Wanted: Someone to kill my boyfriend's wife

A US woman was arrested this week after she allegedly tried to hire a hitman to murder her married lover's wife by posting an ad on the popular website craigslist, law enforcement officials said Sunday.

Anne Marie, 48, from Grand Rapids, Michigan offered www.craigslist.org users the chance to kill Carol, a 56-year-old woman in California, in a vaguely worded free ad under the category of "Freelance," according to court documents.

Two women and one man responded to the ad, with at least one applicant believing it to be an offer for freelance writing work. During subsequent emails, Anne Marie divulged that the task was actually a hit.

"Marie informed (one of the people who responded) that she was looking for 'silent assassins' and she asked him to eradicate a targeted victim," offered 5,000 dollars for the job and provided the address, name, age and occupation of the man's wife.

"Asked what she meant by 'eradicate,' Anne Marie said 'Duh. Well to have her killed," the court documents said.

The woman, who also goes by the name Anne Marie Linscott, was charged with three counts relating to murder for hire and using interstate commerce to commit a felony.

"This complex investigation was initiated in November 2007 and we have been very concerned for the well being of the victim," said Butte County Sheriff Perry Reniff, according to a statement released by the Sacramento FBI.

The potential victim's husband "acknowledged meeting Linscott through an on-line college course in 2004 or 2005," and said "he and Linscott developed a very deep and intimate online relationship," the FBI statement said.

The pair met for sex on at least two separate occasions in 2005 and 2007, and "have continued to communicate via telephone and email."

Asked by law enforcement officials how she would feel if her target were murdered by a respondee on craigslist, the suspect "stated she would be scared that law enforcement would track it back to her," court documents said.