JEFFERSON, Wis. (WKOW) – A murder-for-hire case is returning to court as new evidence suggests the wrong person may have been sentenced to life in prison. A letter has surfaced, casting doubt on the conviction of Michael Maldonado.

In 1994, a Jefferson High School teacher's aide hired three students to kill her husband. Two of the suspects at the time identified 15-year-old Maldonado as the shooter. He was sentenced to life, while the other two students have since been released on parole.

In 2019, Douglas Vest, one of the other defendants, sent a letter to Maldonado admitting he was the one who pulled the trigger.

An oral ruling and potential sentence modification for Maldonado are scheduled for October 9.

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