Woman gets 9-year term for plotting spouse s hit

4/27/2006

OTTAWA, Ohio A Putnam County woman who tried to hire a hit man to kill her estranged husband was sentenced to nine years in prison yesterday by Putnam County Common Pleas Judge Randall Basinger.

Tammie Varner, 40, of Gilboa had pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to commit murder. Sheriff s deputies said she met Oct. 5 with an undercover deputy and gave him a down payment on a contract to have Darryl Varner of Continental killed.

The couple was divorcing, and deputies had been called to their home several times on domestic-related complaints, including child custody disputes.

A couple of weeks before Tammie Varner s meeting with the undercover officer, Mr. Varner reported that the brake lines on his vehicle had been cut.