The Early 2000s Food Network Star Whose Promising Career Ended With A Prison Sentence

In the early 2000s, Juan-Carlos Cruz rose to fame as the lively host of Food Network's "Calorie Commando", creating low-calorie versions of hearty, lovable dishes. He gained credibility from undergoing a dramatic weight loss after previously being a successful pastry chef at the Hotel Bel-Air. After the show's run from 2004-2006, a few years later, his name was once again in lights — but not for a good reason. In December 2010, Cruz was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading no contest to attempted solicitation of the murder of his wife, Jennifer Campbell.

Many Food Network stars have faced controversy throughout their careers, but Cruz's case arguably takes the crown. The strangest — and perhaps most enthralling — part? Cruz told police he did it all for love. Reports suggest Cruz and Campbell had struggled with fertility issues for over a decade, launching them into debt and despair. As a result, Cruz claimed to have wanted to end his high school sweetheart's life before Mother's Day of that year, saving her from the heightened pain of that day. As the couple never considered adopting, brokenhearted from their struggles, Cruz insisted to investigators he believed his intentions to be merciful. Sources claim Campbell may have wanted to end her life, but her religious beliefs deterred her from committing what she considered to be the ultimate sin.

While online commentators reveal they "sadly [...] had forgotten about" old Food Network programs such as "Calorie Commando", it may be a good thing for Cruz. When typing Juan-Carlos Cruz or the show on any search engine, most results that pop up relate to Cruz's legal troubles. This proves the most famous thing the chef ever cooked up was in fact his own demise.

Cruz first considered killing himself and Campbell before Mother's Day of that year (May 9, 2010) but ultimately chose to hire others to perform his dirty work. Finding two unhoused men, David Carrington and David Walters, he bribed them with 10 $100 bills cut in half to slash Campbell's throat with a box cutter, telling the men they'd receive the other halves of bills once the job was completed. To prepare for Campbell's murder, Cruz gave the men photographs of the couple's Westwood condominium, and the three communicated on throwaway cellphones and located escape routes and building surveillance, according to official case reports. Despite planning the execution for several weeks, aiming for the job to be done by the holiday, Cruz was betrayed as Carrington tipped off the police.

For someone who was thoroughly planning the death of his wife, Cruz went to great lengths to promise a lack of suffering for all involved. Initially planning to have Campbell's throat slashed with a box cutter, Cruz was additionally open to her being strangled by her pantyhose as he was quoted telling the men he prefers "not to have a mess." Perhaps the most bizarrely-kind length Cruz went to involved the care for his dogs. Concerned for his dogs' safety, he gave Carrington and Walters a bag of dog treats to ensure the pups' silence during the atrocity. Of course, this was all done without knowing Carrington had been in communication with the police. Police had enough information to arrest Cruz without incident on May 13, 2010. Prior to his sentencing, Cruz was held on a $5 million bail. In the official December ruling, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Chester Horn ordered Cruz may not be eligible for parole until he served half his sentence.