Biological mom targeted in Christopher Pence's murder-for-hire plot says she hasn't seen her five children he adopted in YEARS

The heartbroken mother at the center of a murder-for-hire plot has broken her silence to reveal that she has not seen five of her children for more than two years despite a court ordered adoption agreement requiring contact.

Utah based Microsoft engineer Christopher Pence, 43, was sentenced to seven years last week in a deal that saw him plead guilty to masterminding a plot to kill the biological parents of the children that he and his wife, Michelle, 45, adopted, six years ago.

Now, speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Hoosick Falls, New York, the children's mother, Christina Cordero, 39, has revealed the truth behind the catastrophic breakdown of the complicated relationship between the two families.

Clearly emotional, she said, 'It's a very sensitive situation. We have not had any contact with our children for two and a half years. So, we are praying that the mother, who we don't believe was involved in the plot at all, would be willing to restore contact with us but so far, she's unwilling until he returns home.'

Microsoft engineer Christopher Pence, 43, was sentenced to seven years for plotting to kill the biological parents of his adopted children 

The children's biological  mother, Christina Cordero, 39, tells DailyMail.com that she hasn't seen her kids for more than two years despite a court ordered agreement

'It's a very frustrating, heartbreaking situation for us,' an emotional Christina said from her home in Hoosick Falls, New York, while her husband Francisco, 36, looked on

While her husband Francisco, 36, looked on, Christina continued, 'It's a very frustrating, heartbreaking situation for us.

'There's a judge signed order of contact and they haven't followed it.'

It is four months since Pence, who already had ten children with his wife, confessed his role in plotting the Corderos' murder in a crime that was to have taken place in the Fall of 2021.

According to the criminal complaint viewed by DailyMail.com Pence first accessed a website called Darknet in July 2021, 'with the purpose of soliciting the killing of the intended victims'.

Pence first accessed a website called Darknet in July 2021, 'with the purpose of soliciting the killing of the intended victims', according to a complaint 

He did so unaware that federal agents had a source with access to the site who intercepted his communications and informed agents of the murder plot in which an 'accident or botched robbery,' was to leave the two adults dead but their three remaining children unharmed.

The killer was to be paid $16,000 in Bitcoin.

Chillingly, Pence culled pictures of the Corderos from a 'baby book' they had provided for their children and sent them as identifying images to the people he thought would kill them.

Yet despite the horrific nature the plot to which Pence confessed in October 2021, Christina said, 'We're trying to restore relationships. His wife has been willing to talk to my mom so it's a step in the right direction.'

And in an extraordinary expression of forgiveness she explained, 'Our faith is what led us to connect with them in the first place, we believe that they share our faith and we're still hoping that they will return to the same sentiments that it began with.'

The two families' paths first crossed when mother-of-eight Christina responded to an online advertisement placed by the Pence family.

It read, 'We would like to adopt a child who is less than 11 years old. We are open to boys or girls. We feel we can accommodate a sibling group of up to 5 kids. Almost any ethnic background will blend in with our family. 

'We are open to children with many, many special needs,' the ad continued. 'We do not mind having contact with the child's biological parents (by email or by phone or by mail or in person) provided the parent was/is not abusive to the child.'

Pence worked as a security architect for Microsoft at the time of his arrest

He and his wife, Michelle, adopted five children from the upstate New York couple, who Pence later targeted in the murder-for-hire scheme, believing they were abusing the kids

When FBI agents swarmed his Utah home in October 2021, Pence admitted to his involvement in the scheme

It was this last promise, along with their shared faith, that spoke to Christina who, according to Pence, messaged his wife explaining that she was concerned that her children were not safe around her husband and that he had been propositioning other women.

Pence told federal agents, 'The mom basically said, look, I need somewhere for my kids to go, they're not safe here.'

At the time, the Pence family were in Massachusetts as part of a six-week cross country trip from their then-home in Washington state.

In a matter-of-fact statement Pence told agents, 'So we left. We got to Massachusetts with 10 children and left there with 15.'

Pence's sister, April Foltz, set up a GoFundMe page for his wife, Michelle, following his arrest in October 2021.

In it she described her brother's family as 'very happy' and 'loving.' She said, 'He has always been the solid provider. My sister-in-law does not work as she homeschools their kids.'

At the time Pence had been charged and remanded in custody while awaiting trial for what Foltz admits was 'a terrible crime,' but seemed to mitigate with the facts that it 'did not involve any harm or misconduct to the children or his wife and did not involve any infidelity'.

She wrote, 'The hard part is they have no money to pay the mortgage, to buy food, utilities, put gas in the car, etc.…They will most likely lose their family home.'

Records seen by DailyMail.com show that the couple bought the 5,800 square foot, seven-bedroom home set in 20 acres of land in Utah's Cedar City for $637, 500 in November 2020 with a $510,000 mortgage.

The home, now valued at around $1million, was searched on October 27, 2021, in a dawn raid executed by 16 armed federal agents and five civilians. While Pence was interviewed in a federal vehicle his family huddled in one of the home's large main rooms as agents fanned out to search the residence.

According to court documents, when presented with all of the evidence they had already amassed against him, Pence 'confessed almost immediately' and asked agents, 'Have I ruined my life?'

Pence's sister, April Foltz, organized the fundraising campaign on behalf of his family, including 10 of his and Michelle's own children

Pence's family continued to support him, with wife Michelle urging GoFundMe donors to 'pray that charges would be dropped'

Christina Cordero would not comment on Pence's account of her reasons for reaching out to the Pence family in the first place.

Instead, standing in the front yard or her home, a backdrop strewn with children's toys and tricycles, she said only that she and her husband were 'hopeful' that they would be able to restore relations with the Pences and see their children once more.

According to the criminal complaint, 'There was an escalating dispute between the two families such that the intended victims' desire to regain custody of their children and were involved in the reporting of Pence's family to local child welfare authorities, both of which reportedly angered Pence.'

Christina would not be drawn on whether she and her husband were seeking to regain custody of their children but, for his part, Pence alleged that it was the Corderos, and not his family, who were in some way abusive to the children.

He was sentenced in the Northern District of New York last Friday and will serve three years supervised release after completion of his seven-year prison term.