Alabama lawyer's slaying was a contract killing, alleged go-between testifies
An Alabama man offered to pay $45,000 for the murder of Talladega County lawyer Blake Lazenby, according to testimony by the man who says he acted as a go-between for the man soliciting the killing and the two men hired to do the job.
Lazenby was shot and killed at his Sylacauga home in July 2011. Currently on trial is one of two men accused of carrying out the slaying, Ocie Lee Lynch, 30, of Birmingham, Alabama, the Daily Home reports. The other man accused is Charles Hendrix of Birmingham.
Testifying on Tuesday was the alleged go-between, Calvin McCall Haynes, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and is serving a life sentence for his role, report Fox 6 WBRC and the Daily Home. Haynes was among six people charged in the case.
Haynes had given three different statements in the case; he says the last one was true. He testified that a man named Earnest “LA” Files offered $45,000 for the killing, but later paid Lynch only $2,000. Files had claimed he was in a relationship with Lazenby’s wife at some point during her divorce from Lazenby in a case that lasted more than four years, the Daily Home says.
Lazenby’s former wife is not accused in the case; she reported to police in March 2011 that Files had made harassing communications and trespassed at her home. The complaint resulted in a no-contact order against Files.
A woman who posed as Lazenby’s wife during contract-killing negotiations is also charged in the case.
Also testifying against Lynch on Tuesday was Haynes’ sister, who had lived with Lynch and made a recording in which Lynch talked about details of the shooting, according to the Daily Home account. The sister said she made the recording because she feared for her children.
