A 28-year-old Wheatland woman accused of trying to hire a friend to kill her husband — allegedly out of fear he would take their three children — pleaded not guilty Thursday in district court.
Molly Hamby appeared in Platte County District Court on April 16 wearing thick-rimmed black glasses and a black-and-gray striped jumpsuit.
Her shoulder-length brown hair hung loosely as she chatted casually with her attorneys before the hearing, discussing western fashion and Louis L’Amour books. About six people sat in the courtroom gallery.
Hamby is charged with two felonies: solicitation of first-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison, and solicitation to commit forgery, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Judge read Hamby a list of the consequences of a felony conviction before she entered pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental illness. The court indicated the case will be set for trial within 180 days.
Make Him "Disappear"
Authorities allege Hamby contacted a longtime male friend and asked if he could make her husband “disappear,” then urged him to act quickly because she believed her husband might try to take custody of their children.
The alleged plot came to light when the husband discovered text messages on Hamby’s phone and reported them to police.
According to the affidavit, after reading the text messages the husband took to the police station, Police Chief Brad Otte met with the male friend twice, and each time he revealed a little more about the plot.
During the first interview Sunday, the man said he knew Hamby and that “they had been friends for several years.”
When asked about the text messages, at first, he told Otte that Hamby asked for his help as a bodyguard to protect her, the affidavit says.
“Molly had asked for his help and that she and (husband) were having marital troubles,” the affidavit says. The friend “admitted that Molly had told him she had a job for him, but that job was to act as her bodyguard as he is a licensed private investigator.”
As the interview went on, the friend said their meeting at the auto parts store included a discussion about making her husband “disappear,” and that “he had told Molly that he would help her hurt (husband),” Otte wrote.
During a follow-up interview Monday, the friend elaborated further, saying the text asking if he could “make someone disappear” was a reference to murdering Hamby’s husband, the affidavit says.
She also asked him to forge her husband’s signature on a motorcycle title. He told her he wasn’t good at that but could find someone who could.
According to investigators, Hamby later acknowledged that her messages referred to killing her husband and that she had shared information about his whereabouts. She was arrested following a voluntary interview with police.
Bond Remains The Same
During Thursday’s hearing, public defender Shayla Fosmo asked the court to reduce Hamby’s bond to $5,000 cash, arguing she is not a flight risk because she has children and family ties in the community and is already subject to a protection order and no-contact requirement.
She added that Hamby has a doctor who can help with medication management. Hamby's only previous criminal history includes an unlawful use of a credit card over a decade ago.
Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Doug Weaver opposed the request, citing what he described as the violent nature of the alleged offense.
The judge agreed with the prosecutor and ruled that the existing $50,000 cash bond remains appropriate.
After the hearing concluded, Hamby briefly said goodbye to family members before deputies escorted her into custody behind the courthouse.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
