Man In Tulsa County Jail Accused Of Hiring Hitman To Kill His Wife For $500

A man is in the Tulsa County jail Friday night on a $1 million bond, accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife for $500.

Investigators said this is just the latest incident in a long line of what they call increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior. 

Investigators said James Turner gave five $100 bills to a man to have Turner's wife killed, but they said that man never intended to take the job.

The affidavit said the man took Turner’s money but also recorded their conversations, then handed it all over to law enforcement.  

"Drugs were definitely involved in this. Even in the recordings they were partaking in drugs,” said Whitney Murray, detective with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. 

Documents said Turner's wife was leaving him and she had a protective order because Turner said things like, "get the kids and go somewhere because what is going to happen next is not going to be good," and, "the next time you leave, it will be in a body bag." 

Documents said she took the kids to a safe place for six days. 

"The victim was terrified for her life,” said Murray.  

Records show it didn't take long before Turner was accused of violating that protective order.

He was charged violating it on June 29, July 2, July 8 and again on July 22. That time, he was also charged with planning an act of violence and breaking and entering. On September 15th, he was charged with violating the protective order once more. 

"There were multiple people involved in this and had he caught word that they were helping me or the Tulsa County Sheriff's office in any way, it ultimately could've ended some lives right then and there," said Murray. 

Documents show Turner went to the victim's home several nights in a row with a gun, claiming there were people on the property and said he would kill the family's animals. He was accused of sending threatening texts, stealing property, and destroying property. 

"It blew my mind when I saw that he turned himself in," said Murray.  

He's now in jail, accused of soliciting murder.