Crime Watch: A man. His wife. And a hired killer.

In early January 2008, a man entered the Hanford Police Department with information about a murder that had yet to be committed. His part-time employer, Stemple Lee Johnson, had asked him to kill Melanee Johnson, his wife of almost 10 years.

"Why come to us?" police detectives asked.

"Because I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to her," Bill Jones said.

Initially, investigators were not inclined to believe Jones, who had a lengthy criminal record of his own. Deputy District Attorney Adam Nelson was brought in to assist Hanford police with the investigation. They asked Jones if he'd be willing to wear a body wire to gather evidence. He agreed.

The initial investigation was a bit of a race. There wasn't a lot of time to develop the case, due to the nature of the crime. The intended victim couldn't be alerted because it might tip off the suspect. And they couldn't wait too long or the victim might end up dead.

On Jan. 28 and Feb. 4, 2008, Jones recorded two conversations with 41-year-old Johnson, a rental property owner from Fresno.

"He talked about having her killed and made specific statements on how he wanted it to be done," Nelson said.

Initially, investigators planned to have two undercover officers pose as hitmen from Los Angeles and meet with Johnson. But the Fresno man proved squeamish. He instructed Jones that the hired killers "can't see me or identify me," according to Nelson.

"He wanted it to look like an accident," Nelson explained. "He said he wanted the killers to commit several burglaries in the neighborhood for a week or two, so that way, the murder would look like a burglary gone wrong.

"It was this very specific planning that helped clinch our case."

Johnson was arrested soon after the second recording.

In court, he was represented by Mark Coleman, the Fresno attorney who recently handled the defense in the highly-publicized conviction of Dave Hawk.

Stemple and Melanee Johnson's marriage became a central point in early court proceedings.

A motion filed by the defense described the situation as "a period of aberrant behavior in what heretofore was a law-abiding life." Johnson agreed that his conduct was "serious and needs to be addressed," but argued that it was Jones who pushed the idea of murder on him.

Jones worked on and off for Johnson between 2007 and 2008. He was employed as a handyman at the apartment buildings Johnson owned both in Kings County and in Texas.

Johnson testified that Jones often bragged that he "knew people who could get things done," and implied criminal connections. At one point, Jones was being prosecuted for domestic violence claims, and said that "if he could do it over again, he would have killed her rather than face charges," court records showed.

The defense argued that Jones "reported and encouraged" Johnson's anger against his wife in order to later "negotiate a deal with police."

Nelson, who prosecuted the case, disagreed with this notion.

"When you listen to the tape, what he says just isn't consistent," he said. "Bill Jones never asked for any deal in exchange for this. He said he couldn't live with himself if something happened to the victim and we believed him. Even the judge, who listened to the conversation, said he didn't believe this argument."

Johnson surprised the prosecution at a trial readiness hearing in September of this year. Rather than go to trial, the man pleaded guilty to the charge of soliciting someone to commit murder.

In a letter to Judge Thomas DeSantos, Johnson wrote "I thank God that Bill Jones was relaying my words to the police rather than the killers he told me about."

He went on to say that this event was a "wake-up call" in his life and marriage.

"I feel my crime was against Melanee, and it is from her I must ask forgiveness and make amends," the letter continued.

Melanee Johnson ultimately ended up speaking on her husband's behalf prior to sentencing.

"It's unfortunate, but Melanee Johnson thinks everyone is out to get her and her husband," Nelson said. "The reality is, her family and the law wants what is best for her. This is a man who beat her in the past and tried to have her killed. Maybe with him going to prison, she can clear her thoughts and get away from this man."

Judge DeSantos sentenced him to the middle term of six years in state prison. He is scheduled for transfer to Wasco State Prison in the near future.

"The defense wanted him to be put on probation, but we argued against it," Nelson said. "The Probation Department recommended a six-year sentence. I couldn't disagree with that. The maximum sentence was nine years, but with no prior criminal record, we didn't expect to get that."

Melanee and Stemple have two children, a 6-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Oct. 26, 2009)