Police foil LaPorte County inmate’s alleged ‘Hollywood-style murder for hire’ plot

LAPORTE COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) - Police say investigators with multiple agencies have thwarted a “Hollywood-style murder for hire plot” that was led by an inmate who has been at the LaPorte County Jail since May.

Daniel Shaffer, 45, of LaPorte allegedly solicited the murder of two people while locked up. It turns out Shaffer was telling undercover police about the scheme the entire time.

The story is not something from a Netflix series, but there were many supporting characters that made this investigation and arrest happen.

This unusual situation came to a head after several weeks of investigation into what officials say started out as a routine check into a threat. But they never expected it to reveal a murder for hire plot.

Sgt. Kyle Shiparski of the LaPorte County Drug Task Force explained how they were able to get Shaffer to let his guard down with the help of undercover agents.

“Kind of leveraging those comforts or perceived comforts the inmate has where in certain situations they don’t think they are recorded or in certain situations they feel more comfortable to talk,” he said. “In this investigation, that’s really what we exploited, and that’s ultimately where Mr. Shaffer clearly outlined his intent.”

Shaffer was charged on Friday with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. His bond was set at $100,000 and he’s currently in custody at the LaPorte County Jail pending his initial hearing on Friday.

Shaffer was acquainted with the victims prior to going to jail and both are in the LaPorte area. Their identities are being withheld, as Shiparski says this is for both their privacy and safety.

“We’re not releasing the names of the victims at this time, and I say that because that would kind of obviously tip the hat to the motive behind it,” Shiparski explained. “But in this investigation, the motive became clear, and it was one that was very personal to him.”

The victims have been informed of the situation and Shaffer’s charges. Officials say if this does go to trial, they will likely have to testify.

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