ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 27, 1996 TAG: 9607300041
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STAUNTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
A former soap opera actress accused of plotting to kill her husband was under a suicide watch in jail, a prosecutor said Friday.
Catherine Ann Christianson, 39, of Churchville was arrested Wednesday night and charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill her husband for $20,000.
She played a recurring role on the ABC-TV daytime drama ``One Life to Live'' in 1991 and has starred in regional theater productions from Virginia to Illinois.
A bond hearing that had been set for Friday was postponed so her attorney could talk with family members, said Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney Raymond Robertson. The prosecutor said Christianson had been placed under a suicide watch in the Augusta County Jail.
``We were concerned that she might do something foolish to herself,'' he said. ``They put her in isolation and watched her carefully.''
Robertson said police have not determined the motive for the alleged plot to kill her husband, Rick Chittum. They have a 2-year-old son.
``She has not made admissions of anything. When she was arrested, she didn't clam up and say, `I won't talk.' She just professed not knowing what it was all about,'' Robertson said.
But police have a videotape in which Christianson discusses the plot with a laborer who had worked for the couple, the prosecutor said.
``For whatever reason, she felt that he could be trusted and would be at least someone who could be approached,'' Robertson said.
She is accused of asking the Staunton man, whose name was not released, to commit the murder for $20,000.
He called police, who videotaped a meeting between Christianson and the man at his house Wednesday morning. She was arrested at her home that evening.
Robertson said he knew of no problems between Christianson and her husband, who owns an area Christmas tree farm.
``I think the husband was quite shaken when we brought him in,'' the prosecutor said. ``He cooperated fully.''
Christianson played a character named Jane on the soap opera from September to November 1991.
This spring she starred as Gloria in ``Grace and Glorie'' at the Mill Mountain Theatre in Roanoke and recently did the same show at the New American Theater in Rockford, Ill.
``She was very good,'' said Jere Hodgin, executive director of Mill Mountain. ``She has Broadway credits, and she's a very talented woman.''
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Christiansonby CNB