Spy v Spy in Facebook 'Murder' Sting

David Voelkert, left, and the bogus Facebook page set up by his ex-wife.

Angela Voelkert thought she'd caught her ex-husband plotting via Facebook to murder her, while, in fact, she was plotting against him in a custody battle concerning their children. This time last week, the FBI arrested David Voelkert, 39, from the US state of Indiana, on criminal charges over messages he sent to a fictional 17-year-old girl who added him as a friend on Facebook.

"Jessica Studebaker" exchanged messages with Mr Voelkert over a number of days. In the messages, he admitted he had strapped a GPS tracking device to his ex-wife's car and would "find someone to take care of" her, according to an FBI affidavit. At the time of the messages the Voelkerts were going through the courts over the custody battle.

Mr Voelkert, according to the FBI, asked Studebaker through Facebook whether there were any "gang bangers" who would be able to "put a cap in [Angela's] ass for $10,000". The FBI said the fictional profile of Jessica Studebaker was created by Mrs Voelkert, 29, who got a friend to manage it and talk to Mr Voelkert in a bid to expose him and use what she had found against him in the custody battle. 

But what Mrs Voelkert appears not to have known is that her ex-husband suspected all along that she was behind the fictional profile. Two days after accepting the request to "friend" Studebaker, Mr Voelkert wrote a sworn affidavit on May 25 indicating his suspicion that Studebaker was a fictional character created by his ex-wife.

He gave a copy of the affidavit to a relative to later prove what he said could "not be held as the truth" as he was "chatting to [Studebaker] in attempts to prove to [the] court that my ex-wife will not leave my personal life alone". The wife monitored the account closely, the FBI said. The Facebook conversations were held sometimes late at night.

The FBI has since dropped all criminal charges and requested the court "dismiss the complaint in the court against defendant David Voelkert". The Smoking Gun obtained the documents which you can read on its website. (English - KOMPAS)