She had her 'soulmate' kill her husband. A judge gave her life in prison

Less than two months after her husband was shot seven times in October 2020, Jennifer Faith went on television and said she hoped the killer would feel guilty and come forward.

"I'm not supposed to be widowed at 48, you know?" Faith told WFAA through tears.

In fact, it was Faith who orchestrated the murder, persuading her former high school boyfriend to ambush and shoot her husband, Jamie, outside of their home in Oak Cliff, Texas. After pleading guilty in February to the commission of murder-for-hire, Faith was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. She was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and $6,500 in restitution to the family of her late husband, an IT director at American Airlines.

"Ms. Faith put on quite a performance in the wake of her husband's murder," U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said in a statement Tuesday. " . . . But crocodile tears didn't stop the feds. We were committed to getting justice for Jamie, and with the Judge's imposition of a life sentence this afternoon, we're one step closer."

In March 2020, Faith reconnected with her former high school sweetheart, Darrin Ruben Lopez, who had told Faith that he was disabled from a traumatic brain injury after serving in Iraq, according to court documents. Over the next several months, prosecutors said she texted with Lopez and sent him effusive letters in which she called him her "soulmate" and "one and only love." In addition to carrying on what she characterized as a "full-blown emotional affair" with Lopez, Faith also told Lopez that her husband was physically and sexually abusing her - accusations Faith later admitted were lies, according to court documents.

But Lopez believed Faith, prosecutors say. In May, Faith created a fake email account under the name of one of her best friends, according to court documents. Faith allegedly used the fake identity to falsely claim that Jamie Faith was physically and sexually abusing his wife. Lopez responded with sympathy.

"I know I won't feel better about her situation until she is out of the house away from him or she lets me put a bullet in Jamie's head," Lopez replied to one of the emails, according to court documents. "I keep offering and she keeps telling me no."

On Oct. 9, 2020, around 7:33 a.m., Faith and her husband stepped out of their house to walk their dog. About a minute later, Lopez came up behind Jamie and shot him seven times, killing him, prosecutors say. Lopez allegedly took off in a black Nissan Titan pickup truck with a "T" decal on the back window.

About a month after her husband's murder, Faith sought out $629,000 in a life insurance claim, according to court documents. Around that time, she set up a GoFundMe fundraiser called "Support for Jennifer Faith" and participated in television interviews in which she pleaded with viewers to help catch her husband's killer.

"Somebody has got to know whose truck this is," Faith told WFAA. "It's a black Nissan Titan extended cab. It had a Texas Rangers sticker in the back window. So it was very distinctive from that point."

But following the interviews, Faith told Lopez to remove the "T" from his truck, and Lopez eventually did, according to court documents. She also spoke to him about the progress of the life insurance claim, which she said had been complicated by the ongoing homicide investigation. Moreover, Faith used the GoFundMe proceeds to pay off credit cards Lopez was using and sent Lopez and his family money and gifts, court documents state.

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Lopez was arrested on Jan. 11, 2021. He is awaiting trial on both state and federal charges in connection with the killing; he has pleaded not guilty in both cases, according to the Department of Justice. Faith was arrested the following month on an obstruction of justice charge; she was later charged with the commission of murder-for-hire.

Weeks before her arrest, Faith asked a personal associate to relay a message to Lopez that she "will always be with him, regardless of whatever has happened," according to court documents.

"I do know how you feel, together we can get through this I believe in my heart," Lopez said in response to Faith's message, according to court documents. "Please stay strong for US. Your Knight always.... As You Wish."

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