New Mexico state police say two New Mexico men have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to murder and castrate pop singer Justin Bieber.
First reported by KRQE-TV, the plot allegedly was hatched by two prison inmates at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility in Las Cruces and a nephew of one of the men. The plan reportedly was to murder Bieber at a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in New York City earlier this month.
Dana Martin, who is serving two life sentences for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Vermont, enlisted the help of former fellow inmate Mark Staake, 41, and Staake's nephew, Tanner Ruane, 23, to carry out four killings. Both Staake and Ruane are from Albuquerque.
Two of the targets were Justin Bieber and his bodyguard, according to state police Lt. Robert McDonald. The other two were former acquaintances of Martin.
KRQE reported Wednesday that Martin gave orders to strangle the victims with a paisley tie and then castrate the victims. KRQE also reported that Martin is obsessed with Bieber and has a tattoo of him on his leg. McDonald said Martin, after sending Staake and Ruane to the East Coast, turned in his co-conspirators and foiled his own plans before the act could be attempted.
Staake was arrested in Vermont in November on warrants by the U.S. Border Patrol. Ruane made it to New York, where KRQE reports he was arrested with "murder tools and pruning shears," by New York state police. Recorded calls between Ruane and Martin reportedly indicated Ruane's disappointment that he was unable to carry out the crimes, KRQE reported.
Staake and Ruane are charged with four counts of conspiracy to commit murder and are awaiting extradition back to New Mexico.
