North Liberty man pleads not guilty in murder-for-hire scheme

A North Liberty man accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill a family of four has pleaded not guilty.

Court documents released online Wednesday show 36-year-old Justin DeWitt, of the 100 block of Whitman Avenue, will face trial Oct. 4.

DeWitt was arrested June 27 after police said he gave an undercover state agent $1,000 as a down payment to have his business associate and the associate's family killed. DeWitt faces four counts of attempted murder and four counts of solicitation to commit murder.

Police say DeWitt signed a contract with the undercover agent agreeing to pay a total of $8,000 by July 15 for the hit, which would have targeted four people, including two children, ages two and four.

North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga wouldn't provide a motive for the crime, but described DeWitt's relationship with the business associate as "pretty intertwined."

The Iowa Secretary of State's website lists DeWitt's home address as the address of Lawn and Landscaping Solutions, Inc., and it lists DeWitt as the company's president.

DeWitt is being represented by Cedar Rapids-based attorney Michael K. Lahammer, court records show.

Last week, officers executed a search warrant on DeWitt's home and found marijuana and multiple firearms. DeWitt's permit to carry firearms expired June 5, according to Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek.

DeWitt is being held in the Johnson County Jail on a $600,000 bond awaiting trial. If convicted, he could spend up to 25 years in prison for each count of attempted murder and 10 years in prison for each count of solicitation to commit murder.

Reach Stephen Gruber-Miller at 319-887-5407 or sgrubermil@press-citizen.com. Follow him at @sgrubermiller.