Leigh Ann Bauman
CAMDEN COUNTY, MO (KOMU) — Charges against a Lake of the Ozarks realtor accused of hiring a hitman to kill her former mother-in-law has been dropped, according to Springfield-based television station KY3 News.
Leigh Ann Bauman was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. KY3 reports Bauman’s attorneys confirmed the Camden County prosecutor dropped all charges. A trial had been scheduled for February.
Bauman’s attorneys shared her statement with KY3:
“Thanks to Camden County for recognizing that I never intended anyone actual harm. My daughters are the most important people in my life. I am sad for this and my other mistakes as a mother and the impact on them. I cannot thank my ex-mother in law enough for continuing to be a rock in their lives.”
Bauman was arrested in March 2021. According to previous KOMU 8 reporting, a witness told investigators that Bauman offered $1,500 to hire individuals to make the death of her ex-mother-in-law look like an “accident.”
Investigators also said that Bauman believed her ex-mother-in-law was interfering with the relationship she had with her children.
Bauman posted bail in April 2021 and eventually was arrested again for failing to appear at a scheduled hearing due to being in rehab.
KOMU 8 has reached out to the Camden County prosecutor regarding the dropped charges, which no longer appear in online court records.