Breckenridge Texan

By Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

A Stephens County man was taken into custody Friday afternoon, May 2, on FM 576 southeast of Breckenridge, on charges related to conspiracy to commit capital murder for hire.

Jacob Wayne Spencer, 45, was arrested at gunpoint around 2 p.m. Friday by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office on a rural Stephens County road, accused of trying to hire someone to kill his step-father, according to the court documents and various sources.

According to the documents, Spencer was arrested under State of Texas warrants for “Capital Murder While Remuneration-Solicitation,” “Capital Murder While Remuneration-Conspiracy” and “Unlawful Installation of a Tracking Device.”

Stephens County Judge Michael Roach arraigned Spencer around 11 a.m. Sunday, May 4. Spencer is in the Stephens County jail with a $1,275,000 bond. The bonds were set at $1,000,000 for the charge of criminal conspiracy to commit capital murder; $250,000 for the charge of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder; and $25,000 for the charge of unlawful tracking device.

Additionally, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued a warrant on May 3 for charges related to the possession and knowledge of a “semi-automatic pistol, that had been shipped and transported in interstate or foreign commerce, from which the manufacturer’s serial number had been removed, altered, and obliterated.” The gun was a Smith & Wesson, Model SD9 VE semi-automatic pistol. Spencer was arrested on that charge while in the Stephens County Jail.

Basic definitions of some of the charges are:

• Capital Murder While Remuneration-Conspiracy means that a person conspires with another person to murder someone for payment or the promise of payment.
• Capital Murder While Remuneration-Solicitation means that a person asks, encourages, or attempts to induce another person to commit a murder in exchange for payment.
• Remuneration means money paid for a work or service.

If Spencer is able to post bail, the bond will conditions include:

• Ankle monitoring
• In-home confinement
• Drug testing
• Leaving the victim alone
• Not possessing any weapons
• Other standard bond conditions

The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division, federal authorities and others were involved in the case.

Spencer remains in the Stephens County Jail, as of Sunday, May 4.