Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
ABC 20/20 looks into U.S. Army Sergeant Tyrone Hassel III’s murder plotted by his wife, Kemia Hassel, and her lover, Jeremy Cuellar. The upcoming episode “Love. Honor. Betray” will air on the network this Friday, February 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
Army Sergeant Tyrone Hassel was on vacation when a gunman fatally shot him in the driveway of his father’s Michigan home on December 31, 2018. His wife, Kemia, who was also an active-duty soldier, claimed she found him unresponsive and “riddled with bullets,” per A&E. A tip to authorities eventually revealed that Kemia and her lover, Jeremy Cuellar, another soldier, had plotted Tyrone’s murder.
Kemia and Cuellar later told police that they had been planning the murder for months while deployed in South Korea together. Authorities arrested the duo 11 days after Tyrone’s murder. The case eventually led to their convictions. Kemia stood trial and received a life sentence in prison without parole, while Cuellar pleaded guilty and got 65 to 90 years in prison for his role.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Kemia Hassel is currently serving her term in the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility. Meanwhile, Jeremy Cuellar remains incarcerated in the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility.
Why did Jeremy Cuellar & Kemia Hassel plot Sergeant Tyrone Hassel III’s murder?
According to NBC News, Jeremy Cuellar and Kemia Hasse plotted Tyrone Hassel’s murder to collect the Army’s $400,000 life insurance benefit. They also wanted to be able to continue their romantic relationship. Kemia told police that she was unhappy with her marriage to Tyrone. However, she did not want to go through a divorce as she would not have received any life insurance money. Kemia and Tyrone Hassel had been married since 2016 and had a one-year-old son at the time of the latter’s murder.
The outlet stated that Kemia also told police she spent months plotting Tyrone’s murder. She and Cuellar began planning while they were deployed in South Korea between February and October 2018, per MLive.com. They communicated via Snapchat, believing that police wouldn’t be able to trace them because of the app’s temporary messages. The Hassels and Cueller were once assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, together.
ABC 57 reported that court documents revealed Kemia Hassel had said Jeremy Cuellar went to Michigan four times between December 19 and December 31, 2018. During that time, the two attempted to plan the murder. WSBT-TV further stated that Kemia also admitted to detectives, “I’m just as guilty as he [Cuellar] is.” She claimed to have given “multiple updates” to Cuellar about Tyrone’s whereabouts so he could gun the victim down.
As per A&E, a jury convicted Kemia of conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder in July 2019. The following month, she received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, Cuellar pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. In September 2019, he received a sentence of 65 to 90 years in prison.
The outlet reported that in July 2020, Cuellar attempted to withdraw his guilty plea. However, the Michigan Supreme Court denied his request in August 2021. Kemia also petitioned for a new trial on the grounds that she was a victim of battered woman syndrome. WNDU-TV stated that the Michigan Court of Appeals denied her appeal in November 2022.
ABC 20/20 will revisit U.S. Army Sergeant Tyrone Hassel III’s murder plotted by his wife, Kemia Hassel, and her lover, Jeremy Cuellar, on February 16, 2024.
