Woman stages own kidnapping to catch ex-boyfriend who hired hitman to kill her

A US woman staged her own kidnapping to help detectives catch the ex-boyfriend accused of ordering a hitman to kill her and her new partner.

Meghan Verikas and “Mack” McDaniel were the alleged targets of a murder-for-hire plan hatched by their former partners, Leon Jacob and Valerie McDaniel.

Police allege Jacob and McDaniel, who were dating one another, offered hitmen $AU26,000 and two Cartier watches to complete the job in March 2017.

In order to catch the accused, detectives had Verikas, 33, and McDaniel, 51, pose for staged photos.

In one series of images, shown in a Texas court this week, Verikas is depicted with her wrists bound and tape over her mouth.