Grizzlies owner targeted April 21, 1999

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- An alleged hit on the owner of the Utah Grizzlies minor-league hockey team was foiled when the man, a Riverton landscaper purportedly hired to arrange the murder, went to police.

Mark A. Woodland, 34, tried to hire one of his employees to arrange the murder of Grizzlies owner David Elmore, according to a search warrant executed Friday.

Woodland apparently had money troubles and claimed Elmore owed him close to $30,000 for landscaping work at his home, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Robby Russo.

On March 27, Woodland told his employee he wanted "someone severely beat up, and if they die, that's OK too," the warrant states. Woodland later offered the employee a total of $10,000 to have Elmore killed, according to the warrant.

Woodland had first offered the employee $3,000 on March 17 to either steal or sink his 33-foot yellow ski boat he called "Big Bird" so he could collect $60,000 in insurance money, the warrant said.

Woodland apparently thought his employee's criminal history, including convictions for theft and some prison time, meant that he knew people who could kill Elmore, Russo said.

But owed some $9,000 in back wages from Woodland, the employee wasn't interested in the offer. Instead, he offered to help police nab Woodland for insurance fraud.

Detectives recorded the two men discussing the theft, the warrant states. Russo and other detectives used a county vehicle to "steal" the boat from Woodland's driveway. It is currently being held as evidence.

"(Woodland) called dispatch the next day and reported that his boat had been stolen and that he was very upset," Russo said.

As police waited for an insurance claim to be filed, Woodland's employee contacted Russo with news of the murder-for-hire scheme.

"He was apparently happy with the job we did on the boat," Russo said.

Rather than recording a discussion of the alleged plot, deputies arrested Woodland.

"We had to move faster than we wanted to, but what if we have this knowledge and something really does happen to (Elmore), it's not worth it," said Russo. "We wanted to get him out of harm's way."

Woodland was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Friday for investigation of fraud and possession of a controlled substance. He was released from jail Friday night because of a lack of space.

Elmore was out of town Monday and unavailable for comment, but a spokeswoman from his E Center office said he had been notified about the alleged threat.

Tuesday, Apr. 20, 1999 at 9:01am ET