Julia Merfeld was sentenced for hiring a hitman to kill her husband, and now her parents are reacting to the shocking turn of events. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
She's the cold-blooded wife caught on video laughing as she hires a hitman to murder her husband.
On the video, the hitman asked, "You don't want it done in the house?"
She laughingly responded, "Because it would be messy in the house."
Her reason shocked the nation. She said, "It's easier than divorcing him."
We're now hearing from the parents of 21-year-old Julia Merfeld, who tried to hire the hitman without realizing he was an undercover cop.
Merfeld's mother, Christina said, "I love her deeply, but my disappointment in her runs deeper than the ocean.
Christina and Joe Antonaccio sat at their daughter's sentencing in a Michigan courtroom, believe it or not, next to their son-in-law, Jake.
Julia wanted him killed so she could be single again and collect his $400,000 life insurance policy.
Joe said, "I think it was a combination of, 'Boy, if I could get all this money and be free at the same time.' Well, there's two things. She weighed the good and the bad in her mind without thinking, 'Was I being criminally stupid in thinking these things?' "
They say they were furious with their daughter, who even showed the hitman a diagram of her house and casually discussed the best day to murder her husband.
On the video, Julia said, "It has to be on a Thursday cause that's the day that I work. But well, actually it could be on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday now."
Now, her parents want to support their daughter who has two young children.
Christina said, "She wants to make amends from this point on. Then, my anger turned to pity."
Julia choked back tears right before she was sentenced to five to 20 years in prison.
"My tears are not for your pity, your honor. My tears are for remorse," said Julia.
And you won't believe what happened next. Her husband actually begged the judge for mercy.
Jake said, "My wife is a wonderful woman. She's a godly person."
Julia's parents say they're overwhelmed that he could actually forgive the wife who laughed when she hired a hitman to kill him.
Joe said, "It was his decision to make and if he decided to leave, we would have supported that decision too."