No charges for man that texted about having wife, child killed

A Monroe man who was arrested for allegedly texting someone about killing his wife and 4-year-old daughter for money will not face charges.

Jeffery Lytle, 42, was released from custody after temporary charges expired. The case was dropped by the Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office last month.

“In all likelihood, this case will never be fileable,” according to a May 16 notice from Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Tobin Darrow, which states the office is declining to file charges in Superior Court.

Lytle was originally arrested on two counts of investigation of criminal solicitation for murder in the first degree this winter. The charges were filed in Everett District Court.

A former employer of Lytle’s was the one that contacted the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office after receiving a text from Lytle; investigators believe it was sent by mistake.

“Hey Shayne hows it going. You remember you said that you would help me kill my wife,” the text reportedly states. “I’m going to take you up on that offer. (Wife’s) life insurance is worth 1 million and if you want a bounes (sic) you can kill (daughter). Her life insurance is 500k. I go to work 5 in the morning. (Wife) goes to work at 2:00pm so if you can make a robbery gone wrong or make it a accident she works at walmart she gets off at 11:00. I’ll split everything with the insurance 50/50. Please call or text me please.”

The decline notice states that Monroe Police took over the investigation. Lytle’s phone was searched multiple times. Shayne was never found to exist or to have received text messages from Lytle.

“If Shayne is fictional then there cannot be a conspiracy with a fictional person,” according to the notice. “Since we cannot prove Shayne is real, and cannot corroborate this disturbing text from Lytle in any way we cannot prove a crime occurred.”

Deputies had contacted Lytle’s wife before he was arrested this winter. She told deputies the family life insurance policy mentioned in the text message did exist, but investigators could never confirm this. She also said the couple was married and had a 4-year-old daughter together.

Lytle’s wife also said she did not believe they had troubles in their marriage that would cause him to want her dead. She did say the family had financial concerns because Lytle wasn’t working.

“She adamantly asserts that she does not know a person named Shayne and that she is ‘110%’ sure that Lytle would never hurt her,” according to the decline notice. “She claims to be the assertive one in the relationship.”

Lytle was contacted at their home by deputies prior to his arrest. He confirmed his phone number for them, and the identity of his former employer. He initially denied he had sent the text, but said later he had written the text to vent. He also denied the family life insurance policy existed.

Lytle later told Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit investigators he had saved the drafts of the texts, which were typed out after an argument that occurred months ago.

The Monroe Police Department served the warrant at his residence for his phone and life insurance documents.

There was not enough information to take the case to Snohomish County Superior Court by March, according to the Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, but the investigation was continuing at that time. The case was picked up by media outlets nationwide when Lytle was first arrested.