Man Accused of Columbia County Crimes Now Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

A man already facing kidnapping and sexual abuse charges in Columbia and Washington counties is now accused of plotting a murder-for-hire scheme from behind bars.

The Columbia County Spotlight reports that investigators say 58-year-old Dru Hendrix conspired to pay two other inmates $30,000 each to kill a witness in one of his criminal cases. Detectives with the Washington County Violent Crimes Unit uncovered the plan before it could be carried out.

At the time, all three men were being held in the Washington County Jail, where Hendrix was awaiting trial on multiple charges. In Columbia County, prosecutors allege Hendrix kidnapped and sexually abused a woman before attempting to escape from deputies during his arrest. In August, a grand jury indicted him on charges of second-degree kidnapping, third-degree sexual abuse, third-degree attempted escape, and driving with a suspended license.

Hendrix was already facing similar charges in Washington County and has been held without bail since his July 22 arrest. In connection with the alleged plot, he now faces additional counts of conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit murder, and witness tampering.