By Tom Blakey
Testimony continues today in the courtroom of District Judge Tom Lucas, for a man on trial for soliciting the murder of his sister from prison.
Bruce Lee Shattuck, 57, already serving 20 years in prison for an April 2005 conviction of solicitation of first-degree murder in Washington County, is accused of offering $2,500 to another inmate at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington, to kill Shattuck's sister, Sandra Louise Lee.
Thursday, Billy Hampton testified he was an inmate at Joseph Harp in October 2006, when Shattuck approached him about having Shattuck's sister murdered.
Hampton said Shattuck provided him with a map to his sister's residence, and told him about valuables inside the residence so that he could make the murder look like a robbery.
Testimony indicates Shattuck's mother set up a trust fund leaving $130,000 for Shattuck, while his two sisters received their money straight away. Shattuck was angry over the trust fund and felt Lee had attempted to tie up his inheritance.
Thursday, Shattuck's sister Linda Nixon testified to a series of letters written to her by Shattuck from Joseph Harp.
"He asked my why would he want someone else to kill Sandra when he wanted that pleasure for himself," Nixon said. "After reading so many threats, I began to believe he was really serious about doing something to (Lee)."
Shattuck currently is incarcerated at Oklahoma State Prison in McAlester.
Tom Blakey 366-3540 tblakey@normantranscript.com
