Santa Ana man charged in plot to kill ex-wife
A man battling his former wife over child support and custody allegedly tried to hire an undercover detective to kill her, Orange County prosecutors allege.
Authorities on Monday charged William John Wallace, 33, of Santa Ana with one felony count of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, and two felony counts of solicitation to commit murder. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.
Authorities say Wallace hired a private investigator in August to find negative information about the woman, eager to use it against her in court, where child support payments would be decided. And then starting in September, Wallace allegedly began confiding in the detective that he wanted her killed.
By October, Wallace had asked the detective if he knew of anyone who would kill the woman and get rid of her body, officials allege. The investigator then alerted police.
Over the weekend, Wallace met with an undercover detective from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department who he believed could carry out the crime. He brought a picture of the intended victim, offering $30,000 as payment for murder, prosecutors allege. He also allegedly demanded that the murder occur after Dec. 23, when he planned to travel out of the country for Christmas.
Wallace is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges Dec. 31 in Orange County Superior Court.
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Twitter: @newsterrier
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