Four arrested for plot to murder
Published 12:00 am Friday, November 5, 1999
A Pike County woman has been arrested and charged with solitation to commit murder, and three Troy men have been arrested and charged with attempted murder in the Saturday shooting of an Ebenezer man.
At 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 the Pike County Sheriff’s Department repsonded to a call where Lamar Rhodes, a Pike County man, was shot at his residence.
Arrested were the victim’s wife, Wanda Rhodes of Banks, Ala., who was charged with solicitation to commit murder; and Larry Dewayne Voris, 19, Wiley Noble Morse, 22, and Rushing Roy Hutchinson, 17, all of Troy. Voris, Morse and Hutchinson were all charged with attempted murder.
"Upon arriving at the scene the victim, Lamar Rhodes, white male, was located at a nearby residence where he had driven his truck for help, after being shot three times," said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas. "He ran and got into his truck and was shot in the face by the second shot, the third shot was from two feet away, hitting him in the chest."
Thomas said according to Mr. Rhodes, he was standing in his yard picking up pecans when the first shot hit him in the chest. The shot came for a wooded area, Thomas said. He ran and got into his truck and was shot in the face by the second shot, the third shot was from two feet away, hitting Rhodes in the chest, Thomas said.
During the investigation, the Pike County Sheriff’s Dept. learned Wanda Rhodes allegedly had a plan to kill her husband.
Thomas said on Oct. 28, the wife (Wanda Rhodes) allegedly met with three individuals to solict someone to kill her husband. She was allegedly to pay $1,500 and supply the gun, Thomas said.
"The money was to be paid after she collected a life insurance policy for her husband’s death," Thomas said.
According to the Sheriff’s Department Wanda Rhodes allegedly drove to Troy and picked up three males. Thomas said she allegedly gave them a shotgun and drove them to a wooded area near her residence and dropped them off, where they allegedly waited in the woods until Mr. Rhodes came home from work. Thomas said Mr. Rhodes arrived home between 1:30 and 2 p.m., when his wife met him outside and told him she was going to the store.
"When she left the residence," Thomas said, "They opened fire on the victim."
All four suspects are being held in the Pike County Jail under a $50,000 bond.