Recording in murder-for-hire trial: 'Two slugs to the head. That's it'

In the six-minute jail recording, John F. Johnson doesn't mince words while plotting the execution of his ex-wife with a DuPage County sheriff's detective posing as the hitman.

"Two slugs to the head. That's it," Johnson whispers in the July 1 telephone call, played Tuesday during his murder-solicitation trial. "Real quick. Fast and in a hurry and it's over with."

He continued: "I just want the (expletive) dead. That's all I want."

The sheriff's detective is heard five times giving Johnson a chance to back out, but he makes his intentions clear, even offering to double the payment to $3,000 if the deed is carried out swiftly.

"Ain't nothing bringing her back," the detective said.

Johnson responds: "That's what I want. Trust me. That's what I want. If I can just tell you all the things she's done to me, you'd understand."

But the 42-year-old Chicago man, who testified Tuesday while acting as his own lawyer, insists his murderous threat was nothing more than jailhouse bravado. No money was exchanged. In fact, Johnson said he knew authorities were setting him up. So, he played along.

"I knew what you guys were up to," he said during Prosecutor Michael Pawl's heated cross-examination. "It's not rocket science. I wasn't serious. It's just talk."

Johnson's ex-wife ended their one-year marriage in May 2008 after obtaining an order of protection.

The registered nurse said she moved from Stone Park to Lombard afterward and went to great lengths to keep her whereabouts confidential. After months of no contact, she testified last week, Johnson called Oct. 10, 2008, and threatened her life - which led to him being jailed last summer.

"You're going to die - guaranteed," he said in the recorded call, also played in court.

The murder-solicitation charge arose afterward when another inmate tipped off jail officials that Johnson asked him if he knew anyone who would kill his former wife. Johnson argues the man is a felon with gang ties and can't be trusted.

Johnson worked for about 18 years in the insurance business and was close to receiving his doctorate in business before his criminal troubles began, he said in court. He accused his ex-wife of ruining him financially, but denies that he ever intended her harm.

Prosecutors said the recorded jail conversations speak for themselves.

In fact, at one point, Johnson swore on his deceased mother's memory that he was serious about carrying out the threat.

"I want it done," he told the inmate, who wore a wire. "My conscience ain't going to bother me." He added: "She killed me so many ways."

The undercover detective visited Johnson in jail July 12 and told him his ex-wife was dead. The detective testified that Johnson didn't believe him, even though he was shown a cellular phone snapshot of the woman, who posed while lying in a wooded area and bound with duct tape.

"I need confirmation," Johnson persisted. "That's nothing."

Johnson may be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison if convicted. The trial before DuPage Circuit Judge Daniel Guerin is expected to end Wednesday.