Bill Scruton says he was offered money to kill a man's wife.
FULTON -- Last summer, Bill Scruton found himself in the middle of a murder for hire plot when a business acquaintance offered him thousands of dollars to be a hitman.
Scruton said 42-year-old Quentin Hicks approached him about killing his wife, Catherine Hicks. "He says 'Listen Bill. I want my wife dead. I know you know some crazy people and I just want a hammer in her head,' " Scruton alleges.
Scruton claims Quentin Hicks even gave him detailed plans of how to carry out the crime and where he could find the money, $10,000, hidden in his Fulton home.
Scruton says he did some work on Hicks' Rochester Street home a few years ago but says he wanted no part of this job. Scruton went straight to the cops to try and foil the plan before Hicks enlisted someone else to kill his estranged wife. The couple was reportedly going through a divorce.
"It was just surreal," said Scruton. "He was going to do it no matter what, no doubt in my mind."
The Oswego County Sheriff's Office confirms Scruton did help police in this investigation.
Scruton tells CNY Central he wore a wire and talked details of the deal with Hicks. That was enough to foil the plan and for police to take him into custody before anyone got hurt.
Right now, Hicks is behind bars serving time for conspiracy, related to this murder for hire plot. He will serve 2 to 8 years in state prison, a sentence that was part of a plea deal.
With Hicks in prison, Scruton says he is finally comfortable coming forward with his story. But says he is worried his family will be in danger when Hicks gets out.
