Feb. 15 (UPI) — A Monroe, Wash., man inadvertently texted a request for help in killing his wife to his former employer, police said after the man was arrested.
The text from Jeffery Lytle, 42, addressed to a person named “Shayne,” read in part, “You remember you said that you would help me kill my wife. I’m going to take you up on that offer,” a court document stated.
The message added the accomplice should make the death look like an accident or a robbery, and offered up half of a $1 million insurance policy as payment. He suggested that “Shayne” could also kill Lytle’s daughter, 4, whose life insurance policy was valued at $500,000, for a bonus payment.
The message was sent to an ex-employer, who notified police. Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Lytle last week and charged him with two counts of felony criminal solicitation for the crime of murder in the first degree, court documents said.
The court records added that Lytle said he wrote the text message to “vent” after an argument with his wife, and left it on his cellphone; he contended his daughter must have sent the message. Lytle said he told police he often uses text messaging to express his frustrations, but never intended to harm his wife or daughter.
He also denied knowing anyone with the name “Shayne,” calling it “just a name” he used when composing stress-relieving text messages.
Lytle was held on $1 million bail, and will return to court on March 3.
