Councilman explains how he unraveled alleged murder-for-hire plot
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was the information from a Houston city councilman that helped police piece together enough evidence in an alleged murder-for-hire case to secure the arrest of a prominent Houston veterinarian and her boyfriend.
On Feb. 23, Councilman Michael Kubosh, who is also a bail bondsman, said one of his clients contacted him and insisted they meet.
It was Leon Jacob, Kubosh said.
Kubosh said he held a bond for Jacob in a case where he was accused of stalking, and that Jacob told him he wanted help finding a man to whom he'd paid money to make his ex disappear.
SEE ALSO: Timeline of alleged murder-for-hire plot events
"He told me he wanted this lady out of the picture," said Kubosh.
Jacob, according to Kubosh, was asking persistently for that man's phone number.
With the knowledge that Jacob potentially could have ordered someone to be killed, Kubosh went to the police.
"I've been in business for 20-something years, and I've never felt the way that man made me feel in my office," said Kubosh.
RELATED: History of stalking, abuse revealed for murder-for-hire suspect
After that, the case unraveled: Following an intricate sting operation in which police faked the deaths of their exes, officers arrested not only Leon Jacob but also his girlfriend, prominent Houston veterinarian Valerie McDaniel.
Both were charged with solicitation of murder.
McDaniel, however, committed suicide, jumping off the balcony of a River Oaks area high rise where she lived.
Kubosh said he is upset his identity was not protected by police. He likens his reasoning to a case in which a confidential informant might give investigators leads, their names being redacted from court documents for their safety. He worries now about his safety and that of his family.
"We appreciate Councilman Kubosh coming forward, as his actions certainly helped saved the lives of two people. If we ever feel the life of any witness is in jeopardy, we take that threat seriously and we act appropriately and immediately." - Dane Schiller, Harris County District Attorney's Office spokesman.
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