Son allegedly found someone to commit the murder
Michael Kling
/ McDonough County Jail
MCDONOUGH CO., ILL. -- UPDATE: January 21 at 6:16 a.m.
The man accused of plotting to have an informant killed in a murder-for-hire scheme with the help of his 14-year-old son appeared in court Thursday.
Michael E. Kling, 39, of Astoria has pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing on charges of unlawful procurement of meth precursors.
Kling was charged with solicitation of murder on Tuesday, Jan. 11 after a phone call from jail revealed that his 14-year-old son had located an individual willing to murder an informant.
On Tuesday, Macomb police officer J.P. McLaughlin testified that there are three or four informants in the case and indicated that his group of sources may include a juvenile.
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Authorities in McDonough County say an Astoria man is in custody in connection with a murder-for-hire scheme.
The Associated Press reports that Michael Kling was being held in the McDonough County Jail in connection with a meth-related charge.
He now faces an additional charge of solicitation of murder.
Police listened to recordings of Kling's telephone calls from jail after learning of the plot.
Kling allegedly telephoned several people trying to find someone to kill an informant in his case.
Authorities say that Kling's 14-year-old son was one of the people that he contacted.
It is believed that the son told his father he had lined up someone to carry out the murder.
The teen was brought in for questioning and has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit solicitation of murder and aggravated assault.
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