Man accused of trying to hire hitman to kill Columbia police detective

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A man who was already in law enforcement custody has been accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill a detective from the Columbia Police Department.

Nikolaus Harvey, 26, was charged on Thursday with conspiracy to commit a Class A felony. He was moved from the Boone County Jail to the Phelps County Jail. He is being held without bond. A court date has not been scheduled for this case.

The probable cause statement says an inmate told officials that Harvey offered to pay him $5,000 to kill the detective, but the inmate declined. Harvey allegedly wrote a note giving an accurate physical description of the detective, as well as an additional note and map detailing the location of guns that could be used, the statement says.

Harvey had allegedly blamed the detective for being held in jail, court documents say.

The witness handed the map over to law enforcement. He also had told Harvey he knew someone who could carry out the hit, the statement says. Law enforcement gave the inmate a phone number of a police officer that Harvey would talk to, the statement says.

Harvey allegedly spoke with the undercover officer and allegedly admitted to making the map and talked about how payment would occur, the statement says. Harvey then allegedly gave another note to the previous witness, saying he would show the undercover officer where the guns were hidden, court documents say.

Harvey was interviewed by law enforcement at the Phelps County Jail and denied all allegations, including that he discussed a hit or wrote any notes, the probable cause statement says.

He was charged earlier this year after he was accused of stealing from 20 vehicles in Columbia over the course of two months. He was charged in one case with misdemeanor stealing, stealing a gun and stealing drugs. A hearing is scheduled in that case for 8:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3.

In another case, he is charged with first-degree burglary, felony stealing and possessing burglary tools.

Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said conspiracy cases are taken seriously.

“A group of crimes that can be committed without actually finishing the crime conspiracy and attempt are both offenses where you haven’t actually completed the offense,” Johnson said.

While Harvey’s plan did not follow through, Johnson said the plan itself is a crime.

“Conspiracy is that you agreed with one or more other persons to commit an offense, it has to be a serious felony. In Missouri, it has to be an A, B or C felony,” Johnson said.

Johnson emphasized the importance of coming forward.

“Normally, we talk about if people have information about crimes that have been committed,” Johnson said. “But it is important, too, if you have information that somebody is going to commit a crime, to go to somebody and share that information. Because maybe we can stop that harm from happening.”

A person convicted of conspiracy can face up to three to 10 years in prison, according to Johnson.

ABC 17 News reached out to public defender Benjamin Ellis — who represents Harvey in several other cases — but he declined to comment.

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