By Guy Leonard, County Times
LEONARDTOWN, Md. (June 7, 2007) - Sheriff’s investigators have arrested a 16-year-old male from Valley Lee who they say tried to hire an undercover deputy posing as an assassin in an attempt to kill his mother and father.
Lt. Rick Burris, commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation said that investigators had dealt with murder for hire schemes in the past but not involving a suspect this young.
At a bond hearing June 5 in St. Mary’s County District Court, Judge John F. Slade III remanded the juvenile to detention until his trial date with out the possibility of making bail.
Investigators acted quickly to set up a sting when they learned of the alleged plot from a third party that the juvenile was seeking to hire someone to kill his parents, Burris said.
Because the suspect is a juvenile and because the police wish to protect the parents of the suspect, The County Times is keeping the name of those involved confidential.
Due to his alleged crime, the suspect has been charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Attempts to contact the juvenile’s parents went unanswered.
Both charges carry life terms in prison if the suspect is convicted.
According to police press releases and charging documents the juvenile met with the undercover deputy at a hotel in Lexington Park to seal the deal for his parents’ murder June 2.
Other sheriff’s deputies attached to the investigation used video and audio equipment to listen in on the conversation between the suspect and the undercover officer, charging documents said.
The two then had a conversation detailing a formal agreement to have the suspect’s parents murdered to include payment for the undercover deputy.
Charging documents stated that when the undercover deputy asked how the killing should be done the suspect replied: “Two bullets is all it takes.”
Additional undercover officers approached the juvenile suspect after the deal was made and placed him under arrest.
Burris said the juvenile was arrested without incident.