Black widow jailed for ‘single bullet’ kill plot that left two men dead

A woman who pressured her “spineless” husband to kill her ex-partner in a bungled plot that claimed the lives of both men has been jailed for at least two decades.

A black widow killer who convinced her love-struck husband to murder her ex-partner in a bungled plot that left both men dead will spend at least two decades behind bars.

Biannca Edmunds, 37, was on Tuesday jailed for 26 years with a non-parole period of 20 years after she was found guilty of the murder of Michael Caposiena, 38.

The mother-of-three was 150km away in Shepparton when her newlywed husband Glen Cassidy, 49, shot dead Mr Caposiena as he answered the front door of his Meadow Heights unit.

But in a twist, Mr Caposiena armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed his assailant just before he was shot.

Both men died at the scene.

In his sentencing remarks, Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry said Edmunds had a “longstanding” hostility towards her ex and wanted him dead because of a child custody dispute over their young son.

The judge said Biannca Edmunds said Edmunds used a ‘degree of control’ to pressure Cassidy into carrying out the attack. Picture: Supplied

Justice Lasry said she used a “degree of control” to pressure Cassidy, who she had married two weeks earlier and was 20 years her senior, into carrying out the killing in March 2016.

“If you were a real man you’d take care of it,” she told him.

“You’d deal with it and you’d sort it out.

“If you had any balls, you’re spineless, you’re piss weak.”

Edmunds tried to pin the murder on Cassidy but she was found guilty after a third trial last year.

Justice Lasry said she took steps to distance herself from her husband including flying to Darwin to use as an alibi and fabricating text messages from his phone that cleared her of involvement.

“It was in fact your idea and you had the primary motive,” he said.

But he noted Cassidy was “easily persuaded” into doing her bidding and was almost as keen to kill Mr Caposiena as she was due to his “obsessiveness” with her.

The pair began plotting the murder in December 2015, with Cassidy writing a “to do” list on his phone that said “get him alone” and “one bullet”.

Edmunds helped Cassidy, providing him with her ex-partner’s address, drawing a map and assisting with surveillance.

Police did not charge Edmunds with murder until June 2019, extraditing her to Victoria from Canberra where her children and her lived with her father.

A hand-drawn map found on Glen Cassidy. Picture: Supplied

Justice Lasry said victim impact statements from Mr Caposiena’s family detailed the “catastrophic ripple effect” of Edmunds’ conduct, particularly on his partner who witnessed his murder and was herself seriously injured by Cassidy.

“These deaths were an avoidable tragedy. The issues confronting you were so easily resolved without resorting to violence,” he said.

At an earlier hearing, Mr Caposiena’s partner said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing his violent murder.

Mr Caposiena’s sister, Maria Bortone, described Edmunds as “pure evil” while another sibling Teresa Affina said her brother had been “ripped away”.

“All we want is justice and closure for our brother,” Ms Affina said.

Seated in the dock wearing a light pink blazer and flanked by custody officers, Edmunds looked down for much of the sentencing hearing.

She has spent nearly two years in custody and will be eligible for parole in 2042.