Landscaper says Terri Horman wanted him to kill her husband!

[ZL27]

Looks like you and I are on the same wavelength!

The father of two kids at my high school tried to hire someone to murder their mom. The police told her and got her out of harm's way before the sting.

Of course, the weirdest part of the story is she took him back. Insane, huh?

 

[txsvicki]

Someone has probably already mentioned this, but Terri was chatting with the reporter who knocked on her and got criticized for doing that and making small talk. Terri mentioned how hard the yard and property was to maintain. Wonder if she was worrying or thinking ahead about being squealed on by the yard guy (if she did try to hire a hit). If the yard guy had went to her right away and alone after that article came out he might have been able to get her to say something. To me, taking an undercover cop with him was stupid and of course it would arouse her suspicion so many days later.

Edited to add: Maybe the cops asked the reporter to talk about the yard so that the yard guy would have a reason to squirm, but then waited too long to get the whole thing put together.

 

[JenB]

If TH did originally try to solicit Landscaper #3 in 2009 to kill KH, and this landscaper reported it to LE as noted above, wouldn't KH have been immediately informed at that time of the plot and put in hiding then? (As was done just one week ago when he was informed of this current attempt.)

Possibly TH made an off-the-cuff remark to Landscaper #3 to "test the waters", i.e. "maybe you could weedwhack my cheating husband, too...hmmm?" or something innocuous. Maybe it was reported to LE but not taken seriously at the time?

I'm trying to make sense of all of this and it's not working (obviously) with such limited info!

This *has* to be just poorly written, right? They meant that Landscaper #3 came to LE after the alleged murder-for-hire story broke? With the bolded words being carelessly omitted?

 

[oxymoran]

Guys ...there is so far only one landscaper who was contacted with a request to kill Kaine. If that initially occurred 7 months ago, it happened in Nov/Dec 2009.

All these other landscapers that have been confusing the heck out of us all day are simply the product of abysmal journalism.

Of course, TH may well have tried to find a second hitman but so far no-one has come forward.

 

[wondering1]

so now we know what that the landscaper threatened her with going public on the murder for hire

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/landscaper_wore_wire_asked_ter.html

This time, he wore a body wire and was accompanied by an undercover officer. On the recorded conversation, he sought $10,000 from her, saying otherwise he would go to police with the murder-for-hire plot, sources said.

eta: and that a key answer in her first poly was deceptive

Terri Horman has taken two polygraph tests, after authorities said a key answer on the first exam found her deceptive.

 

[Ms Suzanne]

so now we know what that the landscaper threatened her with going public on the murder for hire

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/landscaper_wore_wire_asked_ter.html

This time, he wore a body wire and was accompanied by an undercover officer. On the recorded conversation, he sought $10,000 from her, saying otherwise he would go to police with the murder-for-hire plot, sources said.

eta: and that a key answer in her first poly was deceptive

Terri Horman has taken two polygraph tests, after authorities said a key answer on the first exam found her deceptive.

Quote
Terri Horman has taken two polygraph tests, after authorities said a key answer on the first exam found her deceptive.


A key answer? To one question? I wonder what the answer and question was?

Was it where she was that day?

 

[T-Rex]

"Desiree Young also revealed that the day her son disappeared, his stepmother was supposed to drive him to Eugene to turn him over to his mother and stepfather to spend the weekend in Medford."

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/landscaper_wore_wire_asked_ter.html

That's a two-hour drive, each way. So it seems a little laid-back that at 3PM, they were going to go get ice cream.

 

[21merc7]

I'm still uncertain about this whole plot. Have to ask, where would Terri get $10,000? No one is going to murder someone for money years (or even months)after the death obtained by Terri. I would think you would want the money first, or at least half up front, half later. (Maybe I have watched too many t.v. movies.) Did she have $10,000 that Kaine would not notice missing and suspect something is wrong here?

Why would they guy come back, after he supposedly was asked in 2009, to see if he could take up the deal? Of course, why didn't he tell police then, and the sting would have been on immediately?

None of this makes sense to me.

 

[DairyGirl]

I'm still uncertain about this whole plot. Have to ask, where would Terri get $10,000? No one is going to murder someone for money years (or even months)after the death obtained by Terri. I would think you would want the money first, or at least half up front, half later. (Maybe I have watched too many t.v. movies.) Did she have $10,000 that Kaine would not notice missing and suspect something is wrong here?

Why would they guy come back, after he supposedly was asked in 2009, to see if he could take up the deal? Of course, why didn't he tell police then, and the sting would have been on immediately?

None of this makes sense to me.

What I heard is that the landscaper was trying to blackmail her for 10K, if she didn't give him the money he would go to the police. No wonder she didn't fall for it.

 

[Etilema]

Guys ...there is so far only one landscaper who was contacted with a request to kill Kaine. If that initially occurred 7 months ago, it happened in Nov/Dec 2009.

All these other landscapers that have been confusing the heck out of us all day are simply the product of abysmal journalism.

Exactly. There is the first landscaper we heard about, who was hired in 2009 and approached with the murder-for-hire plot. And there was another landscaper who says he answered the ad and wasn't hired. The "another" landscaper mentioned is landscaper #1.

And, yes, it was stated earlier in this thread that the first of the 911 calls on that Saturday was in connection with the sting--"a dispute over $10,000".

 

[tlcya]

Someone has probably already mentioned this, but Terri was chatting with the reporter who knocked on her and got criticized for doing that and making small talk. Terri mentioned how hard the yard and property was to maintain. Wonder if she was worrying or thinking ahead about being squealed on by the yard guy (if she did try to hire a hit). If the yard guy had went to her right away and alone after that article came out he might have been able to get her to say something. To me, taking an undercover cop with him was stupid and of course it would arouse her suspicion so many days later.

Edited to add: Maybe the cops asked the reporter to talk about the yard so that the yard guy would have a reason to squirm, but then waited too long to get the whole thing put together.

Either that or the reporter had already had a lead from an "unnamed source" that had to do with a landscaper/Terri connection and he introduced the topic of the yard to gauge her reaction to figure out if the source was onto anything substantive. The reporter mentioned the yard and Terri responded with how hard it is to maintain.

You aren't the only one to have caught that but as far as I know you are the first to have brought it up.

 

[Calliope]

I wonder what's the real reason behind her wanting Kaine killed (if that's even true)? I don't believe it was simply because she suspected Kaine was cheating on her.

 

[watchful_eye]

OK, I have been away from this case over the holiday weekend and WOW, a lot has unfolded.

1. Landscaper?? What's with THAT choice? Kind of random person to ask to kill your spouse.

2. Terri is REALLY not looking good at this point. Either someone is really framing her good, or she is involved in Kyron's disappearance.

3. If the cops knew about the plot in 2009, they would have HAD to have told Kaine then for his safety. Why tell him now--of all events??

This whole case REEKS with suspicion and CONFUSION. And frankly, I'm disappointed in LE for pulling that DREADFUL joke of a "sting" with the wire-tap on the landscaper.

Poor Kyron. G-d bless him

 

[Mylou]

I wonder what's the real reason behind her wanting Kaine killed (if that's even true)? I don't believe it was simply because she suspected Kaine was cheating on her.

I have been wondering that this morning as well. Cheating could be just one of the reasons of many, who knows.
Ive been doing alot of thinking about that landscaper this morning too.
Being as he was not forthcoming months ago, what made him fess up now?
Im really not so sure about this guy, Id like to know more about him.

 

[krazyfingerzz]

Snipped and BBM...

So wait....landscaper #3 supposedly contacted LE after the offer. Which would have been in 2009? Oh I hope LE has not known about her plot since then....that would be really bad. I'm hoping this isn't factually correct!!

That was my point way back (these threads are getting crazy with all these landscapers). I almost wish they'd put some names to these earlier guys (they did with the one she wouldn't hire) or at least give the numbers so we could truly establish how many there were and how far back this goes. I'll say it again, she was pretty lucky (and Kyron not so lucky) if this first guy made a report way back and nothing was done. Why such a history wouldn't be enough to bring her in now could only mean one of three things:

1. Not quite accurate
2. She's really got friends in high places
3. It's still only circumstantial evidence

This just gets more insane as the days go by. I'm almost wishing we were back in the early days with no info and "no comment."

 

[Etilema]

Landscaper?? What's with THAT choice? Kind of random person to ask to kill your spouse.

I would have thought so, too, if it weren't for all the cases that have been reported over the years of otherwise normal-seeming people asking painters, handymen, yard guys, etc. to do a hit, or to refer them to a hit man. In these cases that have been reported, the worker has gone to the police, who then set up a sting. Some people must have the idea that workers of this type associate with shady people or live on the edge. My mind has boggled about this repeatedly--not just that they would expect such a person to do such a crime, but that they wouldn't worry about them saying anything to anyone else about the request! Maybe they figure the workers would be less credible than themselves (as they see themselves as upstanding, middle-class citizens?).

So who knows how often this happens when the person does NOT bother reporting it to the police? (And who knows--maybe sometimes the person actually DOES the hit or makes the referral?)

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Blondie, Good point about the comment made off the cuff.
I do suspect the 2 would have had to know each other very, very well before any such remark would have been said.

Did you read anything about, T. calling 911 with a complaint about a LandScaper attaching her several months back?

Just wondering if that rumor is true, and if it's the same guy?

Is this the same Landscaper she met working at K's school?
Did this LS drive a white truck?
What makes this LS so believable now, since he didn't report it 6-7 months ago?

If I remember correctly, I read, people on the Island saw a red car and a white truck speeding/driving reckless that same day...makes one wonder, who was in those vehicles.

I've been trying to keep up on these threads but feel like I've been left out in the cold!

That's news to me about TH calling 911 re a landscaper attacking her months ago...can you tell me more because I'm floored on that one.

Also, I have never read about anyone seeing a red car and white truck speeding/driving recklessly that day. That's a surprise as well - maybe I do need to pay attention to all of those comments after all!

Anyway, thanks for the info - I need to go read some more!

 

[grandmaj]

Link to MSM about the red car and white truck driving recklessly around SI please? I believe it is a rumor taken from a blog.

 

[Aedrys]

I think LE just didn't have enough at the time the landscaper originally reported the plot. No money was exchanged, and it would have been a he said/she said. Maybe she did say it rather jokingly, and LE felt like that wasn't enough to substantiate a real threat, so nothing was done.

But now you have a missing child, so I don't blame the landscaper for coming forward now. After following cases like the Casey Anthony case, if you don't clear yourself early, you become fodder for the wheels of the bus the defense is going to use to roll over anyone that they can shift blame to. In Casey's case, not was the meter reader thrown under the bus for finding Caylee's body, but anyone that at some point was involved with Casey and/or Caylee was looked as suspicious by the defense and CA's family (For one example, Casey's parents accused the father of the guy that wanted to be Caylee's father (and was for a year) even though he wasn't of being in a satanic cult for crying out loud).

Anytime you have a case dealing with a missing or dead child, you have to be careful who you know and what you say. I'm glad he's talking now instead of later when the defense could try to use him to deflect attention off of TH. If LE clears him now, he's a lot safer. And maybe he didn't come forward because he was afraid he would be suspected in Kyron's disappearance. After cases like the Anthony case, I don't blame someone for not wanting to get involved when they know they didn't do anything wrong. Blame, especially when the media gets ahold of it, can be very hard to overcome for years down the road even if you are innocent.

Of course, he could just be really shady and not have wanted LE finding out about other illegal things not connected to this case that he was involved in, who knows. At least he's come forward and can be cleared as a suspect of any kind here.

 

[Emma Peel]

Undercover Extortion Attempt

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...asked_ter.html

This time, he wore a body wire and was accompanied by an undercover officer. On the recorded conversation, he sought $10,000 from her, saying otherwise he would go to police with the murder-for-hire plot, sources said.

Just caught that the UC game with the landscaper and Terri was set up to extort $10K out of Terri for NOT telling about the murder for hire thing.

Terri called 911 on that.

I think that responding detectives then finally had to tell Terri that there really was not a threat, that she'd just been set up by them, and that she was set up because she was a suspect.

I think (as in connect-the-dots) this is what happened, and all in one day...

That Saturday, Terri & Kaine wake up. Terri goes "downtown" to LE, takes an LDT, Kaine takes the opportunity to move out with the baby, unbeknownst to Terri during the LDT, Terri comes home and the landscaper and UC guy run their extortion sting attempt, Terri doesn't bite, in fact, she calls 911 on these people trying to extort $10K out of her, detectives respond to 911 explain to Terri it was a sting, and she is a suspect, then Terri later realizes Kaine has left and taken the baby and may not be coming back, Terri calls 911 about custody, confirms Kaine has taken the baby and he can do that, he's the father...and Terri realizes she's on her own...except for her Mom who is still there, her Dad moves in to "support", and a few friends who are largely in the dark, having a "Kaine is such a bully" party.

IMO, now THAT's a rough day!