Catfishing scheme helps police uncover murder-for-hire plot

GARNER, NC (WNCN) — An investigation into an online dating scam turned into the initial victim facing charges of trying to hire someone to kill her mother.

Garner police arrested 55-year-old Roxanne Reed for felony conspiracy to commit murder against her 88-year-old mother, Emma Maurine Hammontree.

Investigators said they found out about the plot when Reed reported losing money to someone online.

“A romance-type scam, some identity theft but during the process of that investigation, we were able to get a hold of text messages that obviously led to the charge that we’re looking at today,” Cpt. Joe Binns said.

“The text messages themselves kind of laid out the whole specific scenario of how they were going to do it, what was going to happen, when it was going to happen.”

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