AUBURN – State prosecutors say an Auburn man, who is charged with sexual assault of a child, conspired to have his ex-wife, two children and her grandmother murdered.

Defense attorneys for 35-year-old Charles Kanode argue that the state is improperly trying to simultaneously charge him for conspiracy to hire out the murders and tampering with a witness after his Jan. 19 arrest on 19 counts of sexual assault of a child.

Prosecutors say an inmate at the Nemaha County Jail informed deputies that Kanode was trying to hire out the killings before the witnesses can give depositions that would be used against him at trial.

Investigators placed a microphone inside the jail and say they recorded a conversation involving Kanode.

Court records say the recording has the voice of Kanode giving the Omaha address of his ex-wife and other instructions.

Affidavit: “Your ex, two kids and grandma?” “Ya ..”

“The best time would be Monday at 7 .. everyone would probably be home having supper…”

“I mean like I would draw up the floor plan and everything for you, if that mattered…”


The affidavit says Kanode went on to describe his intention to kill the county prosecutor, a judge and a corrections officer at the jail.

He allegedly went on to say he would also torture and kill an inmate that he paid $600, but who did not  do as instructed.

Affidavit: “You’re the only people I thought might actually do it; just gambling, you know … If I kept the money, I definitely wouldn’t have a chance, but I spent the money to have a chance…”


The affidavit says Kanode compared the killing as a typical event in the old wild West.

Affidavit: “I really think ... wouldn’t be that big of a deal. Really easy, you know it’s not that big of a chore. And hey, if there’s like some … kid there just take care of that too, I guess.”


A jailhouse informant said the $600 was to stalk Kanodes’ ex-wife and report to him.

Another inmate reportedly received a larger payment to pay his bond.

The affidavit says inmates claim that Kanode approaches anyone who comes into the jail about the offer to kill the witnesses for money, purportedly $1,200.

Prosecutors say jail staff intercepted two pieces of paper  Kanode meant for an inmate. The papers contained a hand-drawn floor plan of the residence.

The affidavit says investigators confronted Kanode about the conspiracy.

The affidavit says Kanode told investigators he didn’t really want a house full of dead people, but he had not done anything yet to call off the “murder-for-hire.”