COLLINSVILLE, Il. (KMOX) - Three people were arrested and charged over the weekend in a murder-for-hire scheme that lead to the death of a Collinsville woman last week while she was warming up her car.
Sammie Schafer Jr., 36, allegedly solicited and encouraged the killing of Portia L. Rowland, 32, and hired Gary Johnson, 42, and Marty Shaw, 33, to kill Rowland. Schafer Jr. is the husband of Rowland's girlfriend Sarah Schafer.
All three men were charged two counts of first-degree murder, while Johnson was additionally charged with one count of being in possession of a weapon and Shafer Jr. was also charged two counts of solicitation/murder-for-hire.
Authorities say Shaw drove Johnson to and from the scene of the incident that led to Rowland's death while Johnson was the one who pulled the trigger.
"We believe the evidence will show this was not a random act of violence, but a rather calculated and cold hearted murder-for-hire scheme based on a personal grievance," said Madison County State's Attorney Thomas Haine Monday in a press conference.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, shortly after 6 a.m., Collinsville Police Department responded to call at the 1300 block of Olive Street after reports of gun shots being heard in area.
When officers arrived, they discovered the body of Rowland, who was a Metropolitan Sewer District worker, lying near the garage at 1301 Olive Street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to documents, Johnson admitted to authorities to shooting Rowland. Johnson reportedly told officers that after being dropped off by Shaw near Rowland’s home, he walked down to an alley and waited for Rowland to exit her home.
Rowland then walked outside and started her car before heading back inside. When Rowland went back outside, Johnson shot her.
Authorities says Shaw received $10,000 from Schafer Jr. and Shaw gave Johnson $6,500 while Shaw kept $3,500. After the murder, Shaw and Johnson both went to a casino.
Johnson was taken into custody by authorities on a unrelated felony charge, while Shaw was arrested at an address in Missouri by St. Louis County Police Department authorities.
Schafer Jr. was taken into custody outside his residence by Illinois State Police Tactical Response Team.
Johnson was previously convicted of first-degree murder in St. Clair County in relation to a homicide on June 12, 1997. He was arrested days later and found guilty in 2000. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but he was released in July 2017 after his sentence was cut in half due to Illinois Good Times laws.
The Collinsville Police Department will now take control of the case and the investigation still remains active.