.
Dippolito's August arrest came about as a result of a police sting operation.
Police started an investigation July 31 after a tipster informed them that the woman was trying to have her husband killed.
An undercover police officer posing as a hit man met with Dippolito. Police taped the meetings.
According to the affidavit, Dippolito provided the police informant with her husband's daily schedule and $1,200 for the purchase of a gun to be used in the crime. She then asked if it was a "solid deal" and said she didn't want any excuses for why the crime wouldn't happen.
At the faked crime scene, Dippolito sobbed, appearing inconsolable with grief. But Michael Dippolito wasn't dead; he was hidden away as investigators showed his wife a fake crime scene before arresting her.
Wife Denies Knowledge of 'Hit Man' Plot
Following the fake murder, police brought Dippolito to the department for questioning as a witness.
In tape of the proceedings, police asked her whether she knew anyone who would want to kill her spouse. They also asked her if she wouldn't want to have him killed.
"No," she replied, denying that there were any kinds of problems in the relationship. "We are fine; there's like nothing."
Even after detectives surprised her with a face-to-face meeting with the alleged hit man, Dippolito denied the allegations against her.
She was also brought face-to-face with her husband, and reacted with shock.
"Oh my God, oh my God! Come here please. Mike, come here," she can be heard saying.
Her husband replied: "I heard you."
Police: Wife Was 'Cool and Confident'
According to authorities, Dippolito met with the would-be hit man at a gas station Aug. 3 and allegedly agreed to pay $3,000 after the job was completed. She even offered to get her hair done to create an alibi, police said.
When asked if she was sure she wanted her husband killed, the affidavit said Dippolito laughed before saying, "I will be very happy."
"She was very cool and confident," police Sgt. Frank Ranzie said. "She said, 'When I set my mind to something I do it, and I am 5,000 percent sure I want this done.'"
Husband Stunned by Allegations'
Michael Dippolito was surprised when police knocked at his door Aug. 5 to tell him some stunning news.
"They said, 'Come with me immediately. Your wife's trying to have you killed,'" he said.
The hitman was allegedly scheduled to murder Michael Dippolito that day, so police set up a fake crime scene and kept him hidden. Authorities called his wife while she was at the gym and told her to come home immediately.
When she arrived, she received the news that her husband was dead. Her emotional response to the revelation secretly amused some officers.
"It was hard to keep a straight face," Ranzie said. "Amid all that tremors and shaking of the body, there weren't any real tears coming out of her eyes."
Michael Dippolito has said he didn't know why his young bride would want to kill him but acknowledged strange things started happening after the pair married.
"It took a little while to resonate," he said. "There's a lot of funny business going on with her for a long time -- unexplained money and things and it just makes a lot of sense."
He said cash he gave his wife for bills would go missing, and he got notes left on his truck demanding money.
He has said the experience and allegations are surreal.
"It's like a movie," he said.