Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s, which was televised onOprah Winfrey’s OWN network, was an instant hit during its eight year-run from 2011 to 2018. Owned and operated by former Ike and Tina Turner backup singer, Robbie Montgomery, along with her son Tim Norman, the soul foodrestaurantachieved much success due to its visibility. Sweetie Pie’s later branched out to several locations including in other states. Surprisingly, personal troubles arose before the reality series ended in 2018. In 2017, Miss Robbie sued her son Tim over trademark infringement and prior to that, her grandson Andre Montgomery was tragically gunned down in St. Louis in 2016. However, the biggest shock was yet to come.
In 2020, Tim Norman was arrested for an alleged murder-for-hire plot involving his nephew, Andre Montgomery, and Miss Robbie’s grandson. Norman was busted by the feds for his alleged role in the 2016 shooting death of the 21-year-old after taking out a $450k life insurance policy on Montgomery back in 2014. The Feds say he worked with a Memphis-based woman named Terica Ellis to allegedly pull off the murder. Also charged, was Travell Hill, whom Norman reportedly paid $5,000 to carry out the murder and who on Friday changed his plea to guilty. According to Hill,he met Norman on the day of the murdernear the Clinton-Peabody Housing Complex south of downtown St. Louis for a “discussion.” Hill was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and another count of murder-for-hire in Montgomery’s killing. Both counts carry a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Tim Norman is No Stranger to Trouble or Alleged Schemes
Norman, the only surviving child of Robbie Montgomery, previously spent 10 years in prison when he was arrested for armed robbery at age 17. He appeared to be on the straight and narrow, helping his mother with the restaurant business. In 2015, Robbie Montgomery reported a burglary that took place at her north St. Louis County home while she was on vacation. According to police records, at least $220,000 worth of cash, jewelry, and other items were stolen. Norman accused his nephew, but Andre pointed the finger back at his uncle. Montgomery took a polygraph test in March 2016 and told police had been out of town. He added that his grandmother was trying to remove Norman from some business ventures. Four days later, Montgomery was murdered. In a 2016 episode ofWelcome to Sweetie Pie’s, Norman and his mother visited the scene of the crime.
Since Norman’s arrest, another family member had alleged that his next likely intended target was his mother. The anonymous source claimed Norman was drowning in debt, owed back taxes and owed a lot of people money, including the mother of his child for back child support, and had taken out a $1 million life insurance policy on Miss Robbie. The source asked that the public keep their family in prayer. Also charged with wire and mail fraud, Norman faces life in prison if found guilty. Prosecutors originally sought the death penalty in his case but opted not to move forward with it.
