Man Accidentally Sends ‘Help Me Kill My Wife’ Text To Ex-Boss Instead Of Hitman
A Washington man has been arrested after he accidentally sent a text to his former boss that was allegedly meant for a hitman named Shayne. Jeff Lytle, 42, reportedly sent a series of text messages to his ex-boss indicating that he would like to “take him up on his offer” to kill his wife and 4-year-old daughter. It was indicated that in exchange for murdering the pair, Lytle would split the $1.5 million insurance payout with the killer. However, when the former boss received the unintended message, he immediately turned it over to police who made the arrest for two counts of criminal solicitation of first-degree murder.
USA Today reports that 42-year-old Jeff Lytle of Monroe, Washington, was arrested after sending a text reportedly meant for a hitman to the wrong number. The police report indicates that Lytle composed a message to someone named “Shayne” which detailed that he would like the purported hitman to help him kill his wife.
“Hey Shayne hows it going. You remember you said that you would help me kill my wife. I’m going to take you up on that offer. I’ll split everything with the insurance 50/50.”
In exchange for not only killing Jeff’s wife but also his 4-year-old daughter, it was detailed that a $1 million life insurance payout would be split 50/50. However, the plot didn’t end with the death of Jeff’s wife. The NY Daily News reports that Jeff offered up his 4-year-old daughter as a “bonus.” It was indicated that the hitman could kill the child as well for an additional split of $500,000, bringing the total payout for the double homicide to $1.5 million, split between the two.
The police report indicates that Lytle wanted the murder to look like a “robbery gone wrong” or an accident. It was also outlined in court documents that Jeff provided “Shayne” with details about his wife’s schedule, including when she would get home daily from her job at Walmart. According to the Daily Mail, Jeff’s wife was identified via social media as Rhoda Mee Funtanilla Lydle.
“If you can make it look like a robbery gone wrong or make it a accident she works at Walmart she gets off at 11:00.”
However, unbeknownst to Jeff Lytle, the message was not sent to its intended party, but instead his former employer. Once the ex-boss received the startling messages, the police were called and the arrest was made. Police indicate that when Lytle was confronted with the text messages and allegations, he noted that his 4-year-old daughter may have accidentally sent the text messages and that he was just writing those text messages to “vent.” In fact, Lytle claims that he was only drafting the messages in anger after getting into a fight with his wife but claims he had no intention of actually sending them.
When pressed about the identity of Shayne, Lytle has maintained that Shayne is not a real person and does not exist. Despite his pleas, the police say that they believe Lytle wanted to kill his wife and daughter and that they will be investigating the claims further. Meanwhile, Jeff Lytle has been booked into Snohomish County jail and is being held on a $1,000,000 bond.
Police are attempting to obtain warrants to search Lytle’s phone and home residence for more clues and for information on the family’s insurance policies and potential communications with “Shayne.”
[Featured Image by Jeff Lytle/Facebook]
