Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504130053
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BREEA WILLINGHAM and MATT CHITTUM
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
But the supposed plot succeeded only in landing a Roanoke man and woman in the Roanoke City Jail on charges of criminal solicitation for capital murder.
According to Roanoke Police Lt. W.J. Beason, the pair were arrested this week after a man told police that two lovers hired him to kill the woman's husband to get him "out of the way."
Beason said Nelson Decker told Roanoke police Monday that earlier that day, a man approached him and asked him to kill Decker's brother-in-law, Curtis Tucker. According to Beason, Decker told police that when he met the man, he was given a handgun to use in the slaying and told he could keep the gun as payment. Decker told police he never agreed to go through with the killing, Beason said. He just left the plan up in the air and went to the police.
After speaking with both Roanoke and Vinton investigators, Beason said, Decker agreed to cooperate with police. Decker met with the man again, this time in Roanoke, and the man again asked him to kill Curtis Tucker.
Beason said once Roanoke and Vinton investigators questioned the man, they also filed charges against Decker's sister. Robert Darrell Lawrence, 41, of the 500 block of Highland Avenue Southwest, and Irene Ann Tucker, 24, of the 1800 block of Chapman Avenue Southwest, were arrested without incident about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The two were being held Wednesday night without bond. If convicted of the charges, each faces 10 years in prison.
Keywords:
ROMUR
Memo: ***CORRECTION***