Jarret gets life in prison for murder of husband
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, June 1, 2006
Melissa Jarrett, who pleaded guilty in March of masterminding a plot to murder her husband, was formally sentenced May 22 to life in prison.
The sentence was one expected by both sides following the guilty plea March 28 and was made official by Circuit Judge Jimmy Woodroof.
Jarrett remained in Limestone County Jail on Thursday, but she is expected to be transferred at some point to Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka.
Melissa Jarrett was accused of plotting with two men to murder her husband, Shane Jarrett, the owner of a local wrecker service, in January 2002.
“After reviewing the evidence in all the cases, we believe this was the best outcome for the case and achieved justice for Shane,” said Limestone County District Attorney Kristi Valls, who prosecuted the cases.
Police said Melissa Jarrett was having an affair with Andy Dugger of Athens at the time of the murder. Chad Reece, a cousin of Dugger’s from Elkmont, was brought into the murder plot, authorities said.
Reece received a life sentence after pleading guilty in October to intentional murder.
Dugger is in the Limestone County Jail awaiting trial for capital murder.
Valls said in her plea, Melissa Jarrett admitted her involvement in the crime, but stopped short of saying she did it for money.
Athens Police Capt. Marty Bruce said investigators at the time uncovered a murder-for-hire scheme.
“We were told there was a payment to be made to Chad Reece out of Shane Jarrett’s insurance policy,” Bruce said.
According to police, Dugger and Reece lured Shane Jarrett from his Wheeler Street home by pretending to be someone needing a wrecker. When he found no one in distress and returned home, Shane was shot and killed. Reece was the gunman, Bruce said.