A 20-year-old woman from West Michigan has pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of her 27-year-old husband Jacob last month after being presented with video footage of her meetings with an undercover police detective.

Julia Charlene Merfeld of Muskegon told the detective posing as a hitman that the killing would be easier than divorcing him.

Ms Merfeld said that if he was killed she would not have to worry about her family's judgment or breaking his heart.

Authorities were alerted to the murder plot when one of Merfeld's co-worker tipped them off after she approached him about the crime.

She was jailed ahead of sentencing July 30. Authorities say she wanted her husband's $400,000 (£268,745) life insurance policy, and had offered to pay $50,000 (£33,593) for the killing.