Bigamist pleads to additional charge

By Cleve Wiese

Published: June 24, 2008

A convicted bigamist serving a 25-year prison sentence for setting fire to his ex-wife’s mobile home as she slept inside faces another 40 years for attempting to arrange her murder from behind bars.
Timothy Lee Rankin, 49, on Tuesday stopped short of admitting guilt on a charge of solicitation to commit murder. By entering what is known as an Alford plea, Rankin acknowledged that the evidence against him was strong enough to result in conviction but continued to deny a role in the crime.
An informant at the Middle River Regional Jail contacted the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department in September after overhearing Rankin and another inmate discuss the murder of Rankin’s ex-wife, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney John Reed said in court Tuesday.
Rankin offered his 1991 Ford Explorer in exchange for the hit, according to previous court testimony.
The second inmate also contacted authorities, handing over a three-page letter Rankin had given him detailing Rankin’s ex-wife’s place of employment, her typical routes to work, the hours she was usually at home, even the number of dogs kept on her property, Reed said.
The second inmate, who was working with police, later told Rankin a fictional hit man named “Ramon” could carry out the murder, but that final arrangements should be made through Ramon’s girlfriend, Amanda Kodak, actually Investigator Candace Jones of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department, Reed said.
“She could be contacted to make arrangements ‘to have her goose cooked,’ as the conversation went,” Reed said.
When Jones asked Rankin during a subsequent conversation if he wanted his ex-wife dead, Rankin replied, “Yes,” Reed said. Rankin later attempted to send Jones further information about his ex-wife, including a list of identifying marks, Reed said.
Rankin burned his ex-wife’s Stuarts Draft mobile home Nov. 28, 2006, after she reported him to police for bigamy. She escaped unharmed along with her 16-year-old daughter and 60-year-old disabled brother.
Augusta County Circuit Court Judge Thomas H. Wood accepted Rankin’s plea Tuesday and ordered a pre-sentencing report. Rankin faces between five and 40 additional years in prison.