ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP)-- Investigators say two would-be hit men from Albuquerque, New Mexico may have had their sights set on the teen mega star, Justin Bieber. They had it planned down to the ties they were going to use to strangle the pop star and three other people.
Bieber played for a sold out house just a few weeks at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That's where investigators say Mark Staake and his nephew Tanner Ruane planned to take down the teen sensation.
Turns out their Bieber fever started long ago. At the state prison near Las Cruces where Staake met Dana Martin, a convicted killer serving two life sentences for raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in Vermont, in 2000.
Martin recruited Staake who in turn recruited his nephew to carry out four murders after Staake got out of prison.Police say Martin asked the two to first go to Vermont and take out two former acquaintances.
He gave strict orders to strangle the victims with a paisley tie, the kind Martin used as his calling card, and here is where things get grisly. Tanner Ruane was in charge of castrating the victims.
Martin told police there was a bigger plot, the murder and castration of Bieber and his bodyguard. Turns out Martin is obsessed with Bieber and reports say he's even got a tattoo of the superstar on his leg.
Staake was arrested in Vermont on outstanding warrants before carrying out any of the killings, but his nephew was let go. Police recorded phone calls where Ruane, who made it to New York, tells Martin he's disappointed he couldn't carry out the murders.
New York police arrested Ruane, who had murder tools and pruning shears with him. Martin actually turned in Staake and Ruane and for some reason foiled the plot he reportedly cooked up.
