Woman Who Asked Carnival Worker to Kill Son and Daughter-in-Law Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

 A Texas woman was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week after being accused of trying to hire a carnival worker to kill her son and daughter-in-law. Ruth Ann Comer, 69, of San Antonio, was sentenced April 6 in Bexar County 290th District Court after being convicted of solicitation of capital murder-remuneration. Comer was convicted in December. Here's what you need to know about this shocking case.

Who Is Ruth Ann Comer?

A jury convicted Comer on Dec. 9, 2022, after she was charged in 2018. It wasn't the first time she'd been involved with the judicial system. Comer was a person of interest in the murder of her boyfriend, businessman Jerry Collins, 68, who was found in 2012 with his throat slit in his mobile home near the hardware business he ran in San Antonio. Comer, who was named in Collins' will, found the body. Officials suspected Comer of paying $10,000 to Kristina Moore, her daughter-in-law, to find a person to kill Collins, according to court documents. Comer was never charged in Collins' death.

Whom Did She Target?

Comer was accused of trying to order a hit on Moore and her son, Jacob Thomas, who was Moore's husband. Prosecutors believed that Comer wanted to silence them about Collins' death. Moore's roommate, Teri Suttles, told police that Comer gave the money to Moore for Collins' hit, according to court documents. Comer was not charged on that allegation.

What Happened

Suttles' father, Charles Grube, met Moore and Comer at the carnival where he worked in 2013, according to court documents. He overheard them talking about Collins' killing. Grube confronted Comer, and she told him Moore wanted Collins killed, according to the documents. Moore was never charged in connection with Collins' death. Comer met Grube a week later at his house, gave him a .32-caliber revolver and said, "I want Kristina gone, and if you have to, kill Jacob," according to court documents. "You can go ahead and do it anytime," she added, according to the documents. Comer also gave Grube information on Thomas' and Moore's car and their residence, with directions, according to court documents.

What Happened Next

Grube alerted police about Comer's plan, and they recorded the conversations at Grube's house, court documents said. Police arrested Comer on Aug. 29, 2013, on a charge of solicitation to commit murder. The charges were dropped a year later, but she was indicted in 2018 after the case was reopened.

What's Next

Comer faced a maximum penalty of life in prison before she was sentenced. She will be eligible for parole after serving half of the 20-year sentence.