Netflix's Worst Ex Ever is a series based on real, spine-chilling crimes. The cases of Rosa Hill and Mei Li particularly stand out as shocking tales of manipulation, crime, and a sinister plan called "Operation Custody."
The story revolves around a custody battle gone wrong, leading to a murder planned by a mother-daughter duo. Their crime was driven by a desire to regain custody of a child that spiraled into something terrible.
Disclaimer: Reader discretion is advised as some cases contain graphic details and sensitive topics.
What crimes did Rosa and Mei commit in Worst Ex Ever?
Desperate to get her daughter back, Rosa Hill devised a plan she called Operation Custody. It involved murdering her ex-husband Eric Hill’s 91-year-old grandmother, Selma "Sally" Hill, to frame Eric and get him out of the picture.
Both women believed Eric's arrest would allow Rosa to regain custody of her daughter. The mother-daughter duo secretly rented a location in Brentwood and began gathering weapons and tools for the crime.
On January 7, 2009, Rosa and Mei broke into Sally’s home. They tased her, strangled her, and wrapped her body before leaving it in a trashcan in the backyard shed. They believed this would be enough to create a scenario where Eric could be blamed for Sally’s death.
Later, when Eric arrived at Sally's house with his daughter, he sensed something was wrong. As he searched for his grandmother, Rosa and Mei attacked him. When Eric tried to defend himself, Rosa pulled a gun on him.
The detectives who worked the case speculated that the women's shared delusion might have been influenced by a rare psychiatric condition called folie a deux, where two people share a delusion or psychotic disorder.
Police initially struggled to understand who was the victim and who was the perpetrator. During their investigation, they came across Sally's body and a backpack with weapons like crossbows, a hunting knife, and a crowbar. Rosa's car, parked nearby, contained a samurai sword, among other dangerous items.
How did it all start?
The series Worst Ex Ever revealed that things took a turn for the worse after their first daughter was born just a year later. Eric was working two jobs to support his family, which left him exhausted and with little time for his wife and child.
This strain led to frequent arguments, and Rosa started threatening divorce. She would take their daughter to her parents' house, often leaving Eric alone. By 2007, the couple separated, with Rosa maintaining control over their assets.
Months after their separation, Rosa refused to let Eric see their daughter on her first birthday. This was the final straw for Eric, who decided to sue for custody. Rosa retaliated by making up false allegations, starting with an email to Eric’s workplace claiming he was planning a shooting. This led to Eric being suspended while an investigation was conducted, which ultimately revealed the allegations to be false.
Not stopping there, Rosa further accused Eric of abusing their child. Again, the court found these claims to be unfounded, which ultimately resulted in Eric gaining full custody of their daughter.
The court's decision marked a turning point for Rosa. Her desperation to regain custody led her to hatch a dangerous plan with Mei. They decided that the best way to get back at Eric and reclaim her daughter was to eliminate his 91-year-old grandmother, Sally.
Operation Custody was a shocking example of how far some people will go to get what they want. Rosa and Mei's plan to murder an innocent 91-year-old woman to regain custody of a child shows the dark side of obsession and desperation. Justice was served, and Rosa and Mei were sentenced to 25 years in prison on 28 July 2011.
You can watch Worst Ex Ever on Netflix.
