ST. LOUIS – Another key player in the Memphis-connected murder-for-hire plot to kill the grandson of the owner of Sweetie Pie’s restaurant goes on trial Tuesday, Sept. 6.
The Eagleton Federal Courthouse is where jury selection starts at 9 a.m. in the trial of James “Tim” Norman. That trial is taking place before Judge John Ross.
The victim in this case was 21-year-old Andre Montgomery Jr.
Norman is Montgomery’s uncle. He’s charged with two counts of murder for hire conspiracy and two counts of wire and mail fraud conspiracy. Montgomery was shot to death in March of 2016 on Natural Bridge in the Greater Ville neighborhood of north St. Louis.
Federal authorities said Norman put a hit out on his nephew to get the money from Montgomery’s life insurance policy. Two other people already pleaded guilty earlier this year in the case.
Exotic dancer Terica Ellis, of Memphis, pleaded guilty to helping Norman and a hitman find Montgomery. Travell Hill was the hitman. He admitted to killing Montgomery in exchange for $5,000.
As part of Hill’s plea deal, he said that Norman hired him for the murder and that Norman also hired Ellis to help hill find Montgomery to kill him. Norman and Montgomery were both on the reality TV show Welcome to Sweetie Pies. That popular show aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network for several seasons.
Opening statements in Norman’s trial could come late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Sweetie Pie’s, a St. Louis dessert chain with its own reality show, was set to open on Beale Street in Memphis in 2014. Though a sign was installed, the restaurant never opened.
