Leon Jacob retains mother as co-counsel in murder-for-hire case

HOUSTON – Leon Jacob, the man arrested in connection with a murder-for-hire plot, retained his mother as co-counsel, according to his attorney.

The revelation came during a hearing Thursday where the defense asked the judge to grant Jacob bond. The request was denied.

"I don't think a bond is appropriate. There will be no bond. I am not granting a bond," the judge said.

VIDEO: Leon Jacob requests bond again

Parnham argued that Jacob had a job waiting for him and he could live with his mother.  

Leon Jacob was also denied bond in last court appearance on March 29.

Prosecutors discussed Thursday a CD they said has recordings of Jacob and his then girlfriend Valerie McDaniel speaking with an undercover officer about the murder plan.

Jacob's attorney George Parnham said he listened to all of the recordings and quoted Jacob saying, "Yeah, as far as my situation goes, I want no one to get hurt."

Before denying bond for Jacob, the judge said, "So that's why you hired a hitman?"

According to prosecutors, in addition to  killing his and McDaniel's exes, Jacob told an undercover officer, whom he thought was hit man, that he and his mother might need "more assistance in the future."

Prosecutor Nathan Moss said, “Mr. Jacob told the undercover officer that he may need his services or his mother may need his services again in the future.”  

Investigators said Jacob and McDaniel, who committed suicide last month, offered to pay $20,000 and hand over two Cartier watches to have her ex-husband and his ex-girlfriend killed.

But the couple's murder-for-hire plans were foiled after a whistleblower got police involved.

RAW VIDEO: Jacob Leon attends bond hearing in murder-for-hire plot case

 

City Council Member Michael Kubosh, acting as bondsman for Jacob on a prior charge, alerted police to the murder-for-hire plot after Kubosh said Jacob told him he planned to hire a hit man.

Capt. Jimmy Turpin, of the Special Crimes Bureau of the Harris County District Attorney’s office testified saying, "I received information from a reportee that the defendant, Leon Jacob, was seeking to get rid of a witness on a stalking case. That worried Kubosh because of the nature of his comments and how they related to the victim of the stalking case for which Jacob was on bond.”

Kubosh told KPRC 2 he was very upset about the case, and that it keeps him up at night. He said he was afraid someone was going to get hurt, which is why he went to police.

"Well, I don't want to say anything that could jeopardize the investigation. You know, I just want to do the right thing. I took an oath of office to protect and defend the citizens of this city. And I want to stand on that issue. I don't want to say anything that will anywise jeopardize this case for the state or for the defendant," Kubosh said.

Kubosh also said he wasn't aware the details of his involvement were going to be released in court.

According to Dane Schiller, of the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the exes were notified of the plot to kill them, and they teamed up with an undercover officer to pose for photos portraying realistic crime scenes to convince McDaniel and Jacob that they had been killed.

McDaniel takes her own life

A day before she was scheduled to appear in court, McDaniel jumped to her death from the River Oaks high-rise where she lived.

Police said they received a suicide call on March 28 from a residence on Willowick. Police said a worker at the property made the discovery.

Police confirmed that McDaniel was the person who died. The medical examiner's office also confirmed that the body was that of McDaniel.

The charges against McDaniel will be dropped once her death certificated is released, according to the Harris County district attorney's office.

Jacob's attorney told his client of her death.

Jacob asked to attend McDaniel's funeral, but his request was denied by a judge in an informal hearing.

Jacob is charged with soliciting capital murder, according to prosecutors.

VIDEO: Impact of Veterinarian's death on legal case

Jacob's troubled past

Jacob has a criminal history that includes domestic violence, aggravated stalking, intimidation and cyberstalking, according to court documents.

He is accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in January and continuing to contact her afterward. Jacob was arrested Feb. 6 and was charged, and investigators said that is why he hired a hit man.

READ: Jacob's history

"The co-defendant says he was looking for somebody to kill a witness for his pending stalking charge," according to a probable-cause statement read by a judge Saturday in court.

Jacob and McDaniel didn't know that the hit man with whom they made plans was an undercover police officer, authorities said.

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