Oak Creek Man Charged In IL Stabbing Sought Murder For Hire: Sheriff

WILL COUNTY, IL — A man from Oak Creek who was arrested in connection with the stabbings of his Illinois in-laws is facing new charges of soliciting murder for hire, the Will County Sheriff's Office announced.

Michael Liu, 36, was arrested on Dec. 2 on charges of battery, burglary, attempted first degree murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm after authorities said he shot at and stabbed his in-laws in Illinois in an attempt to exact revenge over an impending divorce.

See also: Oak Creek Man Accused Of Stabbing IL In-Laws Over Divorce: Sheriff

Now, Liu is also being accused of trying to hire a hitman to murder the witnesses in the case he is currently in jail for, the Will County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities said he approached several inmates in the plot.

Liu was taken into custody after authorities said he traveled about 100 miles south from Oak Creek in early December into the unincorporated town of Crete where his in-laws lived, a news release from the sheriff's office said. A complaint said Liu fired several shots from a gun in the direction of the in-laws' home before he smashed a sliding door to enter the home and continued shooting but his gun malfunctioned, according to the sheriff's office.

After Liu entered the home he stabbed the 66-year-old woman several times and then stabbed her 68-year-old husband when he came to her defense, the sheriff's office said. The woman was released from the hospital soon after while the man was said to be in stable condition recovering soon after the stabbing.

By mid-January, the murder-for-hire accusations arose. The Will County Adult Detention Facility notified investigators that Liu had approached several inmates about a hitman, the news release said.

Detectives found that Liu was discussing the plot with other inmates; while the complaint accused him of being willing to pay $20,000 for the murder of the witnesses, the release said.

One inmate convinced Liu that he had a hitman friend who would carry out the murder for cash with $10,000 up front and $10,000 after the murder, the news release said.

Liu is now facing a charge of solicitation of murder for hire, which could carry a mandatory prison sentence of at least 20 years if convicted, the sheriff's office said.