Bill Jean Loftis, who is currently in the county jail awaiting a preliminary hearing for a rape case, could face five years to life in prison if he is convicted of the charge filed Wednesday against him.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Special Agent Shawn Ward wrote in his report that on June 6 he received a request for assistance from Sequoyah County Sheriff's investigators Roger Fuller and Cindy Smith. The investigation was in reference to an inmate in the county jail attempting to hire someone to kill his wife. Smith interviewed an inmate that said Loftis had offered to pay him if the inmate would "get rid of Loftis' wife."
Ward interviewed five inmates on June 6, who all said they heard Loftis talk about or inquire with other inmates about having his wife killed.
According to court records, one inmate told Ward during an interview that he went into a cell with Loftis and another man in early May when Loftis started asking him if he was a "hit man." Loftis allegedly told the inmate that he had a problem with his wife and needed someone to take care of it for him. Loftis allegedly said he would pay the inmate $2,500 down if he or someone he knew would kill Loftis' wife. Loftis said he would pay an additional $2,500 after it was done. Loftis allegedly did not want his wife to testify at his next court date. Loftis allegedly said he wanted his wife killed when their children weren't present. The inmate told police that he informed Loftis that he didn't know anyone who would do something like that. The inmate told Ward that he believed Loftis was serious about wanting his wife killed and decided to inform the jailers about what Loftis was asking him to do.
Ward interviewed four other inmates on June 6, one of whom was present when Loftis allegedly proposed paying a fellow inmate to kill Loftis' wife. The inmate said he was in jail with Loftis when he allegedly talked about his case. The inmate said he could tell Loftis hated his wife, and Loftis later asked him if he knew anyone who could get rid of his wife.
Other inmates, also incarcerated with Loftis, told Ward that they heard Loftis say he wanted his wife dead. One of the inmates said Loftis asked him if he knew anyone who could take care of someone for him and again offered $2,500. Both men said Loftis indicated he wanted his wife killed before his next court date.
One of the inmates said Loftis allegedly told him that his wife put a padlock on the door to "the little girl's room to keep him away from the girl." Loftis allegedly said if his wife would have put the padlock on the door like she was supposed to do that "he wouldn't have got to the little girl and things would not have turned out like they did."
Loftis was charged in April with 12 counts of first-degree rape from incidents involving a young girl. The incidents allegedly began in August 2005. The girl was 11 years old when the charges were filed earlier this year.
The girl told police that Loftis allegedly threatened to hurt her family members if she told anyone about the incidents.
During an interview with police, Loftis allegedly denied there had been any physical contact between him and the girl, saying he had a condition that prevented him from that type of activity.
Loftis was convicted in 2003 in Leflore County with a lewd act to a child and received supervised probation. After charges were filed against him in Sequoyah County, LeFlore County prosecutors filed an application to revoke his suspended sentence on the 2003 case.
Another inmate interviewed by Ward said Loftis told him he had "kinfolk" who would "take care of his wife." He said the children would reverse their story and he would get out of jail because the children liked him better than his wife. The inmate said he believed Loftis was serious when he made the comments.
