BATON ROUGE — A woman accused of killing the father of her children in March pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Hope Jackson is accused of pressuring her boyfriend, Riddick Franklin, into killing Anthony Wesley Jr., the father of her children, according to arrest records. 

Records show that Wesley and Jackson were involved in a custody dispute, with Wesley filing a petition for custody, paternity, visitation, and child support for both his son and daughter. Worried about losing the upcoming court date, Jackson allegedly told Franklin that she wanted Wesley gone because she was tired of child support not being processed.

Franklin allegedly waited in the parking lot of Wesley's apartment complex for hours on March 22 before shooting and killing him.

Jackson and Franklin were both officially charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, with Franklin facing additional charges of illegal use of a weapon and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

In August, Jackson pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence.