Florida Man Offered Inmate $4,000 and a Car to Kill Four People and Feed Them to Pigs and Alligators, Police Say
A 76-year-old Florida man incarcerated at the Marion County Jail is facing fresh charges after offering an inmate $4,000 and a car to kill four people, police say.
Gary Bangstad, of Citra, is accused of creating a list of victims and telling an inmate he tried to recruit that "everyone whose name was on the note [should] be fed to the pigs or alligators," the Marion County Sheriff's Office said yesterday in a social media release, WFTV reported.
An arrest reported shared with Newsweek said the illicit request came to light on October 20 after the fellow inmate reported it to a deputy.
Investigators said the inmate claimed to have written and signed evidence from Bangstad describing who he wanted killing, the location of the victims and the amount of money he would be willing to pay.
Bangstad claimed an earlier attempt to hire a hit had ended after the recruited inmate died by suicide.
Bangstad was initially jailed on October 18 for violating probation on a simple battery charge, Marion County inmate records confirm. He is now charged with five new counts of solicitation of murder and is being held without bond.
According to the arrest report, the inmate was asked by Bangstad to shoot the victims and "leave no evidence" behind. He allegedly provided an accurate map of where the victims would be sleeping in the home. The report indicated multiple children were living at the residence.
During a November interview with detectives the suspect had displayed "resentment and anger" towards the potential victims. Police noted Bangstad had previously lived at the home.
The detective wrote: "I showed the defendant a copy of the note he wrote to [the inmate] with the names and description of everyone living in the house, $1,000 for each murder and a Buick. The defendant stared at the note for quite some time in silence and then stated 'I was just telling him how much my car was worth.'" Bangstad admitted to writing the note and its intention.
Bangstad asserted he did not previously know the fellow inmate, while a records check confirmed a 2004 Buick was registered to his name. At one point in the report, the detective noted Bangstad could be heard uttering the word "goddamnit" while picking up a copy of his note.
The 76-year-old told police that he was "of a clear mind" during the interview and had "no mental impairments." He said he previously worked as a college professor and holds a Ph.D. The name of the second inmate was not released by law enforcement, and redacted in the report.
