Marshall Barrows pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Fayetteville to trying to hire a man in Siloam Springs to kill an Oklahoma man.
Barrows, of Hitchcock, Texas, pleaded guilty to using interstate commerce facilities — a telephone — in a murder-for-hire scheme. A charge of solicitation to commit a crime of violence was dropped as part of the plea bargain with prosecutors.
A Siloam Springs policeman received information from a confidential source that Barrows had solicited the man to “eliminate” Michael Gardenhire and to “do whatever it took to end his life,” according to the federal complaint against Barrows.
Barrows made verbal threats to kill Gardenhire because Gardenhire was seeking custody of Barrows’ infant child, according to staff members at Oklahoma Child Protective Services. Barrows also told Gardenhire’s grandmother not to allow his children to go to Gardenhire’s residence because he did not want them to see Gardenhire killed.
Police set up and recorded several telephone calls between the confidential source and Barrows in which Barrows confirmed several times he wanted Gardenhire killed. He offered to pay at least $2,500 to get the job done and indicated he planned to sell some copper to a metal recycler to raise the money.
“I don’t want him in the picture no more,” Barrows said during one call.
Gardenhire lives in Westville, Okla., according to the complaint.
During the calls, Barrows said he would send the money via Western Union transfer. Barrows said he did not need proof and would take the confidential source’s word the murder had been done.
U.S. District Judge Jimm Hendren accepted Barrows’ guilty plea. Sentencing will come after completion of a presentencing report that typically takes 60 to 90 days.
Barrows faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
He is being held at the Washington County Jail with no bond set.