Influencer Ashley Grayson sentenced to 10 years for murder-for-hire plot to kill three individuals

Ashley Grayson, an influencer known for her business advice and online courses, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on October 31, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. The sentencing was related to a charge of murder-for-hire without parole, where the 35-year-old attempted to pay someone to kill three individuals.

According to WREG News on November 18, 2024, Grayson had been in conflict with a Southaven, Mississippi woman since 2021. The woman, one of Grayson’s intended targets, ran a business similar to Ashley’s. Grayson also targeted her ex and another woman from Texas who had criticized her online.

A Men's Journal report from November 25, 2024, stated that while Grayson and the Southaven woman had never met, Grayson believed the woman was harassing her business using fake social media accounts.

Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren called the case a "21st-century crime," explaining:  
"The defendant tried to hire someone to murder a woman over things that happened exclusively on the internet. Fortunately, no one was physically hurt in this case, but the victim and her family still felt a severe and emotional impact as the result of the defendant's actions."

Grayson’s husband, Joshua Grayson, was allegedly involved in the scheme but was acquitted by a jury after the trial in March, as reported by WREG News.

Grayson’s issues with the Mississippi woman began in 2021. The following year, she contacted a Memphis woman and asked her to meet in Dallas to discuss a "business opportunity."

A press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee on November 18, 2024, stated that Ashley had previously worked with the Memphis woman. In September 2022, the Memphis woman and her husband traveled to Dallas, where they met Ashley and her husband, Joshua.

During this meeting, Ashley and Joshua offered to pay $20,000 for each killing and revealed their true intentions. The Memphis woman secretly recorded a video call with Ashley, during which Grayson offered an additional $5,000, urging the woman to murder the Southaven woman as quickly as possible. The Memphis couple, unwilling to participate, told Ashley and Joshua the attempt had failed.