The frantic 911 call came in just before 11:30 PM on December 1, 2010. On the line was a panicked Michelle Paet, desperately trying to perform CPR on her husband, Nathan, as an operator coached her through the steps. Nathan, a 28-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant, had been ambushed in the garage of their quiet Las Vegas home.

Despite being rushed to the hospital, he tragically passed away shortly after midnight. To the outside world, it was a shocking and random act of violence against a respected serviceman. But the investigation would soon reveal a story of deep deception.

Nathan and Michelle were the quintessential high school sweethearts from Guam. They started a family young, and in 2002, Nathan joined the Air Force to provide them with a stable life. For years, they moved as the military required, from Alaska to Arizona, their family growing to include four children. In 2007, they settled near Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Nathan was a devoted father and husband, taking on a second job to save enough money to surprise Michelle with a brand-new home in the family-friendly Mountain’s Edge community.

Their life appeared idyllic. But in June 2009, when Nathan was deployed to Iraq for a six-month tour, the foundation of their family began to crack. To help with their tight finances, Michelle took a part-time job as a telemarketer. There, she met Michael Rodriguez, a coworker with a criminal past, and began an affair.

When investigators arrived at the Paet home on the night of the incident, they initially considered a carjacking. That theory was quickly dismissed. Nathan’s wallet, phone, keys, and car were all untouched in the garage. It was clear he had been specifically targeted. In her statement to police, Michelle painted a picture of a happy, albeit financially strained, marriage. She described a loving husband and a dedicated father, insisting he had no enemies.

A small lead emerged when a neighbor reported seeing a black Cadillac CTS speeding away from the scene. When asked if she knew anyone with such a car, Michelle gave them a name: her coworker, Michael Rodriguez.

When brought in for questioning, Michael had a seemingly airtight alibi. He claimed he was on a date with a woman that evening, and they had checked into a hotel. The woman corroborated his story completely. For a week, the case stalled. Then, in a dramatic turn, Michael’s alibi walked into the police station and confessed that she had lied.

She revealed that her friend, Jessica Austin, had offered her $5,000 to be Michael’s alibi. The story she was told was that Michael and Jessica’s boyfriend, Corry Hawkins, were going to rob a drug dealer. On the night of the incident, she was at their apartment when the men left and returned late, immediately burning their clothes in the fireplace.

With the alibi shattered, police brought Michelle in for questioning again. This time, her story changed. She confessed to the affair with Michael. She claimed he was the mastermind, becoming obsessed with Nathan’s military benefits and convincing her that they should have him “dispatched” so they could collect his $650,000 life insurance policy. She admitted the plot had been in the works for months, beginning while her husband was serving his country in Iraq.

Michelle, Michael, Corry, and Jessica were all arrested. Fearing she could face the ultimate penalty for her role in the plot, Michelle Paet pleaded guilty. The high school sweetheart who called 911 in a panic was ultimately responsible for the series of events that ended her husband’s life. She, along with her lover Michael Rodriguez, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a final, tragic end to a story of a soldier’s ultimate betrayal.