A Hockinson man accused of hiring a former Oregon cellmate to kill his wife in a murder-for-hire plot remains in jail without bail.
James Rummell, 49, appeared in Clark County Superior Court on Monday, April 1, for suspicion of aggravated murder in the first degree in the killing of his wife, Lindy Rummell, 60. If he is convicted, James Rummell faces life in prison without parole.
On Monday, April 1, James Rummell’s attorney withdrew from the case, and he was appointed a new attorney.
His arraignment is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, April 10.
He is accused of hiring his former prison cellmate, Darrell Riley, 55, to kill Lindy Rummell for $35,000 and a motorcycle, according to court records. Clark County Sheriff’s Office detectives confirmed James Rummell and Riley were incarcerated at the same prison in Oregon beginning in December, 2009, court records state. The two were noted as being friends on social media.
James Rummell allegedly told investigators the two were experiencing financial troubles. He told another friend he was fighting with his wife and that she had a $100,000 life insurance policy, according to court documents. James Rummell allegedly asked that friend to kill his wife, according to court records.
Riley was picked up by a Eugene, Oregon, man following the murder. The Eugene man provided information to law enforcement leading to Eugene Police Department officers arresting Riley, according to police.
Riley transferred multiple items into the man’s vehicle from a pickup truck after having the man follow him to Monroe, Oregon, from a rehabilitation center in Junction City, Oregon. Riley then allegedly set the truck on fire before they left, according to court documents.
Riley then allegedly told the man about his involvement in the murder of Lindy Rummell, court documents state. According to the court records, Riley said he had been hired to kill a woman and “shot her five times” with a .25 caliber handgun “through a pillowcase” due to a concern about noise while subsequently staging it to look like a burglary, using items he obtained from the house, including two long guns, that were loaded into the man’s car. Riley allegedly told the man he was approached by James Rummell 10 months ago and said he would receive $35,000 from a subsequent life insurance payout after Lindy Rummell’s death, the court documents state. According to the tip, Riley was not paid yet.
On March 23, CCSO detectives found Lindy Rummell with gunshot wounds to her neck, side and groin area. Five .25 automatic caliber casings were discovered in the residence, along with “tufts” of cotton-like material, as well, court records state.
The Eugene Police Department arrested Riley after the stolen Ford F-150 was recovered in Monroe, Benton County, Oregon. The vehicle was found “heavily damaged by fire,” court records state.
Riley has been identified as the primary suspect in the case, according to court documents, and awaits extradition to Clark County from jail in Oregon.
CCSO detectives first arrested James Rummell due to probable cause for providing false statements to a public servant based on inconsistencies with his first statements the night of the murder, according to court documents. Following further investigations, CCSO arrested Rummell on suspicion of accomplice to murder first degree — domestic violence, and accomplice to burglary first degree, according to court documents.
