Madison County man charged in murder-for-hire plot

Madison County Sheriff John Lakin’s office on Thursday announced the arrest of a 32-year-old Godfrey man in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot.

Tony Nicholas Fennell faces one charge of solicitation of murder for hire and remained in the Madison County Jail on Thursday on $500,000 bond.

According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, an informant came forward to deputies with an accusation that Fennell was planning to hire someone to kill a woman with whom he had previously been in a relationship. Deputies and Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southwestern Illinois officers placed both Fennell and his intended target under surveillance, but Lakin’s office said the woman was never in any danger during the surveillance operations.

Officers who executed a search warrant at Fennell’s home in the 2700 block of Delmar Avenue found evidence relative to the plot, the statement said. He was arrested without incident.

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Madison County man charged in murder-for-hire plot."