John Callihan testified that Nathan Tyler Jr. wanted a hit man to kill detective investigating 2015 killing of Alicia Deans.
WHITEVILLE -- Columbus County jurors heard testimony Thursday that murder defendant Nathan Tyler Jr. attempted to solicit a cellmate to kill the lead investigator in his case.
Tyler is charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and kidnapping in the April 28, 2015, shooting death of Alicia Deans near Tabor City.
Thursday was the second day of testimony in the case.
John Callihan, currently serving a sentence in Carteret County for a weapons charge, testified he was in the Columbus County jail in July 2016 on other charges when he shared a cell with Tyler and Tyler wanted someone to kill Columbus County Sheriff’s Capt. Jason Soles.
“He asked me did I know anybody that would kill the police -- the detective,” Callihan testified.
“Did he say anybody specific,” Assistant District Attorney Chris Gentry asked.
“Soles,” Callihan replied.”
He went on to say that Tyler wanted the hit man to use either a pipe bomb or a gun. At a later date, Callihan said, Tyler allegedly told him the name of a man he’d found to agree to do the hit. Callihan said he alerted jail staff because he was concerned it could actually happen.
Callihan also testified Tyler tried to get him to write a letter to the court in which Callihan would claim Tyler’s co-defendant Michael Williams, confessed to the killing.
Williams, 33, and his girlfriend Kayla Turner, 19, were also charged with murder. The couple claimed they helped Tyler stage a robbery so he could steal Deans’ vehicle and use it to kidnap his ex-girlfriend. Turner testified Wednesday that she was with Tyler when he took Deans into the woods and shot her dead. She and Williams each agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for their testimony against Tyler.
Callihan said when he didn’t agree to write the letter for Tyler, Tyler wrote the letter himself and signed Callihan’s name to it. Those forged letters were found in Tyler’s cell and were shown to the jury.
Also on Thursday, Williams took the stand, corroborating Turner’s testimony that he was dropped off after staging the robbery at Tyler’s home and putting Deans into the trunk of her own car.
On cross-examination by defense attorney Teresa Gibson, Williams admitted he was benefiting from a plea deal that at most carried a 20-year prison sentence.
But Williams was adamant that he had nothing to do with Deans’ killing, and repeated Turner’s testimony that he wasn’t with Tyler when Tyler later killed Deans in the woods.
“Is it fair to say things just kind of spun out of control,” Gibson asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Williams replied.
Testimony in the state’s case resumes Friday morning.