# Matthew Hightower gets 40 years for botched murder-for-hire

> Matthew Hightower sentenced to 40 years after botched murder-for-hire killed Baltimore educator’s aide.
- Title: Matthew Hightower gets 40 years for botched murder-for-hire
- Summary: Matthew Hightower sentenced to 40 years after botched murder-for-hire killed Baltimore educator’s aide. Matthew Hightower received 40 years in prison for…
- Keywords: matthew hightower, latrina ashburne, baltimore, murder-for-hire, federal court, healthcare fraud, u.s. attorney, news, local, Matthew, Hightower, gets
- Source: The Banner — https://thebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/botched-murder-for-hire-matthew-hightower-prison-sentence-BK6MX5GKUVA75OIF4RO7DKSDRE
- Author: Justin Fenton
- Published: 2026-10-08T21:57:27.396+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: matthew hightower, latrina ashburne, baltimore, murder-for-hire, federal court, healthcare fraud, u.s. attorney, news, local
## Botched murder-for-hire case
Matthew Hightower, a 44-year-old from Baltimore, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the botched murder-for-hire that killed Latrina Ashburne, a Baltimore teacher’s aide.
## Case details
Ashburne, 41, was killed on May 27, 2016, when contract killers mistakenly shot her next door to a federal witness Hightower targeted for healthcare fraud information.
## Hightower’s prior sentence
Hightower has already served 31 years for healthcare fraud and killing David Wutoh, and his sentence for Ashburne’s murder will be served concurrently.
## Defense argument
Defense attorneys argued the sentence should leave open the possibility that Hightower would live some portion of his final years as a free man rather than dying in federal custody.
## Prosecution stance
Federal prosecutors described Hightower as a businessman, hustler, and successful drug dealer who knew exactly what he was doing when hiring contract killers.
## Family reaction
An unidentified member of Ashburne’s family wrote the judge that the drawn-out case was difficult but the sentence would provide some measure of closure.
## Key takeaway

Matthew Hightower received 40 years in prison for fatally shooting Latrina Ashburne, a Baltimore teacher’s aide, in a botched murder-for-hire scheme.