Posted on 05/02/2003 5:33:11 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Wife hired insulin 'hit' on Med patient, police say By Chris Conley conley@gomemphis.com May 2, 2003
A Coahoma County, Miss., school principal was charged Thursday with the attempted contract killing of a Clarksdale, Miss., man being treated in Memphis for an earlier gunshot wound.
Robert Hunter, 55, was charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to use insulin to kill Richard Morton Tuesday night at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.
Morton, who was recovering from surgery, is the husband of Abbigail Morton, 39, who's also charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Police say Abbigail Morton promised to pay Hunter $30,000 to inject a lethal amount of insulin into her husband.
Hunter is the principal of Jonestown Elementary School, just northeast of Clarksdale, and he is an independent candidate for Coahoma County school superintendent.
Police did not say how the two suspects knew each other. They did not have any information about Richard Morton, including his age and occupation.
Detectives were trying to link the attempted killing at The Med Tuesday night with an attempt on Richard Morton's life in Clarksdale Dec. 3.
Morton was walking to his car about 11 that night when an unknown gunman shot him twice, in the stomach and arm.
He was in Memphis this week for surgery related to the shooting when the second attempt on his life was made.
Clarksdale police have until now been stymied in their investigation.
"We are trying to tie them together," said Clarksdale Police Capt. Danny Hill. "We are hoping this investigation (in Memphis Tuesday) will help us."
Memphis police said Richard Morton narrowly avoided death Tuesday from insulin in an intravenous solution.
Morton told police that he woke up and saw Hunter kneeling at the bedside, and he believed he felt some of the insulin enter his body. Morton pulled the IV from his arm and yelled for a nurse, according to the charges.
Security officers at The Med arrested Hunter as he fled.
When questioned by police, Hunter said Abbigail Morton had offered him $30,000 to kill her husband, according to the charges. The amount was to be paid from life insurance proceeds.
Police said, however, that insurance did not appear to be the primary motive.
According to the police report, Hunter said Morton's wife showed him the hospital room, then left.
Medical Examiner O. C. Smith told detectives that the 80 cc's of insulin intended for Morton would have caused death.
Dr. Keith Shaffer, superintendent of the Coahoma County School District, said Hunter has been principal at Jonestown for two years, and before that worked in the Clarksdale school system.
Shaffer said neither of the Mortons worked for the school district.
Elementary principals in Mississippi make between $45,000 and $70,000 a year, Shaffer said.
"He (Hunter) has done an excellent job as an administrator," Shaffer said.
It could not be determined if Richard Morton was still hospitalized. Attempts to reach him at The Med and in Clarksdale were unsuccessful.
- Chris Conley: 529-2595
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