A grand jury indicted two men on capital murder charges for their involvement in a murder-for-hire scheme. The trial date has been tentatively set for Nov. 26, 2018 for Tyler Clay.
During Clay's status hearing, a judge denied the request for the bond to be reduced from $1 million to $100,000. The judge also denied the defenses request to have two witnesses deposed.
Police arrested Keith Spratt, 28, and Tyler Clay, 28, on Thursday, June 29, 2017.
Waco Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Patrick Swanton said Spratt shot and killed 37-year-old Joshua Pittman on Dec. 23, 2015, at the Pick N Pay Foodmart on Faulkner Lane. Pittman was playing a game machine inside when Spratt shot him in the face and torso, Swanton said.
During an investigation into Pittman's murder, police determined this was a murder for hire, Swanton said.
"It was also discovered that Pittman had set up Keith Spratt to be robbed and also robbed the second suspect, Tyler Clay. The two suspects in Pittman’s death, Keith Spratt and Tyler Clay, then conspired to murder Pittman. Tyler Clay solicited Keith Spratt for the murder of Pittman," Swanton said.
Spratt was arrested Thursday afternoon after a patrol officer spotted him walking near North 10th Street and Colcord Avenue, he said. Clay was arrested at a smoke shop he owns on Dallas Street.
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