Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- A Magna man, Orane James Spence, is charged with soliciting a hit man to commit murder.
- Spence allegedly planned to have his ex-wife and her mother killed for $10,000.
- He discussed making the murder appear as a robbery or drug deal gone bad.
SALT LAKE CITY — A 33-year-old Magna man is facing criminal charges for allegedly going through "great lengths to make arrangements to have his ex-wife and her mother killed," according to investigators.
Orane James Spence was charged Friday in 3rd District Court with criminal solicitation to commit murder, a first-degree felony; and obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony.
The investigation began when a confidential informant in Connecticut contacted the FBI, claiming Spence had asked him to murder someone, according to charging documents.
"The FBI had several recorded conversations between the confidential informant and Spence. Spence and the confidential informant spoke in Jamaican Patois. Spence knew the confidential informant as an online gaming buddy but was unsure of his real name," the charges state.
"During the recorded phone calls, the confidential informant and Spence discussed the arrangements to have 'her' killed. Spence did not provide her name but provided several details, such as she would be dropping off the kids at his residence on Sunday at (7 p.m.). Spence discussed how he wanted the murder to look like a robbery and agreed to pay the confidential informant $10,000 for the crime," charging documents continued.
Spence also talked about leaving drugs at the scene to make the killing also look like the result of a drug deal gone bad, according to the charges. In addition, he allegedly talked about providing the confidential informant with a gun.
Although Spence initially only talked about his ex being killed, he later "requested that her mother also be killed," the charges state.
"Spence told the confidential informant that the moment she is out of the way, life is better. Spence told the confidential informant that if he couldn't do the crime, Spence had two other people who could. Agents learned that Spence had been recently divorced, and it was believed that the females he was making arrangements to kill were his ex-wife and her mother," charging documents state.
Police say Spence's divorce was finalized on April 18. His ex-wife described to investigators "a very controlling relationship with Spence that included domestic violence," the charges state. "(She) stated that in February, Spence told her that he had a dream where he had killed her."
When asked why she thought Spence wanted her dead, the ex-wife told police, "Spence is narcissistic enough that he thought she would never leave him. In their divorce, she was awarded the house and the custody of the children. (She) stated that Spence told her he would burn the house down so no one would get it and she believes this is why he wanted her dead," charging documents state.
When police went to arrest Spence in April, they found an envelope with a large number of $100 bills in his bedroom, the charges state.
