Inmate offers bike, cash in murder plot

STANTON, Mich. (WOOD) - A West Michigan inmate is accused of making arrangements from his jail cell to have his ex-girlfriend killed.

Ronald Cooper, 36, from Schoolcraft has been charged with solicitation of murder. He could face life in prison, and is being held on a $1 million bond.

The proposed victim was a 24-year-old ex-girlfriend from Kalamazoo, police say. They said Cooper victimized the woman before, which is why he was in jail to begin with. In that case, police say, he hit the victim with a car.

Cooper was convicted on a felony stalking charge in May.

He was then confined to the Montcalm County Jail as a lodger from Kalamazoo County.

The alleged plot was foiled when the man who Cooper thought was in on the deal went to the Montcalm County authorities instead.

"Although (the informant) never had any intentions on following through with it, he gave Mr. Cooper the impression that that his son ... would kill (the victim) at his request," an officer detailed for a Montcalm County magistrate.

After the informant came forward with his help, police set Cooper up for a bust.

The informant told Cooper the woman was dead, but Cooper wanted to hear it directly from his hired hit man over the phone. What Cooper didn't know was that the man on the other end of the line was a detective.

"He asked me if it was done," the detective testified. "I said, 'Yes.' I said, 'You wanted her killed?' -- I'm paraphrasing -- 'You wanted her killed?' He said, 'Yes.'"

Authorities then questioned Cooper about the alleged hit. He tried to place blame with the informant, saying that it was his idea, but police didn't buy that.

"Not remorseful," the officer said to the magistrate. "Asked very few questions and he's not sure if she's dead or not."

Police say they have no doubt he was serious about hiring someone to kill the woman.

At no time was the woman in danger, police said.