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Attorney argues for bond on behalf of Republic woman accused of trying to have husband killed

By Mark Hofmann mhofmann@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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A Republic man whose wife is accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill him testified Tuesday in Fayette County Court that he continues to love her.

“I still love her and I miss her,” Arthur Guty said during a hearing to set bond for Roxanne Guty, 51.

Roxanne Guty, also of Republic, faces solicitation charges for allegedly asking Norman Pennington, 61, to kill her husband. State police alleged she gave him money to buy a gun, and offered to split the proceeds of a $50,000 insurance policy with Pennington after he killed her husband.

She has been held in the county lockup without bond since she was arrested earlier this month. Defense attorney Ryan Harrison James argued Roxanne Guty is not a flight risk and should be granted a non-monetary bond and placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring. If that wasn’t an option, James asked Judge Linda Cordaro to set a low bond for his client.

Assistant District Attorney Rob Harper argued it was a serious case with serious charges. He contended that Roxanne Guty has access to the couples’ vehicles and contended she has access to $100,000 that went missing from their home. Harper also argued that the amount of the insurance policy Roxanne Guty allegedly offered to split is the same amount to which Norman Pennington previously testified.

Arthur Guty testified that the couple split up in late February. When his wife left their home, Arthur Guty testified, he found there was a missing lock box containing $100,000 in savings as well as two missing vehicles belonging to the couple.

He testified that only his wife had access to those missing items.

James cross-examined Arthur Guty, asking him about having $100,000 in cash at the house when he’s been on disability for his back since 2001, operating a gas station that’s in his son’s name and his wife making minimum wage while working at a local hotel. Arthur Guty testified the couple saved the money.

James also asked about a letter Arthur Guty sent to his wife with a self addressed stamped envelope included on March 14 while she was in prison and after he learned of the alleged plot to kill him. In response, Guty testified that he loves his wife.

State police Trooper Jason Zanolli testified that he interviewed both Arthur Guty and Pennington. He testified he also found a 30-minute call on Roxanne Guty’s cellphone between her and Pennington in late February, though he said he could not say what was discussed nor verify that it was Roxanne Guty and Pennington who conversed.

Zanolli testified he found evidence of the insurance policy of $25,000 with a rider of $25,000, totaling $50,000.

James questioned Pennington’s credibility, asking Zanolli if he conducted a background check on Pennington. Zanolli testified he ran a limited background check and found Pennington did have a criminal history, but no charges in the last 15 years.

James also asked Zanolli if he was aware of a protection-from-abuse order Roxanne Guty sought against her husband. The trooper testified he was aware of the petition for protection.

Pennington testified at Roxanne Guty’s preliminary hearing on March 12 that he first thought she was joking about hiring him to kill her husband because she knew he’d been accused of – and acquitted of – killing his brother in the late 1980s. However, after she spoke about it with him several more times over a period of a few months, Pennington told Arthur Guty about the plot. Arthur Guty reported his wife, who’d left him in late February, to police.

James contended the issue boils down to a he said/she said case complete with a “corrupted” witness. He questioned why a woman with no criminal background decided to kill her husband after 30 years of marriage, and questioned the missing cash noting that Roxanne Guty made minimum wage, while her husband was allotted $1,000 monthly as a disability payment.

“There’s something weird about that, something strange about that,” James said, alleging that a scheme involved will come out at trial.

 Harper said while prosecutors oppose electronic monitoring and a non-monetary bond, he would agree to a high bond between $100,000 and $150,000.

Cordaro said she will make a decision at a later date.

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