 Houston
Police Department > News Releases
Three Arrested in Murder-For-Hire Plot
February 7, 2005 -- Houston
police homicide investigators have arrested three suspects in
a murder-for-hire plot of one of the suspect's family members.
The suspects were identified as Charles Campbell
(b/m, DOB 1-19-59), Gerald
Ordner (w/m, DOB 11-2-58) and Shelly Diann Owen (w/f, DOB 12-12-64).
Each is
charged with solicitation to commit capital murder in the 184th
State District
Court.
HPD Homicide Division Sergeant C.E. Elliott and
Officer T.W. Miller reported:
On January 27, investigators received information
on a conspiracy to commit
capital murder. A team of investigators from the narcotics and
homicide
divisions were joined by agents from the local office of the Federal
Bureau of
Investigation. It was learned the potential victim of the alleged
conspiracy
was an unknown male whose wife was trying to have him killed.
Over the next
several days, a series of meetings and conversations were held
among the
co-conspirators. An undercover officer was introduced to the group
as the
potential "hitman." A number of the meetings were recorded
and the alleged
amount to be paid was $25,000.
On January 29, suspect Charles Campbell met with
the undercover officer and
discussed the alleged murder for hire. He delivered a large sum
of
counterfeit money to the undercover officer to sell as partial
payment. The
exact amount can not be determined until the counterfeit currency
is processed
for fingerprints.
On February 1, Campbell was arrested and gave
a statement in regards to his
participation and agreed to cooperate with investigators. Information
was
obtained to identify the potential victim of the alleged plot
and that victim,
Peter Fitzgerald, was notified of the investigation. A meeting
was also held
that day in Brenham between Campbell, the undercover officer and
suspect
Gerald Ordner leading to Ordner's arrest. Ordner provided a statement
to his
involvement and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
On February 3, a meeting was arranged in Brenham
between suspect Ordner, the
undercover officer and suspect Shelly Diann Owen. Owen is the
wife of Peter
Fitzgerald and the two were going through a divorce proceeding.
With the
assistance of the Brenham Police Department, Owen was arrested
and gave a
partial admission to her involvement in the conspiracy to have
her husband
killed.
JFC/MJS 2-7-05
Inc #014476805
For additional information, please
contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.
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