A judge sentenced a former lawyer to 45 years in prison for her role in a brutal home invasion attack on her ex-boss and his wife, a crime for which her husband is already serving life in prison.
In November 2014, Alecia Schmuhl's husband, Andrew Schmuhl, broke into the McLean home of lawyer Leo Fisher and his wife, Sue Duncan, and held them captive for three hours as he shot, stabbed and shocked them with a Taser, prosecutors said.
Alecia Schmuhl was just outside the home during the attack, communicating by phone with her husband, prosecutors said. The victims were critically injured in the attack.
Fisher said he was in and out of consciousness but remembers his wife covered in blood while they struggled to call 911. Finally, Duncan was able to hit a panic alarm, and Andrew Schmuhl fled.
The attack was an act of revenge against her former boss, who had fired her from his law firm weeks earlier, prosecutors said.
Alecia Schmuhl took the stand at her sentencing hearing Thursday, crying as she apologized to Fisher and Duncan, who appeared unmoved by the apology from their seats in the courtroom.
Alecia Schmuhl maintained she did not know what would happen that night. She said her husband told her he wanted to negotiate a better contract for her.
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Her defense argued she was abused by her husband and subservient to his commands.
"I wish that I had done something to prevent it," she said.
In September, Alecia Schmuhl, of Springfield, Virginia, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of abduction, and one count of burglary with a deadly weapon. Without a plea, she could have received life in prison like her husband.
Andrew Schmuhl was convicted in June and sentenced to two life terms plus 98 years.
